After years of business as usual in the humdrum world of Web development, one Seattle area company is using Web sites to shape companies, redefine identities and revolutionize the way people interact. It might sound like a simple thing to take something like a Web site and turn it into an integrated workplace tool but few developers have the expertise that ITPWS.com has.
"A lot of companies still have the idea that a Web site is just something that says who they are and what they do," explains Scott Kintz, vice-president of Pathway Solutions. "So we're showing them that a site can be integrated and interactive in ways that will cut overhead and increase sales while making the experience to everyone involved something they can actually get excited about."
One example was the Periodontal Surgery practice of Dr. Martin Rabin. Before Pathway Solutions took over the site design it was little more than an elaborate business card with basic information. Now it allows for referring doctors to input patient information and securely transmit x-rays with HIPAA compliance and for patients to easily and privately complete their medical history from the comfort of their homes. Intake, scheduling, background information and contact requests are all automated now which ensures patients receive the timeliest attention while cutting costs to the practice. Even the doctor's study club is managed online with course registration, follow up, attendance and notification systems; a job that used to require twenty hours per week now can be managed in minutes.
Rob Harris, a musician and client of Pathway Solutions suggested that "anybody can build a Web site… they were able to show me how the site could be a virtual office for our band." By creating interactive Flash, integrating ecommerce, blog, community forums and calendar features, the band was able to increase fan participation and revenues more within 30 days of launch than they had in the past two years.
Northwest Presbytery had a dozen Web sites run by a dozen Webmasters before Pathway Solutions came on board. They created a single database to manage each of them but added podcasts, live sermon broadcast capacity, but that was just the beginning.
Now the secure system allows ministers to create missions on the site and collect donations. Committee members no longer need to attend meetings to participate because they can interact on private pages to express their beliefs and work together. In short, they don't just have a copy of the Sunday bulletin online, they have the whole capacity of the church's operations available and the results have been astounding.
The most amazing part is that in many cases it actually costs less than traditional Web development. Clients all get the ability to manage their own content and dictate exactly how their site should look, but the real difference is that the scope of what a site can do for business is now as boundless as the imagination.
