Founded in 1991, S·CAPE GmbH is a global leader in medical device integration and digital operating room workflow solutions. The focus of S·CAPE GmbH is on solving digital integration needs of the world’s most reputable hospitals. They place a focus on making operating theatres and other acute care areas more efficient and safe through the use of information technology.
S·CAPE avoids costly and unnecessary functions that do not enable more efficient transfer and usage of clinical and process data. In a special interview feature, both co-CEOs Björn von Siemens and Dennis Kogan, impart their expertise as specialists in the fields of digital healthcare, connected devices and healthcare efficiency.
Can you tell us about what your company specialises in? Dennis Kogan: S·CAPE GmbH specialises in solving digital integration needs of hospitals. The firm’s focus is on making operating theatres and other acute care areas more efficient through the use of information technology. We avoid costly and unnecessary functions that do not enable the more efficient transfer and usage of clinical and process data. Over the last years, we have doubled in size and are becoming a global leader in medical device integration and digital operating room workflow solutions.
How would you define the nature of your client base? Dennis Kogan: The clients of S·CAPE GmbH are leading hospitals and medical institutions all around the globe. With the seamless integration of relevant medical devices through our hardware and software solutions, we are able to provide and efficient workflow for surgical teams, operators’ and the administration of hospitals, especially concerning the surgical teams’ need for their full focus on medical interventions. By integrating data-streams from medical modalities, hospital IT and sensors in an around the OR as well as making them all accessible in one central platform, we reduce the effort required both up- and downstream the care continuum.
To what extent do you think that corporate success often depends on the innovation and creativity of those in leadership? Dennis Kogan: As leaders, we believe that success depends on enabling innovation and creativity in the organisation. Corporate success is thus driven by leaders who know how to motivate their peers, superiors and wider organisation to innovate and find
entrepreneurial solutions when required. Great leaders do not only know how to motivate, but also provide the tangible and intangible resources necessary for continued innovation and entrepreneurship.
Why is strong and decisive management key to ensuring ongoing success? Björn von Siemens: Strong and decisive management is particularly important during times of crisis. A successful leader takes the necessary and sometimes tough decisions to steer the organisation through stormy waters. Contrary to that, if the company is on the path of growth, overly strong management can become an impediment to its successful development.
How do you approach leadership and how exactly have you been an effective leader in your industry? Dennis Kogan: Our leadership approach is based on identifying the right people for certain roles and providing them with the necessary resources to be successful. We offer a great amount of entrepreneurial freedom and room for decision making, but expect thoughtful and responsible decision making to take place, as well as commitment to performance and innovation.
Can you tell us how the business is going and the challenges you face at the helm of it? Björn von Siemens: Since 2013, our company S·CAPE GmbH was still as small business based out of Sachsony. After a period of investment, repositioning and relocation to Berlin we launched a new software platform the brand caresyntax® in 2014. Our solutions portfolio is increasingly well received by our customers, and as such we are continuing to experience growth in demand in almost all geographies.
The firm’s order intake and revenue have more than doubled from 2015 to 2016, and opportunities such as the U.S. market are still untapped. A major challenge is the transformation from a smaller business to a ‘hidden champion’ with international and blue chip customer base. Developing the IoT (internet of things) and connected device solutions to further enhance our offering is a challenge, but also an exciting opportunity for us.
Can you tell us about your career background prior to attaining your current position? Dennis Kogan: Björn and I started working together in business school in the United States, and we both have backgrounds in entrepreneurial roles in IT and digital industries. Our professors and business mentors helped us form a successful partnership, with first achievements over the first years. In 2011, we formed an investment fund looking for a growth investment at the intersection of IT and medical devices. We completed the acquisition of S·CAPE and several related businesses in 2012/2013, and have since been in the positions of owners and managers at S·CAPE.
What challenges lie ahead in the future for you as a CEO and for your company in 2016 and beyond? Björn von Siemens: 2016 has been a very exciting year for us. As we celebrate the firm’s 25th anniversary, we are proud to have grown from a university spin-off to a global leader in medical device integration and digital operating room workflow solutions. The first half of this year has been enormously successful, with a remarkable 185% increase in order intake, compared to 2015.
In addition, S·CAPE received orders to equip over 350 O.Rs and procedure rooms around the world, which is a testament to how our new software and hardware technology is winning ground. 2016 has also seen sizeable expansion of our global distribution network, now including a subsidiary in the United States.
All of this, along with an exciting new partnership with General Electric related to integration of GE Health Cloud with caresyntax® surgical content management platform, sets the path for our continued innovation and further expansion.
What vital contribution do staff play in the success of your firm? Björn von Siemens: We are a growing company. Currently we employ more than 80 specialised employees, steadily rising. This number makes us the market leader in our niche. With a large number of various medical devices, we have a need for highly educated software-developers who are able to develop the operating system for the operating room.
What are the ambitions of your firm for the future? Dennis Kogan: We continue to launch new applications on and around our caresyntax® PRIM365 technology platform. We have engaged in several partnerships with leading companies from our industry and beyond. In addition to being a leading domestic player in the thriving German, Austrian and Swiss markets, historically our footprint extended to most key European Union and Middle Eastern geographies.
Over the last few years, the firm has embarked on an exciting and ambitious growth path, which has led to thousands of installations being made in some of the most vibrant growth markets around the globe. We believe that this remarkable momentum is now accelerating, evidenced by the fact that in 2016 we supplied caresyntax® integration solutions to leading
hospitals on all five contents of the globe. In addition, this year finally marks our entry into the United States, the largest medical device and healthcare IT market in the whole world.
Björn von Siemens: One of the initiatives that exemplifies S·CAPE’s engagement in helping hospitals to reduce costs, while driving clinical knowledge sharing, is our recently initiated partnership with General Electric. As announced at HIMSS 2016, S·CAPE and GE intend to integrate caresyntax® distributed clinical content management platform, CX ECLIPSE, with the GE Health Cloud. By moving to the GE Health Cloud, S·CAPE intends to facilitate improved education and knowledge management for clinicians, while minimising IT infrastructure requirements and upfront investments of the same for participating hospitals.
S·CAPE continues rapid growth in Asia by securing large projects in major markets, such as India and Turkey, as well as opening a new representative office in Singapore and planning a new Shanghai office.
The firm S·CAPE has expanded to some of the biggest global growth markets, supplying growing demand for cutting-edge digital O.R and procedure workflow solutions in the growing markets of Asia. This will be coordinated by the recently opened Singapore and soon-to-be inaugurated Shanghai offices, which the firm has established as a base of operations in China and the broader Asia Pacific region.
The company is to equip over 200 operating rooms in several large PPP hospitals in Western Asia, currently under development. When completed, it will be one of the largest and most technologically advanced hospital systems in the world, with a focus on the newest integration solutions, connectivity and workflow automation
Company: S·CAPE GmbH
Name: Dennis Kogan, co-CEO Björn von Siemens, co-CEO
Email: bjoern.vonsiemens@ s-cape.com
Web: www.s-cape.com
Address: Komturstr 18 A, 12099 Berlin Germany
Phone: 49 (0)30 7130297-0
Leader in Digital Workflow Solutions for High Acuity Settings
