Fimea

Low-code paid off – immediate value from a quickly-completed application

How to go from manually updated documents to a modern database application in just three months? Low-code software development made the work of Fimea’s employees easier and increased data security.

OBJECTIVE

Better data security and less manual work

The Finnish Medicines Agency Fimea wanted to reduce the amount of manual work involved in maintaining the pharmacy register and increase data security and protection. Fimea was also interested in the opportunities low-code software development could open up for them.

“The pharmacy register consisted of several manually updated documents that were very cumbersome to use. The goal was to renew the register and turn it into an easy-to-use, secure and automated modern database”, says Auli Aalto, IT Project Manager at Fimea.

The pharmacy register consisted of several manually updated documents that were very cumbersome to use. The goal was to renew the register and turn it into an easy-to-use, secure and automated modern database.

Auli Aalto / IT Project Manager, Fimea

The pharmacy register contains up-to-date information about all of the pharmacies in Finland, and maintaining it is Fimea’s statutory duty. It is an essential and daily tool for supervising pharmacies and its data is also used by other authorities.

SOLUTION

Quick results with low code

The pharmacy register was reformed into a browser-based application in just three months. Gofore has strong expertise in low-code software development, which reduced the time spent on traditional coding and helped keep up with the schedule. At best, low-code can significantly speed up development and facilitate the involvement of experts and end-users.

“We discussed the use cases of the register with Gofore during a face-to-face day and remotely. In no time at all, we got to try out the first versions and give feedback”, says Juha Sinnemäki, a leading expert in the project.

We discussed the use cases of the register with Gofore during a face-to-face day and remotely. In no time at all, we got to try out the first versions and give feedback.

Juha Sinnemäki / leading expert, Fimea

“This is a good example of how experts can be involved right from the start of a software project, and developers receive all the information without any intermediaries. We are happy to provide expert resources for projects such as these, where you get results quickly”, Auli Aalto describes her experiences with the low-code project.

Low-code enabled agile responses to any needs that emerged during the project. For example, reporting features were not initially included in the project, but the need for such features was identified during discussions. The renewed pharmacy register now offers its users Power BI reports as well.

Low-code software development

Low-code is a visual approach to software development. With low-code platforms, applications are created using a graphical interface and drag-and-drop features, which utilise larger building blocks. This eliminates the need for traditional computer programming and coding by hand. Thus, applications can be delivered faster with less manual coding.

RESULT

Scalable application saves time and improves data quality

The new register received high praise from Auli Aalto. Separate documents that required a lot of manual work were replaced by one modern database application.

“The development project was very cost-effective and it was carried out incredibly fast. The low-code implementation showed us that you don’t always have to spend years on a project that only generates value in the long run. This time, we received a functional and easy-to-use-tool in no time at all”, says Aalto.

The new solution saves Fimea’s experts time, as they no longer have to manually update and compile register data. Previously, the updated data had to be delivered to other authorities manually, but now the data is transferred automatically overnight. Reduced manual work and a user interface that guides data entry have significantly increased data quality, protection and security.

“This is our first low-code application, and it is a good foundation for further development. We can build new features on top of it and scale it up with ease. Other departments within Fimea have already asked about getting a similar solution”, Aalto explains.

Project highlights

Objective

Fimea wanted to turn the pharmacy register into a database-based application, simplify its updating process and increase data security and protection. They also wanted to uncover the opportunities of low-code software development for Fimea’s development work.

Solution

The pharmacy register was reformed into a browser-based application in just three months. Thanks to low code, the amount of traditional coding was kept to a minimum, experts were involved right from the start and any emerging needs were responded to quickly.

Result

Fimea received a quick, cost-effective and user-friendly tool that saves time for experts, improves data quality and increases data security and protection. Fimea also gained useful insights into low-code and received an application on which they can add new features in the future.