NZ Blood: Unlocking the hidden value of innovation

There’s a common misconception that innovation needs to be a new technological advancement, like the latest household consumable or wearable device. However, the reality is that innovation can be as simple as redefining an existing process or cross-pollinating and re-purposing an existing idea to address an unmet need.

At Sush Mobile we like to ensure every mobile solution we design and develop has an element of magic to ensure we optimise take-up and user engagement. And one of our favourite projects this year has been the deployment of the NZ Blood Service’s new donor app (check out our case study here).

Some of the features we’ve packed into this app include:

- Registering to be able to  book appointments without the need for paperwork or physical presence

- Virtualising the often lost  or forgotten donor card so donors no longer need to carry their physical one

- Viewing a personalised dashboard  including blood type, donation history and how many days until they can next  donate

- Viewing and scheduling available  appointments has been reimagined to make it easier to choose a convenient  time and location to donate

- Introduction of push  notification reminders of appointments and blood drives; and my personal favourite

- Sending notifications when a  donor’s latest donation has helped save a life to enhance the donor  experience (for whole blood donors only).    

And I believe the results of combining these features together speaks for itself as in only four months:

- Over 30% of NZ Blood Service donors have downloaded the app

- Average 1,300 donors use the app per day

- NZ Blood Service tripled the number of appointments made using the app since its launch

In addition to this app being a finalist of the 2016 Best Design Awards, it’s great to see that this redefined experience has also been acknowledged by the NZ Innovation Council, awarding it as a finalist in the Health & Science category at tomorrow night’s NZ Innovation Awards.

* Sush Mobile are a proudly NZ-based company that builds custom mobile software solutions for enterprise and Government organisations. Sush were engaged by the New Zealand Blood Service to mobilise and streamline the blood donation experience in order to drive donor engagement and reduce operating costs. Each year, the lives of over 42,000 ordinary New Zealanders are saved thanks to 111,000 donors. However, NZ Blood Service loses around 27,000 donors a year, so it is important to recruit new donors to ensure there is a constant supply of new donors.

For a trusted mobile app development in NZ, call us at SUSH Labs today.