Dental Asia January/February 2024

DENTAL PROFILE
the direction we should go with updates,”
said Miche.
One product from Ackuretta where such
feedback mechanisms are at play is its new
AI-assisted 3D slicing software, ALPHA AI.
At its launch on 10 Jan 2023, the company
promised to release constant updates every
three months to add new features and
functions to the dental 3D printing software.
The latest update to the software on 9 Nov
2023 included three new compatible
applications for denture base, denture teeth,
and removable die.
“We hold regular training sessions with
users which serve as a very effective forum
to collect feedback and understand how
Ackuretta products can be improved. Tools
such as surveys and feedback forms are also
used to engage with ALPHA AI users to get
their thoughts on the software and how it
could be improved,” said Miche.
Moreover, internal customer support and
product support teams play important roles
in collecting feedback as they liaise directly
with end users, including its partner dentists
who often have early access to new ALPHA AI
updates.
Before launch, products are sent to partners
such as resin manufacturers and dental
professionals to gather feedback for product
development and improvement processes.
Furthermore, pre-launch internal processes
collect feedback and review based on the
requirements of different teams internally.
Miche meets both before and after product
launch with Ackuretta’s R&D and customer
success teams to go over proposed features
and create a priority list for the engineering
team.
“This process ensures that we adhere to our
organisational standards and are able to
release an update to our existing products
every three months at minimum,” said Miche.
The feedback mechanisms also follow
the same principles and processes for the
company’s hardware products. However, due
to the limited interactions with the end users
as compared to its software counterparts,
distributors are relied on as a channel for
feedback.
“In most of our markets we work with
hardware distributors who interface directly
with our end consumers. Working with
distributors gives us a comprehensive sense
of common questions and feedback from
users worldwide,” said Miche.
“Naturally we are aware of what our
competitors are doing and strive to continue
positioning our products in a premium place
in the market,” he added.
Miche does this by following conversations
online about what end users are looking for.
Media coverage on dentistry, 3D printing, and
technology are channels where he keeps up
to date on emerging developments for his
consideration.
A BALANCING ACT
Another skill required of the product manager
is to balance requirements and expectations
of internal teams, where different teams have
differing views of a product.
“For example, the R&D team may consider
a product based on its difficulty and cost to
implement while marketing evaluates it based
on its performance quality and support is
concerned about its user friendliness and
ease of repair,” explained Miche.
Miche strikes the balance by being clear on
the most important aspects of the products
and judging the right way forward based
on a cumulative view of the key variables.
Customer data can clarify between the
subjective and bottom-line benefits which
makes it easier for decision making.
“We often have meetings between heads of
departments before big launches or updates
to go over the most important factors and
judge the importance for users. Sometimes it
is easy to decide and sometimes it is not. The
most important thing is to have buy-in and
understanding across our organisation,”
said Miche.
With the service for customers as its main
priority, Miche added that the benefit and
value provided to the user always comes
first. “Getting to the final decision internally is
about putting our team in the best position to
enable the user to get the best results for their
practice and patients,” Miche added.
ON THE OUTLOOK
For Miche, to stay at the forefront of the
evolution of dentistry requires a keen
awareness of not only the latest trends and
technologies within the industry, but also
across various sectors as he shared what he
has been keeping his eye on.
“AI continues to have expanding applications
in dentistry. ALPHA AI’s functionalities
continue to expand, particularly with the
addition of new dental applications which
benefit from AI-generated supports and autoorientation.
We are currently exploring how AI
can be integrated effectively in other aspects
of the dental 3D-printing workflow and expect
to see breakthroughs in the coming years.”
Another trend that Miche noticed broadly is
towards multi-use hardware that is designed
for results across different industries and
printed applications. He also highlighted that
it is essential for products to have the highest
results for the full range of dental applications
while considering the needs of practitioners
ranging from high volume labs to smaller
clinics with a low capacity.
“While our focus is on the dentistry market,
we continue to strive to create adaptable
products which can produce the highest
quality applications for different needs and
customers.” DA
26 DENTAL ASIA JANUARY / FEBRUARY 2024