EXCLUSIVE: A day in the life of a product manager at an established TEC specialist

Nikki Williams, Product Manager at Tunstall Healthcare, discusses what a typical day in her life looks like, including the importance of working with health, social care, and housing professionals to deliver joined-up, effective, and technology-enabled care (TEC) that ultimately improves patient outcomes.

Describe your current role

“I am a group product manager at pioneering software, hardware and services provider Tunstall Healthcare. We have been at the forefront of technology innovation for the health, housing, and social care markets for over 65 years, growing to become a UK manufacturer with a global presence.

“I work closely with the research & development (R&D) and manufacturing teams to generate digital solutions that enable providers to deliver integrated, efficient, and person-centred care in the community, which empower vulnerable people to live more independently and with an improved quality of life.

“Whether it’s the use of virtual care platforms, remote monitoring solutions, communication tools, digital apps, or sophisticated data platforms, we are working to remain a cutting-edge technology solutions provider for the health, housing, and social care markets.”

What does a typical day in your role look like?

“I focus heavily on how to deliver changes and innovation from both a people and process perspective to bring patients, users, social care, healthcare, and housing providers closer to deliver joined-up, effective, and successful care that improves patient outcomes.

“Investing time in exploring the successes of current and emerging technology is key to enabling me to work with our team to ensure our technologies and products continue to evolve. For more than 65 years, we’ve pioneered the use of technology to enable independent living, and we were the first to develop personal alarm systems into the market. I work very hard to contribute to keeping us at the forefront of product and software development to ensure we can harness the power of digital technology.

“Currently we’re building our next generation of platforms with data at the centre, using technologies such as machine learning and AI to enable quicker and data driven decision making to determine whether someone’s health could be about to deteriorate and action accordingly.

“I also spend a lot of time liaising with stakeholders across the business globally to build business cases, scope requirements and track progress. I also prepare visualisations to communicate the direction and scope of the products.”

Who do you work with?

“I work with product teams, senior leadership, the finance team, development teams, and architects to bring plans to life. I also work closely with colleagues in other countries on products with global scope.

“As a multi-national team, we have fantastic talent and skills from both a hardware and software perspective and combine four in-house teams with externally sourced innovation to create a comprehensive portfolio of services, underpinned by our global experience of making care and health services more personalised, preventative and therefore cost-effective.

“I also work with a number of external stakeholders, including social care providers, healthcare services, housing and retirement living providers, and local authorities to improve the lives of more than five million people through technology, including those with dementia, learning disabilities, physical disabilities and long-term health conditions.

“We are working with our customers to help them ensure their services are resilient and future proof and their end-users understand the benefits of digital solutions and how they can use them. If housing, health, and social care work together with technology suppliers, we can invest in tech literacy and put citizens at the heart of decision-making and empower them to manage their own health.”

What do you like most about your role?

“The diversity; it’s a huge task pulling together a new platform with a truly customer centric view. The business is always evolving, and we change with it, which means the engagement at different levels has to happen at the right time. There’s always something new to consider and focus on.

“Owning the overall vision gives me the ability to tie it all together and see the impact of change. It’s important to keep people buying into the direction, especially with a larger programme and I really enjoy engaging with the team as we move along the journey together.”

Are there any challenges that you face?

“As with many roles, I’m always looking to balance time, scope of work, and budgets to make sure our products are commercially viable. Ensuring we deliver our plans and attention to detail is key!

“With demand transforming the current market and technology innovation expanding dramatically, we need to make sure we’re both supporting our existing products and services, but equally driving innovation and development. My current focus is on creating a more connected world that fulfils the potential of technology to offer intelligent care, and supports our customers in being able to predict and even prevent events, using data-driven insights. This, in turn, also supports our vision of creating a world where vulnerable people can live their lives to the fullest in a place of their choice.

“As a market leader, we have a responsibility not just to innovate as an organisation, but to drive change across the health and care landscape. Lack of awareness and knowledge about the technology available and how it can benefit business is a common reason for putting off moving to digital technology. Ensuring we develop solutions for both the digitally enabled and those with less experience of technology is key in supporting a vulnerable and ageing population.”

Tips & tricks for getting into the role

“To be successful, you need to be able to build relationships and effectively communicate with lots of different stakeholders. The power of listening is so important – you learn so much and find the answers in the expertise that’s at your fingertips. Learning to delegate, prioritise and trust your colleagues is also crucial for success.”