March 2011

It's March--Time to Think about Spring Training

Spring training is not just for baseball.  We are also starting to think about the next group training session for DentaLab for QuickBooks.  Please let us know if you are interested in coming to Pennsylvania this spring for a day to receive training on DentaLab for QuickBooks and its associated supplements.  These sessions are one of the best ways to learn, as you get to meet with our support staff as well as other labs using this software.

To allow time for travel over the weekend, these sessions are typically held on a Monday.  The fee per person is $150 if you have a service agreement; $220 if not.  Let us know which dates would be workable for you and we will then determine one or more days to schedule a session.

April Plans

DQB Release 1.26 is just about ready and will be available in early April.   We will post the update and its accompanying list of enhancements on our website in the Support section.  We are also working on a new set of online tutorials and are targeting these for later in April.  

Our offices will be closed on April 22 Good Friday in preparation for the Easter holiday.   We will, as usual, check email and voicemail for messages when we are not in the office.

The Cat's Pajamas

We recently had a call from a lab in Florida telling us his friend at another dental lab all the way across the continent in Alaska said we were the "cat's  pajamas"...so we took the time to consult urbandictionary.com to see just what this meant.  We found that this was an adjective started by hipsters in the 1920's to describe a person who is the best at what they do.  It also described someone who is genial and fun to be with.

We kind of liked this train of thought so we proceeded down the list and learned that pajamas were a relatively new fashion in the 20's and that "cat" was beginning to be used as a term to describe the innovative jazz-age flappers.  Then even better, it was said to be the highest compliment you can give or receive, a synonym for awesome.

So, wow...thank you!  And we thank all of you have given us and our software great references and accolades.  We in turn would like to say also that all of you who have sent us your ideas and suggestions for make the DentaLab systems better and better over the years are the "cat's pajamas" too.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q:  Can you customize the case invoice format that is printed within DentaLab for QuickBooks?

A:  Yes, just as all other forms and reports are customizable, the invoice format that is printed in DQB can be customized.  The standard version of this includes all case fields that can be transferred to the invoice and is very similar in format to a QuickBooks invoice.   If you prefer to print in DQB rather than QuickBooks, you can send us a sample invoice for the template you have been using so that we can create a close match for use in DQB.

Whenever we customize for you, we send a guide asking that you install your custom version in a folder that is separate from the standard reports.  Whenever a report or form is needed, DQB checks this folder first to see if you have a custom version.  This also allows you to download the standard updates without overwriting your custom version.  

Q:  Can we setup to schedule tasks by minutes in DentaLab for QuickBooks scheduling?

A:  Yes, the combination of flexible units and schedule factors provides for any unit of measure within the workday.  If you want to work with minutes as your unit, you have in a typical 8-hour day 480 units per technician (8 hours * 60 minutes per hour).   You may want to reduce this to allow some time for breaks, meetings, etc.  The schedule factors you set for your items would then coordinate with this:  a task that needs 12 minutes would have a schedule factor of 12.

You can, of course, use any unit of measure you wish such as full hours, half-hours, quarter-hours, tenths of an hour.  Just be sure to set your daily unit limits and schedule factor coordinated and train your staff on your scheduling setup.

Web Connections

Although the combination of QuickBooks and  DentaLab for QuickBooks is primarily used as a local desktop system, there are a number of ways to make use of the internet for web connections with these...and this number continues to increase as more and more software capabilities are developed.

For those who want to offer the capability of submitting prescriptions online to their dental offices, we offer DentalRx.  With this, you establish yourself as a web host creating a private cloud between your system and authorized dental offices.   To review the many benefits of this system, you can contact us and/or review the February 2011 newsletter posted in the support section of our website. 

For labs with multiple geographic locations, we have helped them setup a Virtual Private Network (VPN) so that remote locations can access the DQB database at the main location via the internet. 

For those who have licensed QuickBooks Pro or Premier 2011, Intuit now offers corresponding bundles of online services called QB Connect.  These provide for entering and looking up customer records and transactions from mobile devices such as IPhones, Blackberries and Android-based smartphones as well as online from another computer, for backing up QB and DQB data, for attaching documents to QB records, and 24/7 QuickBooks support.   There are free 30-day trials of each, then the Pro version costs $24.95 per month, the Premier version $39.95 per month. 

As part of Mainstreet's standard service agreements, we offer Logmein service for those times you want to give us authorized access to look at what is happening with DQB on your system.   We have helped many labs to get setup and have reviewed their tables for items, standard procedures and schedules to assure that they are on the right track.  To use this, you need to go to www.logmein.com to establish at least their basic (no-charge) service and your identity and authorization codes.

For those who want to explore or have training on various topics within DQB and its supplements, we offer online webinars that give you access to our training system from your computer and allow you to interact with our support team for your questions and reactions.

Take Caution on the Cloud

While all of us are making more and more use of the internet, we urge you to be cautious.  In recent months, there has been much buzz about moving information systems to the cloud.  The popularity of smart phones and tablets has introduced many to the benefits of having access here, there and everywhere.

For business applications that involve access from a number of geographic locations, web-based programs can be a good choice, adding flexibility, efficiency and rapid access to information.   Be mindful, however, that the cloud just means computer storage and access at a remote location with transmissions via broadband service.  To protect your confidential information, you should be aware of just who has access, who has responsibility to assure its privacy and security, and what are your legal rights regarding privacy and access.  While the internet has brought us many wonderful capabilities, it has also been a minefield of hackers, invaders of privacy, misusers of information and many others with less than honorable intentions.  

Take the time to learn more about the alternatives.  Know that there are public and private clouds with both requring substantial security measures.  Know that if you only occasionally want web-based access rather than on a daily basis, there are available services to provide secure remote access to your own computers.

As in many new ventures, there are many with entrepreneurial aspirations jumping on the cloud bandwagon. Some will prove themselves trustworthy, ethical and financially responsible in their business endeavors, others will not.  

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