Monday, January 11, 2016
A dental practice is only as successful as the practice owner, staff and its dental practice management software. With software playing such a critical role in your practice’s success, choosing the right software solution is a very important decision. It’s a decision you should take the time to make carefully, just like you would if you were buying a home.
The decision can’t be made in one hour, or even one day. It’s a process that takes time. You need to ask the right questions, weigh the pros and cons of all the software options currently available and enlist the help of others.
Here are eight steps to help you pick the best practice management software for your practice:
1. Assemble a software selection team.
Don’t put all the pressure on yourself. Remember you won’t be the only one who uses the software. Pool together employees who will use the software every day to help choose the best solution for your practice.
2. Set a reasonable timeframe.
As you might know from personal experience, making a tough decision can drag on and on if you don’t give yourself a timeframe. As a team, commit to choosing software by a certain date so you don’t waste more time and money than you need to.
3. Make a list of available software options.
Do an online search and ask other dentists what software they use. During your search, look at the product features and prioritize the ones you know you need and the ones you consider optional. Based on the software features, your team should be able to create a list of your top options.
4. Research each available option.
Because the software solutions available to you are endless, it’s in your best interest to go online and research every option. Look at any product reviews, customer testimonials and case studies you can find. To dig deeper and learn first-hand about the inner workings of each software, request a product demo from the vendors.
5. Ask software vendors product questions.
Before beginning your online research, come up with product questions as a team. Then, you know what to look for while doing your research. You want all your questions answered, so if your team can’t find answers on a vendor’s website, call and ask them. Some questions you should ask are:
- How much will this cost? Are prices set in stone or negotiable?
- Does your software integrate with other kinds of software? If so, which ones?
- What’s the process like for transferring our data from our current system to yours? Will all of our data transfer smoothly?
- Does your software update and back up files automatically?
- Are there hardware requirements?
- Is your software HIPAA compliant?
- Do you offer training to help our staff become proficient with your system? What kind of training is available?
- When we have questions, where do we go to get them answered?
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6. Compare software options and answers from vendors.
After making your list of available options, divide the options up amongst your team to research and ask questions. Keep everyone’s questions and answers in a shared document for everyone to see and provide any comments or questions.
7. Choose the best option.
Once each team member has reviewed the document with vendor questions and other information about each software solution, sit down and discuss the options. From there, choose which software you and your team believes is best for your practice.
8. Provide continuing feedback.
After using the software for a while, you might uncover problems or realize a new product feature should be integrated. Provide this feedback and more to the vendor so this software continues to grow and remains the best fit for your practice.
Follow these necessary steps and you can feel confident you’ve selected the right practice management software for your dental practice.