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April 2009 | Dental Products Report
Smarten up for success
For many dentists these stories may be painfully familiar reminders of their own attempts to add new systems and devices into their practice. Despite the best intentions, and an abundance of excitement for something new and cutting edge, many practices fail at integrating products and technologies. Even those who succeed are often only scratching the surface of their investment’s potential. But the story doesn’t always have to end on such a down note. The resources for success are readily available, and the companies making and selling these products and systems can provide the initial training and ongoing support. Still, it remains up to the practice making the investment to take the necessary steps for success, and those practices that make follow-up training a regular part of doing business will be best positioned to maximize their use of new products and get the best return on their investments. Initial integration steps Barriers to successful product integration can come in many forms, but 37% of respondents to DPR’s Training/Integration Survey cited “no financial model” as the biggest barrier. “Time” came in second at 35%. Like many of the other obstacles cited by respondents (see “Implementation obstacles”) these should be mitigated before making a purchase. Dental consultant Dr. Lorne Lavine said successful integration really relies on having a plan for the investment right from the start. “It has to be purchased with a very clear idea of how it’s going to be utilized in the practice, what the return on investment is going to be, how they’re going to get trained on it, how they’re going to incorporate it into the operations of the practice,” he said. “I’m not sure dentists are any better or worse than other small businesses, but certainly when it comes to technology purchases there should be a treatment plan or a game plan before any money is plopped down.” While any new tool will change the way certain things are done, Dr. Lavine said practices should be investing in systems and technologies that fit with their style so they can be more smoothly adapted into regular activities and provide a solid return on investment. Knowing what a practice does well and where it needs some help are keys to figuring out what products will fit best. Finding true returns Not surprisingly, manufacturers are always willing to talk about their products and how they can fit into a practice. While they are certainly interested in making a sale, they also want to make sure new clients will be happy with their investment and equipped to succeed. Jeremy Stroud, National Support Manager for Patterson Dental’s Technology Center (pattersondental.com) said their sales team tries to show potential customers the specific features of their EagleSoft practice management and CAESY patient education software systems that fit with that practice to help grow the business. Jackie Raulerson, Media Relations Manager for DEXIS LLC (dexis.com) said calculations about return on investment need to take more than just dollars and cents into account. If an investment in a product such as her company’s digital x-ray systems will save time, the value of that time needs to be considered, just as any patient time lost while training is underway should be factored in with the price of the new product. Of course the potential extra income from a product that attracts new patients or increases acceptance of proposed treatments should be counted among the returns. “Perhaps the industry as a whole is not emphasizing strongly enough that the doctor’s investment in a system is not just when you write the monthly check to pay for any equipment, and the return on your investment comes in many forms,” Raulerson said. Learning the ropes Time might be considered an obstacle to success and making time for training with a new product can be difficult, but dentists definitely realize the value of initial training for the products they invest in. Survey respondents overwhelmingly agreed upon the value of initial product and technology training with 98% strongly or somewhat agreeing with the importance of initial training for new technology and software, and 95% strongly or somewhat agreeing with the importance of initial training for new equipment (see “Training value judgments”). Most major manufacturers also see the critical nature of initial training for their new customers and strive to provide training that fits the needs of every practice. For big ticket items the training is often conducted onsite at the practice, but for systems like D4D Technologies’ E4D Chairside CAD/CAM system, the initial training is conducted at the manufacturer’s facility and is a requirement of the purchase. The company views this mandatory training as the key to making sure customers can effectively use the system and get the best return on their investment, said Dr. Gary Severance, D4D VP of Marketing and Clinical Affairs. The company builds the cost of travel and accommodations for two days of hands-on training for the doctor and an assistant at the company’s Richardson, Texas headquarters into the system’s price. “One of the headlines for all of us here is never compromise, and that means never compromise on the educational experience,” he said. “We don’t ship a machine before you come down here to do education.”
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