Insider Insights: A Deep Dive Into the Revvity Signals Software Research Suite
Welcome to the final part of our three-part series talking with the Revvity Signals Software leadership team. Today, we’re talking with Josh Bond, Research Product & Business Segment Lead, to learn how Revvity Signals Software enables scientists to achieve superior insights, efficiencies and value from their software with a workflow-focused platform.
Josh has a distinct vision about how a workflow-focused solution such as Signals Research Suite can help scientists in underserved disciplines tackle extraordinary scientific challenges. Not only does it provide you with the right workflows to get your job done, but it can also even make the work more fun!
Let’s get to know Josh a little first!
Q: Who is Josh Bond, and what drove your interest in scientific software?
A: My background is in science. I studied biology as an undergrad at MIT, minoring in chemistry and brain & cognitive science. Having worked in a lab, I know what it’s like to be a bench scientist and the kind of challenges they face. I learned I liked working with scientists, but realized I wasn’t cut out to be one. I was more interested in the technical challenges than in the actual act of doing science.
So, I moved to CambridgeSoft, where I focused on the product side. From there, I took a job with another company to deepen my software roots. Eventually I moved to a job with Revvity Signals Software. It was clear that I could acquire high level tech experience here, which excited me.
Q: What would you say makes Revvity Signals Software unique in the marketplace?
A: Definitely its cutting-edge technology. It’s SaaS done right. As a result, our customers are not just buying into today’s offerings, but we enable them for the future.
Our agility also makes us unique. We’re able to provide our customers with new releases and capabilities for the SaaS platform every month or so. Our high-quality technology and security surpass all standards, which is how we can quickly and easily support the number of end users we have with the number of releases we have.
Q: What are some of the most impactful success stories that you've heard, and why do they stand out for you?
A: The way we onboard customers is powerful and definitely a success story. It assures our customers will quickly get their return on investment from the software. I’ve literally seen implementation projects happen within weeks. It used to take longer, but SaaS helps the process move easily and quickly.
I’m also inspired by how straightforward it is to connect the Signals’ platform with our customers’ internal systems. Thanks to standardized APIs and methodologies, a software engineer on the customer side can readily connect to Signals. It’s self-service in terms of integrating with other systems, which is important because we recognize that we’re not the only game in town. These complex implementations need to connect easily with internal and external systems. Seeing the ease with which customers can make the connections on their own is exciting.
Another success theme we hear from end users is that they enjoy using the software. They love using it. They tell us it’s making their jobs better.
Q: What’s your vision of the Revvity Signals Software’ product strategy? What can research scientists look forward to in the next 6 to 12 months?
A: We’re certainly looking to take our focus on workflows to the next level. We already have a strong offering in the way we cover use cases across scientific disciplines and string them together cohesively. But as I said, we want to bring these coordination capabilities to new heights.
Another area to look forward to is our continued focus on underserved modalities and techniques.
Further, our platform will be facilitating the communication not just within the customer’s ecosystem, but outside it as well. We’re going to make it possible for a customer to onboard CROs and request work and track the output from them.
And finally, there’s what we call the “customer success category”, which is actively listening to our users and making the improvements that are most important to them.
Q: Are there any plans to incorporate emerging technologies like artificial intelligence or machine learning?
A: Yes, but I do want to make it clear that we already leverage AI/ML, particularly on the analytics side. Another aspect to consider is not only the incorporation of AI/ML tech, but having capabilities that prepare data for AI/ML. But we’ll definitely be doing more – there is fertile ground when doing design work. Also, while I’m a product person and that tends to be my bias, I do have to recognize how AI/ML has improved customer support and other parts of the overall customer experience.
Q: Based on your experience seeing customers deploy Revvity Signal software, is there any advice that you would encourage others to consider when investing in scientific software?
A: Definitely, yes! Focus more on a platform that you can count on rather than “checkbox” software features. Pay attention to the operational aspects. Ask questions like: How often does the software get updated? Is the vendor able to prove that they can scale? When you're managing multiple workflows for a given user, how truly interconnected are they?
I'm restating myself a bit, but the singularity of the platform is key. A lot of so-called solutions are simply pieces that have been connected after the fact. There’s not an ease of flow, nor a feeling that you’re truly dealing with an integrated system.
If your organization is fine with that, all well and good — but what we’re proud of is how Revvity Signals Software is a single platform that enables multiple different use cases. You can turn different features and scientific domains on and off as you need them, but ultimately, it's all the same platform, which makes it much easier to roll out and manage. At the end of the day, it’s platform over features.
Q: What advice do you have for someone in your role or in the general area of product management?
A: Have the courage to decide what not to do -- and be transparent about it. Be passionate, but don’t exaggerate. Listen, but stick to your strategy. And when you are talking about your roadmap, consider your audience -- but don’t change your story because of it.
Interested in learning more about Revvity Signals Software research solutions? Contact us here.
Joshua Bond
Product and Business Segment Lead, Signals Software ResearchJosh has 20 years of software leadership experience and is responsible for the products, positioning, and strategy of Signals Software’s research portfolio. Previously, Josh worked at PegaSystems Inc. where he ran and developed an online training application, and at CambridgeSoft where he built an enterprise scientific software business. Josh started his career as a scientist at GlaxoSmithKline Pharmaceuticals and has worked alongside scientists ever since. Josh holds a Bachelor’s degree in Biology from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a Master’s in Technology Education from Harvard University, and resides in the Boston area with his wife and children.