Business Model Deconstruction Report: Cancer Aid Mobile Application

This report provides a comprehensive deconstruction of Cancer Aid's business model, an application designed to support cancer patients, clinicians, and caregivers. The report begins with a business description, highlighting the company's founding, application features, and expansion. It then analyzes the key relationships among the nine building blocks of the business model canvas, including key partners, activities, resources, value propositions, customer relationships, channels, segments, cost structures, and revenue streams. The analysis further delves into the critical success factors, such as people, opportunity, strategy, context, and risk, while also identifying potential downside risks like security breaches and cyberattacks. The report concludes with recommendations and a summary of potential changes to enhance the business model's effectiveness and sustainability.

Running head: BUSINESS MODEL DECONSTRUCTION 1
Business Model Deconstruction
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BUSINESS MODEL DECONSTRUCTION 2
Executive Summary
Business Model deconstruction is important as it enables an organization to evaluate bow
successful its business model is, This report i a deconstruction of the business model of Cancer Aid
Limited which is a company that has launched a mobile application in support of cancer patients. The
report looks at the business description and analyses the business success over the years. It then looks at
the current business model of the company and how the nine building blocks are related to one another.
This is followed by the critical success factors that define the company and the inherent risks that can be
faced. The report ends by giving conclusions and recommendations based on the business model analysis.

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Contents
Executive Summary.........................................................................................................................2
1.0 Business Description.................................................................................................................4
2.0Key Relationships across the nine building Blocks....................................................................6
2.1Business Model Canvas..........................................................................................................6
2.2Relationships among Building Block Factors.........................................................................7
2.2.1Key Partners.....................................................................................................................7
2.2.2Key Activities...................................................................................................................7
2.2.3Key Resources..................................................................................................................7
2.2.4Value Proposition.............................................................................................................7
2.2.5Customer Relationships....................................................................................................7
2.2.6Channels...........................................................................................................................8
2.2.7Customer Segments..........................................................................................................8
2.2.8Cost Structure...................................................................................................................8
2.2.9Revenue Streams..............................................................................................................8
3.0 Critical Success Factors for Sustainability................................................................................8
3.1 People.....................................................................................................................................8
3.2 The Opportunity.....................................................................................................................9
3.3 The Strategy...........................................................................................................................9
3.4 The Context............................................................................................................................9
3.5 Risk and Reward....................................................................................................................9
4.0 Downside Risk...........................................................................................................................9
4.1 Risk of Security Breach.........................................................................................................9
4.2 Cyber Attacks.......................................................................................................................10
5.0 Conclusion - Changes One Would Make to the Business Model............................................10
6.0 Recommendations....................................................................................................................11
7.0 References................................................................................................................................12
8.0 Appendix..................................................................................................................................15
8.1 Cancer Aid Mobile Application...........................................................................................15

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8.2 Cancer Aid Personalised Experience...................................................................................16
Business Model Deconstruction
1.0 Business Description
Cancer Aid is a business that was founded in 2015. The founders of this company are Dr.
Rhagav Murali-Ganesh and Dr. Nikhil Pooviah. The company has a phone application which
provides support for cancer patients, their clinicians, and carers. All the diagnostic information is
stored in a single place, and treatment information can easily be accessed (Cancer Aid, 2018).
There is also a journal that tracks and manages patient symptoms, medications, and advice on
their effectiveness. The company has recently been accepted into the Cedars medtech
accelerator, and this is a great milestone. Cancer Aid has since expanded to the United States and
the United Kingdom. Since the entry into the United States market, most of the Cancer Aid team
relocated to this area. The headquarters of the company, however, is in Sydney, Australia.
Since its launch, the application has been adopted by over 40,000 patients, their
caregivers and clinicians and is the leading cancer application in Australia, the United States, and
the United Kingdom. The company is renowned for being one that scored one of the hugest
investments in Shark Tank, Australia and they ended up receiving $500,000 from the business
moguls Andrew Banks and Glen Richards. The company also received $120,000 from the
Cedars accelerator (AFR, 2017). Further to this, in 2016 the company also managed to raise a
total of $1.25 million from other investors.

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Apple has named the launch of Cancer Aid as one that stands out. The team got an
opportunity to visit Silicon Valley and interact and network with big business names after they
won a competition. The team aims to make the application one of the leading for patients that
have cancer. Patients that have just been diagnosed or have been undergoing cancer treatment
can improve their outcomes by engaging with the application.

