How iKlyk Dental is changing the future of dental software
A trip to the dentist was all it took to spark Feda Bashbishi’s inventive mind, changing his career path in 2014.
Feda left California back in 2004, feeling his life needed a transition and looking to advance his career in software development.
After moving to Waterloo from California, Feda landed a job at a company that provided secure payment solutions for the financial services sector. Back then, the organization was shipping out thousands of CDs with software updates to customers.
Coming from a technical background, Feda immediately saw an opportunity to improve efficiencies and pitched the idea of moving the company away from the desktop application to a web-based application.
There was a mixed reaction when Feda pitched such a large scale change; some saw the value, but many were hesitant to implement a transformational shift. But Feda proved his concept by demonstrating the cost effectiveness of web-based vs. desktop, and in the end, they implemented his proposal.
He saw a problem and knew he could fix it. It was a transition that reinforced his belief that you have to be customer focused, that every feature in a product must solve a problem for the customer.
During a check-up back in 2008, Feda noticed his dentist using a traditional desktop application to manage his practice. It sparked a conversation and Feda learned that his dentist wasn’t happy with the software – it took too much time to manage and didn’t offer the flexibility needed to run the practice the way his dentist wanted.
Feda dug a little deeper and found that most dentists were suffering with the same problem: outmoded software that didn’t allow them to protect the data of their clients, access their schedule remotely, and back up their data.
So why didn’t they just change to something better? Because there simply wasn’t a better option.
Feda however, had a solution in mind. He approached his sister-in-law Reem and pitched an idea about creating an online practice management solution that made it easy for dentists to manage their practice on a secure and accessible platform. Reem was already interested in starting her own tech company and had a considerable amount of experience from contributing to her husband’s dental office – it was a perfect match.
“We set out to build something that anyone could use,” said Feda.
With the combined skills of Feda’s MBA, M.Sc. Eng., and Reem’s PhD in Computer Science, they focused on creating something better, something that would make life for his dentist, and every dentist, easier. That’s how iKlyk Inc. was born.
iKlyk is a web-based application that offers dentists and their staff a reliable, innovative, and secure practice management solution for their daily use. With iKlyk, dental companies can protect patient data; access their data anytime, anywhere; track transactions which minimizes embezzlement; and automatically update their software, meaning the product is always up-to-date.
Feda and Reem already had a considerable background in both Business and Tech. However, they wanted to immerse themselves in an entrepreneurial community, learning from peers in a similar position and gaining access to mentors who could help shape their business model.
“You need the expertise, you need people who are hands-on, who can help lead you in the right direction and we get that at the Accelerator Centre,” said Feda.
“Our vision for iKlyk is to set the standard in providing the best practice management solution for dental offices to ultimately provide premium patient care,” said Feda. iKlyk strives to be the number one solution for dentists looking to take their practice management software to the next level.
iKlyk is about to launch their first beta product and they’re confident that the dental community will embrace their solution.
It’s difficult to identify a problem, but developing and implementing a business solution is even harder. It requires initiative, leadership and a dedicated team.
Get to know iKlyk