Let's look at systems

Today's article brings to a conclusion the series I've been running on working efficiently. The final piece of the puzzle is systems.

So far we've looked at getting the right staff, the right equipment and the right attitude by the dentist. Once all those things are in place the systems are what will bring them all together harmoniously. Systems are like a script for a play. They tell the "actors" where to go and what to do in all the different scenes that occur during the day.

Here are the three biggest mistakes I see with respect to systems.

Mistake #1 – not having systems

I've been into practices where they are constantly reinventing the wheel.

Every time a problem occurs it's an opportunity. In good practices they examine the problem and ask themselves two things:

• How can we stop this from happening again?

• If it does happen again how will we handle it?

Bad practices handle the problem then forget about it. It is like Groundhog Day.

Mistake #2 – not having a practice manual

If it's not written down then you don't have a system.

A practice manual is an invaluable resource. It represents the distilled intelligence of the practice and all your past problem solving. You want to be able to transfer the way the practice operates to new staff members and the easiest way to do that is by having a manual.

Mistake #3 – dentist breaking the systems

Once you agree what the systems are you need to stick to them.

Let me give you a personal example. In my practice we had a system for handling failed appointments. A lady had failed a couple of appointments and so had to pay a deposit on her next appointment according to the system.

She rang me and gave me a huge sob story why she had failed and promised faithfully not to fail again. I swallowed the story and broke our system (to the annoyance of the front desk person). Guess what! She failed yet again!

Once you create a system do not break it. It annoys and demotivates the staff.

Bottom line

Work on your systems. They have real power.

I hope that you have enjoyed this series.