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October 2015

DentaLab NewsOctober 2015
from Mainstreet Systems & Software

FAQ  DentaLab News

 

The October release is ready

As you can see in the list below, the October release for DQB 1.44 includes a number of time-saving convenience enhancements.  Most of the suggestions for these came from lab personnel.   We are all lucky to have these bright minds on our team. 

In DQB, you can go to the About option to check your current version.  For both the standard and starter versions, the current DQB version is 1.44 as of the October release.   If your version is more than one or two versions behind this, it would be best to first review the release documents in the support section of our website: www.mainstreetsystems.net.  If you wish, you can also schedule an appointment for a tech support session to guide you through the update.  

Looking ahead to November

For those not covered by a service agreement, we are offering an opportunity to catch up during a very limited open period from November 2 through 13, 2015.  This will involve an update fee that will depend on your level of licensing and how many releases you have missed.

The technology and compliance requirements surrounding computer systems are constantly changing both for the lab and for computer hardware and software.   If you neglect your system for too long, catching up typically becomes much more difficult and expensive than if you maintained it in small steady steps.  Call now if you wish to schedule a tech support session for your update during the open period.

Our programming staff shares its time between custom software development projects and continually enhancing DQB and its supplements.   Underway in November will be development of a new option to synchronize QuickBooks classes with the invoice transactions created from cases in DQB.   Classes provide another way to further categorize transactions for QuickBooks financial reporting.   Also underway is the development of a new web-based portal that will provide an alternative to DentalRx for submittal of prescriptions and case lookup.  This option will be more affordable for small-medium labs and can help to generate new business for them, but will not be as customizable as having DentalRx on your own custom website.  

For the USA Thanksgiving holiday, our offices will be closed Thursday and Friday, November 26 and 27.


On soft transitions from old to new

Along the same lines, you may find it wise to think about soft transitions from the old to the new.   This can mean keeping the best qualities of older methods while adapting to the new.   Over the years, one of the best qualities we have seen in successful dental labs has been that they get to know their customers well, their attitudes, their preferences, their business practices, how they like to communicate.   And then they make sure to honor and respond to these.   With a very small number of customers and a sharp memory, it is possible to manage all of this in one's head.    But with modern technology (including great software!), it is much easier to take notes on all of this so that it can be accessed easily and correctly without relying on memory.    Your customers will feel more valued and stick with you when prior conversations are recalled accurately, when preferences are honored.

We are seeing more and more labs making the soft transition to greater use of digital technology.    They are receiving, scanning, storing and working with electronic images and documents, receiving prescriptions and providing case status via web-based portals, sending email notifications on case status, developing their cases using computer aided design and manufacturing.    As you have seen through these monthly newsletter, we also are continually adapting the DentaLab software to keep pace with these trends while keeping the traditional high levels of reliability, accuracy and security needed for your fundamental case management, accounting and financial systems.

 

  Easy, versatile software for the modern dental laboratory.

To answer your questions...

Q:  Sometimes we finish work earlier than scheduled.   How can we open up the time originally scheduled for this work for other cases?

AIt is not mandatory, but we think it is a good idea to let the system know that this time is now available for other cases.   You can accomplish this simply by changing the scheduled date for the case items to be the same as the completed date.  This automatically reduces the number of scheduled units on the original schedule date.   If this causes the daily limits on the earlier completion date to be exceeded, that's OK. 

If you find that finishing early happens frequently, consider increasing the daily limits in the master schedule.

Q:  We have been using the flow charts for daily production and scheduling and like them very much.  Are  you planning to add more charts?

AWe have been hearing from quite a few labs that the flow charts are a big hit.   Let us know your thoughts on these as well as which additional sections of the system you would like to have charted.  

      With the same look and feel of QuickBooks.

DQB Release 1.44

Here are the significant enhancements to DentaLab for QuickBooks (DQB) in the October 2015 Release 1.44 based on requests and suggestions from users of the system as well as the technical support staff.  Unless otherwise noted, these have been applied only to the standard version.   This release also includes two enhancements to DentalRx.  A guide and the download can be found in the Support/Quarterly Releases section of our website:  www.mainstreetsystems.net

Standard Enhancements Applied to Starter Version

The following enhancements from earlier releases of the standard system have now been applied to the starter version:

  • Easier trial extensions
  • Close all windows button
  • Export case list to Excel
  • Cases locked information

Basic Lists – Standard Procedure Item Selection

The new control assured that the selection list for items is in alphabetical order when entering or editing a standard procedure.  This has been applied to both the standard and starter versions..

