October 2009

Snow in October

October in Pennsylvania usually brings beautiful foliage and a hint of frost, but this year a double nor'easter brought us our first snowfall last week.   So one month early, we will remind all of you who depend on us for support that should snow or ice prevent us from reaching our offices, we still check our answer call and email.   If you need to leave a message, be sure to leave your name, the name of your lab and a return telephone number.

We hope we will be back to our typical fall weather for those planning to come to the final group training session this year, which will be on Monday, November 2.   If you have not sent in your reservation, but would like to come, please give us a call at 215-256-4535.  This session will include an introduction to Windows 7 and our expanded support staff.    We particularly urge anyone who is still using a legacy system to come in to see how easy and versatile the combination of QuickBooks and DentaLab for QuickBooks can be.  After converting from his older DentaLab system, Dale Dramstadd gave us a great quote on this:  "I could kick myself for not doing this sooner...this system is awesome!"

October 22, the official release date for Microsoft Windows 7 and for DQB Release 1.20, is here this week.   To see what is included in our latest release, go to our website www.mainstreet-systems.com to the Support section, then Quarterly Releases.   Those with up-to-date service agreements can call on the day they plan to download the release to be given the current authorization codes.  

And, we are happy to hear from the economic gurus that the global recession is officially over and we are on the road to recovery!  As we talk to many labs throughout the week, we are hearing from many that they are getting busy...and hopefully good cash flow will follow. 

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: Can you access DQB from remote locations?

A:  Yes, for those who would like to work with DQB or review the lab status from home or from another office, there are several ways to accomplish this.  Our favorite is Logmein, which has both free and low-cost versions available for download from www.logmein.com.   Others include Microsoft's Remote Desktop, PC Anywhere. GoToMyPC.   Typically, you would need to have broadband internet service and to setup authorization codes for access.  

Q: Can you backward-schedule with DQB?

A:  Automatic scheduling with DQB is a forward-scheduling process, which means case items are scheduled at the earliest date available for the work center.  Backward-scheduling means that a case is scheduled in reverse order from the doctor's request date so that the work is done at the latest possible time.  DQB does not include automatic back-scheduling, but if you wish to do this, you can delay the start date by changing this at the top of the case entry screen before scheduling.   Another method is to change the schedule at any point by double-clicking an item in the grid, editing the date and then right-clicking to request a rolldown of the remaining dates.

Q: Can you upgrade DQB capabilies as you grow?

A:  Yes, absolutely.   Many labs begin with one computer station either with the Starter or Standard version of DQB.   The next most typical steps are to expand to more stations with concurrent users or to license the image scanning supplement.  The maximum number of concurrent users is 200 (no one is anywhere near this number!) for DQB and 30 for QuickBooks Enterprise.  Other supplements available are email notification (for cases received, in progress and recently shipped), barcoded case tracking, quality control, shipping and technician productivity, product costing, and DentalRx (entry of prescriptions, preferences and pickup requests from the dental office).

Four Important C's

Your computer system can be a great help in achieving four important C's:  compliance, consistency, correctness, and continuity.

For compliance, there are governmental regulations for business reporting and taxation for all businesses and specifically for dental laboratories, regulations for good manufacturing practices (GMP) which include record-keeping, written standard procedures, material tracking and disclosure.   In the USA, the primary regulators are the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) the Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and an increasing number of state regulatory organizations and inspections, with high fines for non-compliance.  

For consistency, your computer system can provide standard procedures, quality control, tracking of issues, problems, remakes, as well as customer alerts and lab notes.  It has been reported time and time again that the #1 reason why doctors switch labs has been inconsistent results and failure to resolve technical case issues.   Also near the top of the list is not meeting request dates on a consistent basis.

For correctness,  some of the most important goals are to perform the work correctly, honoring the written prescripton and the doctor's preferences, completing and delivering the work on time, assuring control of quality and then billing accurately.  

And finally for continuity,  a topic few labs think about or plan for, but very important.  Continuity essentially involves the continuation of a level of service that has been given in the past and is now expected again.  In many labs, the preferences of the doctors reside in one person's head, as do techniques and standards for performing the work.   If for some reason that person is no longer available or impacted in some way, the ability to service spirals downward and impacts the business. Having a good measure of this knowledge documented and readily available in computer records can greatly help in having the ball picked up and carried by others. 

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