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2.0Key Relationships across the nine building Blocks
2.1Business Model Canvas
Key Partners
 Shark Tank Investors
 Cedars Centre for
Acceleration
 Hospitals
 Healthcare Investors
Key Activities
 Application Expansion
 Getting more channels to
support application
 Product Testing in new markets
and Getting Customer Feedback
 Research and Development
Value Proposition
 Patients with cancer can get
vital information
 Clinicians get vital information
that helps them with patient
management
 Early detection by patients
since symptoms are indicated in
app
 Early checkups in case of
anything hence reducing
admission rates
 Doctors get valuable
information that they can
combine with already existing
treatments and patient
management techniques
Customer Relationships
 Customer care support and
referrals to hospitals good at
managing cancer
 Linkage to cancer specialists
 Opening opportunities for
further research and solutions
for managing cancer
 Better lifestyle management for
patients as they can always
monitor their condition
 Cost effective way of managing
one’s symptoms
Customer Segments
 Cancer Patients
 Healthcare
Professionals
dealing with cancer
 Families that have
cancer patients of
having experienced
cancer in the family
Key Resources
 Technology Expertise
 Software Development
 Business Development
 Secure system for data
 Application Expert
Channels
 Direct Marketing of the
application
 3rd party vending through apple
and google store
(Dimitrov,2016)
Cost Structure
 Software Development
 Hosting of Software
 Marketing Support
 Government Approvals
 Expansion into global markets (Baker, 2017)
Revenue Streams
 Sign-ups for the cancer application (Almeida, 2015)

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2.2Relationships among Building Block Factors
2.2.1Key Partners
The key partners are vital as they are the ones who enable business success. In this case
for Cancer Aid, their key parents will be investors and stakeholders like hospitals that will benefit
from this application (Moogk, 2012). The key partner is important and is related to the key
activities that the business will do.
2.2.2Key Activities
The key activities are needed to make the business successful. It involves things like an
expansion of Cancer Aid or engaging in more research and development. It is a description of the
most important things the company will have to do so that the business model works. The key
activities enable the company to know which types of resources it needs to ensure that the
product will fit the customer segment and lead to the building of customer relationships.
2.2.3Key Resources
The key resources will enable Cancer Aid to offer a value proposition to their customers,
reach their markets, and be able to generate revenues. The key resources will enable the company
to achieve the laid out strategic objectives for the company. In the case of Cancer Aid, the key
resources are financial, intellectual and human. Finances are needed to run and maintain the
application. Intellectual resources are needed so that there can be continuous improvement of the
application. Human resources are needed to ensure that the application is marketed, working and
that as many people as possible start using the application.
2.2.4Value Proposition
The value proposition describes the service that will create value for customers. In this
case, signing up for the application will create value for cancer patients as they will be able to
access a lot of information that will assist in cancer management. Caregivers and clinicians will
also get value since they can refer to the application for any cancer-related issue hence helping
them to better manage the patient. A positive value proposition leads to great customer
relationships, penetration into customer segments and earning revenue by the company.
2.2.5Customer Relationships
Customer relationships are important since they determine whether the company will
succeed or not. Good customer relationships are important as they lead to revenue made by the
company. Cancer Aid can build customer relationships in different ways like ensuring there is 24-
hour support to help the customer use the application. They will also link patients to cancer

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specialists and lead to better lifestyle management. Good customer relationships can help a
company to get into new market segments that had not been explored before.
2.2.6Channels
Channels enable Cancer Aid to reach their customer segments so that they create a value
proposition. In this case, the company has used direct marketing, and this has seen many
customers sign up. They have also availed the application on Google and Apple play stores hence
enabling many consumers to know about it. This has seen the company sign up many cancer
patients and further expands into the United States and the United Kingdom.
2.2.7Customer Segments
Customer segments are the group of people that Cancer Aid aims to serve. In this case,
the main target is cancer patients and those who have just been diagnosed. Customer segments
are related to revenue since a company with an unsuccessful segment cannot survive in the
market for long. Cancer Aid has tailored its product to meet the needs of the cancer patients so
that they can manage their disease in a better manner.
2.2.8Cost Structure
The cost structure is the cost that Cancer Aid has incurred so that its business model can
be a successful one. It is related to the key resources and revenue. A company has to pay for
certain things so that the business can be successful (Cheng, 2016). In this case, the cost involves
software development, hosting, marketing, approvals and expansion into the global markets.
2.2.9Revenue Streams
Revenue streams are the money that Cancer Aid will generate from the customer
segment. Cancer Aid will generate revenue from people signing up for the application. This is
how the company will be able to generate money.
3.0 Critical Success Factors for Sustainability
3.1 People
The type of people that Cancer Aid has in its team will determine whether the
company succeeds or not. The company is dealing with an application hence meaning
updates have to be done on time and any new information loaded as needed. It also
means that there should be people to deal with customer feedback or any arising issues.
To succeed, the team must have their vision aligned to that of the overall company. The
management also shoulders the responsibility of motivating the team into productivity.