Basic Lists – Tooth Shade Indicators, Print List

You can now mark an entry in your Basic Lists Tooth Shades table as active or inactive and whether or not available for use in DentalRx.  Custom shades added to the table when in Case Entry will be initially set to active and not available to DentalRx.   You can go to Basic Lists-Tooth Shades to change these settings

From the Actions menu on this screen, you can also elect to print a list of your Tooth Shades. 

Cases Menu:  Fast Track to Case by Number

This was a feature in the starter version that was well liked and then requested for the standard version as users moved up. To the right of Cases in the main menu, you can now simply enter a case number to directly access the case record rather than going through the case list with its search criteria.

Cases Menu:  Case Items Sorted

This is a new report that provides for selecting and sorting case items for a range of scheduled dates.   You can select either the default product group to include all items or one of your other product groups. The report will list each item within the product group with these columns:

  • Case # 
  • Scheduled Date
  • Customer
  • Patient
  • Pan
  • Shade
  • Short Memo
  • Qty


The default sort within each item will be scheduled date.  You will be given an option to sort within each item by one of the other fields, except for Qty.  A subtitle will show the sort field. A total of the Qty column will be displayed for each item.

Cases Entry:  Changed Doctor Alert

This is a new option to create a customer alert when changing the doctor for a case.   The alert will be for the latest customer selected and the user will be able to enter an alert message.

Options: Case Setting to Require at Least One Case Item

In the section to mark disabled/required case fields, we have added Case Item to require entry of at least one case item.

Options: Case Setting to Extend Patient Name Match to Open Cases

For the option to search for a matching patient name in Pre-booked, On Hold and Out for Try-in cases when entering a new case, we have added the capability to also search the Open/In Lab cases.   If found,  the user will have the option to use the case or continue on to create a new case.

Options: New Invoice Setting to Automatically Print a QC form

We currently have invoice settings to automatically print a label with each invoice and to print a case materials disclosure form with each invoice. This new option provides for automatically printing a Quality Control form to correspond to the invoice.  This will work for the standard form or your custom form.

Options: New Invoice Setting to Automatically Mark Case as Shipped when Invoiced

If you wish to have your cases marked as shipped when they are invoiced, in Options/Invoice Settings you can set a new indicator for this. Note that if this option is set on, the shipped date and time will be automatically set to the invoiced date and time.  The ship method will be the one recorded for the case record. If you wish to have more detailed information on shipments such as the tracking number and/or whether quality control was passed, we recommend that you instead use the QC and Ship option.

DentalRx- Limit Shade Selection List

For selection of a shade by the dental office when entering an online prescription, you can now limit which shades are available to DentalRx by setting an indicator for the shade in Basic Lists-Tooth Shades.  DentalRx will check this indicator to determine whether to include the shade in its selection list.

DentalRx- Sending Images and Documents

Previously in DentalRx, the dental office could send images, files and documents via the Pictures option.   DQB would then determine whether to send the transmission to the Images or the Documents storage area for the case by the file extension.   So that users better understood that a large variety of files can be sent with a case, this button will be replaced by two separate buttons, one for the Images and another for Documents with guidance as follows:

Images will include those with photographic extensions such as JPG.

Documents will include all other industry-standard formats defined by extensions such as DOC, PDF, STL, XLS, XML.

Remember to share

Please share this newsletter with all of those in your lab who have responsibility for case management and for accounting and financial matters.   If they would like to receive their own copy each month, just send in their email address and we will add it to the list.

If you wish to be removed, reply to this email with the subject "unsubscribe".

     

Customization is available for all products.

Contact us at 1-800-257-4535 or www.mainstreet-systems.com.

"I could kick myself for not doing this sooner...this system is awesome!"

Dale Dramstadd
Doctors Dental Lab
Minnesota, USA


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