Epic pairs new customers with a dedicated staff member, called a “BFF,” who keeps working with the organization after go-live, founder and CEO Judy Faulkner said in an Oct. 19 blog post.
The role started informally during implementations, Ms. Faulkner said. Customers often grew especially close to one member of their Epic team, and that employee felt the same way, but the company had no official role for the relationship.
Epic decided to formalize it. The company identifies which staff member a customer bonded with most during the install and asks that person to stay with the customer after the system goes live.
The name met internal resistance. Epic employees told Ms. Faulkner the label was embarrassing and that people wouldn’t know what it stood for. Her response: “Yes, they will — especially anyone who’s had a teenage daughter.”
Ms. Faulkner said customers have embraced the title. At one conference, she watched a customer proudly introduce their BFF to others. She also saw two customers each claim to have the best one.
With few exceptions, each BFF works with only one customer, and each customer has only one BFF, Ms. Faulkner said. Many of the pairings last for years.
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