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3.2 The Opportunity
Cancer Aid has a big opportunity in an untapped market. This has enabled the
company to expand into three major countries all over the world. The company has an
opportunity to explore many markets that can leverage it to become a world-class
multinational. Cancer Aid should, therefore, look at the available opportunities and grab
the most promising ones (Cheng, 2016). The company, however, has to strategize
carefully so that they do not make diversification mistakes that can be costly to the
company.
3.3 The Strategy
The strategy that Cancer Aid employs will determine its success. The company
has to have a vision and a laid down strategy of how to achieve the same. The company
has currently used diversification strategy which has worked, and it has been able to
successfully enter the biggest markets in the world (Drumwright, 2017). The company
must lay down a strategy of how they would like to grow and how to give an even better
value proposition to customers in the markets that they are already serving.
3.4 The Context
The context is the business environment that Cancer Aid is operating in. The
company has to consider the external factors that can affect the business and come up
with ways of mitigating any risks that can emanate from this. External factors include
political, economic, social, technological, legal and environmental (Nicoletti, 2017).
These are very important factors that can determine how successful the business will be
in certain markets. An analysis must therefore be done before the company gets into any
context.
3.5 Risk and Reward
Risk must be considered as it can lead to the collapse of a company. Cancer Aid
must consider all risks and the best way would be to have a risk committee and risk
register that is reviewed monthly. When risks are identified early enough, it will enable
mitigation and coming up with ways to ensure that risk is minimised as much as possible.

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4.0 Downside Risk
4.1 Risk of Security Breach
Cancer Aid faces the risk of getting security breaches in the application since the
system can be attacked by a hacker (Tongur & Engwall, 2014). This can cause the
company to face reputational risk when such issues are experienced and the customers
can no longer log in to the system.
4.2 Cyber Attacks
Cyber attacks can occur due to a malware or virus. This can lead to the
application ceasing to work and customers no longer being able to access information. It
can lead to the business being affected very negatively since people will no longer be
signing up for the application (Sadgrove, 2016). It will also be very costly for the
company due to the expertise needed to eliminate the same.
4.3 Data Theft
Data theft can happen when hackers steal company and customer information and
use it negatively. This is a risk faced by any company that has a business based on the
web like Cancer Aid. The stolen information can be used in a negative manner hence
leading to reputational risk and exposure of customer information (Sadgrove, 2016).
Customers can sue because of this and it can cost the company a lot to be paying
lawsuits.
5.0 Conclusion - Changes One Would Make to the Business Model
One of the changes that can be made to the business model is looking into
another illness that affects a wide number of the population. Cancer Aid can offer help to
people suffering from other chronic ailments like diabetes and heart disease. This will go
a long way in helping many people and the company will have many people signing up.
Another change that can be made is an active collaboration with health
institutions. This is because they serve a large number of patients who have cancer hence
collaborating will lead to more patients getting information on how to sign up for Cancer
Aid’s application. This will lead to the company also getting a wider market segment
than the one it already has. Collaboration, especially with institutions that deal solely

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with cancer, can be a good thing especially for patients (Spreng, 2016). Doctors and
caregivers will also have an opportunity on giving feedback on areas that can be
improved by Cancer Aid.
6.0 Recommendations
 The company needs to continue using the current business model as it is successful
 Research to be done before the organization gets into any other country
 The organization to consider supporting other chronic ailments like diabetes and
launching an application for the same
 Active risk analysis and mitigation to be done

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7.0 References
AFR (2017). Cancer Aid joins Cedars-Sinai TechStars accelerator. [Online]. Retrieved from
http://www.afr.com/technology/canceraid-joins-cedarssinai-techstars-accelerator-
20170920-gykyki
Almeida, R. M. R. P. (2015). Characterization of business models in the medical devices
industry-the case for wearable technologies.
Baker, G. (2017). Reducing Post-Acute Care Costs With Wearable Technology—Part
4. PROVIDER.
Cancer Aid (2018). Home. [Online]. Retrieved from https://canceraid.com/
Cheng, L. C. (2016, April). The mobile app usability inspection (Maui) framework as a guide for
minimal viable product (MVP) testing in the lean development cycle. In Proceedings of
the second International Conference in HCI and UX on Indonesia 2016 (pp. 1-11). ACM.
Dimitrov, D. V. (2016). Medical internet of things and big data in healthcare. Healthcare
informatics research, 22(3), 156-163.
Drumwright, H. (2017). Minimum Viable Stuff. In Management vs. Employees (pp. 75-83).
Apress.
Moogk, D. R. (2012). Minimum viable product and the importance of experimentation in
technology start-ups. Technology Innovation Management Review, 2(3), 23.
Nicoletti, B. (2017). Critical Success Factors. In The Future of FinTech (pp. 161-175). Palgrave
Macmillan, Cham.