New York, NY, October 20, 2024 — Audrey Cushing, Chief of Staff at Vee Healthtek and industry leader in outsourcing, was a featured panelist at the International Association of Outsourcing Professionals (IAOP) Outsourcing World Summit session titled Transparency in Design Thinking: Fostering Trust in Collaboration. Cushing’s outstanding contributions to the panel were highlighted in an article for IAOP’s magazine, PULSE.
Each year, IAOP brings together hundreds of outsourcing professionals for several days of presentations, workshops, and networking sessions during its Outsourcing World Summit. The 2024 conference focused on emerging technologies, risk management, best practices, social impact, and the healthcare and life sciences industries. Cushing, 2022 IAOP Member of the Year and expert in business process outsourcing and procurement, was selected to help lead the Transparency in Design Thinking panel based on her deep subject matter expertise and her involvement as a leader within the organization. With experience on both the buyer and supplier sides of outsourcing, Cushing offered a unique perspective that enabled attendees to understand the complexities of collaboration between clients and service providers. Her expertise in negotiating contracts, managing vendor relationships, and implementing cost-saving measures made her an especially valuable contributor to the discussion.
The panel gave attendees a deep dive into design thinking, a concept coined by author Don Norman, which refers to an innovative framework for addressing challenges in a business environment through problem-solving and collaboration. As explained by Cushing, this concept encourages service providers to ask questions and identify the root cause of an issue before proposing and implementing a solution. The four stages of design thinking include discovering the true nature of the problem at hand, defining the challenge, developing a solution, and delivering a prototype to the end-user.
Commenting on the panel, Cushing explained, “The advantage of the design thinking methodology is that it encourages vendors to explore and investigate a challenge before jumping to develop a solution. This provides better outcomes for all parties involved in an outsourcing engagement. At Vee Healthtek, we integrate design thinking into every client relationship, ensuring we deliver high-impact solutions that thoroughly address each client’s concerns.”
Vee Healthtek, a leading professional services organization specializing in end-to-end revenue cycle management, has a long-standing relationship with IAOP. In February 2024, the company was named to IAOP’s Global Outsourcing 100 List for the ninth consecutive year, emphasizing its ability to enhance healthcare organizations with quality, accuracy, and efficiency. In May, Chocko Valliappa, founder and former CEO of Vee Healthtek, was inducted into the IAOP Hall of Fame for his tremendous impact on the technology and healthcare outsourcing landscapes.
“The session on design thinking allowed me to share my perspectives on outsourcing with a group of dedicated professionals eager to strengthen client relationships and build trust,” Audrey added. “By practicing design thinking, we can form long-term partnerships that prioritize collaboration and mutual growth.”
Vee Healthtek is a leading professional services provider and strategic partner to the nation’s top healthcare organizations. Rooted in a history of innovation, Vee Healthtek is dedicated to delivering industry-best results backed by data and technology. With a comprehensive suite of end-to-end solutions, the firm delivers excellence in healthcare business process outsourcing services. For more information, please visit veehealthtek.com.
IAOP is the global association that brings together customers, providers, and advisors in a collaborative, knowledge-based environment that promotes professional and organizational development, recognition, certification, and excellence to improve business service models and outcomes. Its 120,000 members and affiliates worldwide are digging deep at IAOP conferences, learning at IAOP chapter meetings, getting trained and certified at IAOP courses and workshops, and connecting through IAOP social media, all with one goal: better business results. Visit www.IAOP.org to learn more.
