In this article we will provide you with valuable information and research on why having an inventory management and procurement software system is so important and beneficial to you and your practice.
Managing dental inventory can be a challenge, and errors can lead to overspending or stock shortages. A good inventory management software can help dental practices track inventory levels, set reorder points, and generate automated reorder requests, ensuring that the practice has the right supplies when they need them. Business News Daily wrote an in depth article on just this topic alone: https://www.businessnewsdaily.com/10613-effective-inventory-management.html. They list the many different types of inventory and how this is a crucial piece to your business’s profitability. Even though this system can take up more of your time and require extra planning, the outcome and profits will reflect on the extra time you took to have this system in place.
Procurement involves the process of purchasing goods or services. An inventory management software can help streamline the procurement process by automating the creation of purchase orders, tracking orders, and generating invoices. This will save time and reduce errors, allowing dental practices to focus on providing quality patient care. Zen Supplies offers a step by step guide to lower supplies overhead: https://www.zensupplies.com/blog/why-choose-advanced-setup-with-zen-subscription/. They achieve this in three different phases. Building a reliable ordering process, negotiating better pricing, and details and measuring supplies on a daily basis and also by procedures. Once these phases have been completed you can successfully manage the software going forward.
With an inventory management software, dental practices can avoid overstocking items and prevent stockouts, which can lead to the loss of business. By having accurate inventory levels, practices can avoid unnecessary expenses and reduce inventory carrying costs. We found that 3M conducted a study on this area of expertise along with a checklist provided that you can follow to save on costs: https://dentalblog.3m.com/dental/save-money-in-dental-practice/. The list includes reducing stock choices and material variants to reduce confusion of multiple items, choose high quality materials that will have a long lasting outcome, efficiently plan patient appointments and chairtime turnaround, and so much more! When you are able to see what your budget is each month you can plan ahead easier knowing what you can order in the upcoming months. If you are spending without paying attention, you won't be able to keep track of the promos vendors may run, over stocking too much on a certain item(s) and they end up expiring. You will always end up over budget. Having a dental software system in place helps save on not only costs, but the hassle of trying to keep track of it all too.
Dental practices are required to comply with various regulations that govern the storage, handling, and disposal of medical supplies. An inventory management software can help practices maintain compliance by tracking expiration dates, monitoring the condition of the supplies, and generating reports for audits. Ohio Dental Regulatory covered this area by providing examples of different guides you should follow and have posted somewhere in your office to keep track of everything: https://www.oda.org/member-center/resource-library/regulatory-compliance-guide/. Examples of this include, but are not limited to infection control and hazard communication, mandatory reporting, patient privacy and record protocols, X-ray rules, and so much more. Using a software system where this can all remain in one place instead of a bunch of binders or printed off sheets, will help you and your office remain organized.
Effective inventory management and procurement processes ensure that dental practices have the necessary supplies to provide quality patient care. With inventory management software, practices can keep track of their supplies, order items efficiently, and reduce the risk of running out of important supplies during patient procedures. This will lead to improved patient satisfaction and trust in the practice. Zen Supplies wrote an article about how dental clinics can enhance the customer experience: https://www.zensupplies.com/blog/how-dental-clinics-can-enhance-the-customer-experience-best-practices-from-zensupplies/. At the end of the day, it’s all about the patient experience. You want to be sure that each patient has a positive memorable experience in order for them to not only return to your office, but to feel comfortable while they are there too. They wrote about how an exceptional service is not a one-time event: it is an ongoing effort to consistently exceed customer expectations. This means going above and beyond the standard expectations of a dental visit, and actively seeking out ways to improve the overall experience for patients.
In conclusion, all of these steps are essential and important to get started with your inventory management and procurement software. You can’t have one without the other, and each step intertwines with another. They all have similarities and an end goal. To save you time, money, keep track of everything in one place, and improve on your patient care.
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