November – … After a sale, representatives make follow-up calls at least every quarter. Applied Medical uses the conversations to help with new-product development. "We ask our customers what they want to see in our future products – what problems they have that we can help resolve," says [Said] Hilal. "We consistently remind ourselves to listen to what the customer needs, not what we need."
August – Innovative companies encourage employees to look to the future for ideas. Yet those ideas must produce plans that can go into development today. How do such businesses maintain their head-in-the-clouds-feet-on-the-ground equilibrium? Said Hilal, CEO of Applied Medical Resources, manages by subjecting futuristic visioning to business-school rigor.
June – …The company [Applied Medical] said it had received marketing clearance from the FDA for the new device [GelPort]. Applied Medical said the GelPort is “the most significant advancement in hand-access laparoscopy technology [HAL] since HAL was first introduced over five years ago.” The device has been designed to make it easier to perform complex minimally invasive (MIS) laparoscopic procedures and provides advanced access to the operative site.
