How can systems make my dental practice successful?

By Tony Gavin

3 min

January 06, 2023

Introduction

The most successful businesses have systems. If you don't already know that, you will soon. As a dental practice owner or manager, it's your responsibility to implement and maintain systems for yourself and your team. The good news is that there are plenty of things you can do to make it easier on yourself—even if the thought of starting from scratch feels overwhelming!

Businesses exist because of systems

Systems are the business. Businesses exist because of systems. It's true. If you don't have systems in place, your business will flounder and eventually fail. And, on the flip side, if you have solid systems in place, even if it's just a few key things like your marketing strategy or customer service protocol—you can grow your revenue and experience success without having to put in as much time and effort yourself!

Systems are more than just procedures

As we’ve discussed, systems are more than just procedures. They are the business, and they can be the repeatability of a process or procedure. Systems can also be the repeatability of a system. If you’re not sure what that means, let me use an example to illustrate:

  • Your business is running smoothly because you have a great dental assistant who knows exactly what steps she needs to take when seeing patients in your office and how long each step should take. In this case, your “system” would be all of the steps that need to happen before and after seeing a patient in order for them to leave with an amazing experience (and hopefully refer their friends!)
  • Or perhaps one day you come into work and realise your dental assistant isn’t there—she didn't come into work because her car broke down! You frantically call around looking for another temporary replacement but can't find anyone who's free today or tomorrow... So instead of canceling appointments or trying some crazy new system where everyone has to do extra paperwork before seeing patients (that would never work), what do you do?

The value of systems is in their repeatability

The value of systems is in their repeatability. When we're able to do the same thing over and over again, with the same results, our efficiency increases. We know what works and what doesn't. And when we have a system in place, it becomes much easier to get others on board and teach them how to do their part of the job consistently. Systems increase our focus on results because they give us more time to spend doing what matters most: providing excellent care for our patients while growing our businesses at an accelerated rate.

Successful businesses have robust systems

Successful businesses have robust systems. Robust systems are able to handle any eventuality, they're repeatable and consistent, and they can be replicated. They're also flexible enough to adapt to changing circumstances and needs. For example, if you have a system for scheduling appointments with your patients but it's not working out because the number of patients increases over time, then you'll need to adjust that system so that it can accommodate more appointments without breaking down under pressure.

  • A system is repeatable, which means it can be replicated and transferred to another location, which protects the business owner.
  • A system is consistent, which means it allows for consistent service delivery, ensuring a high-quality experience for patients every time they visit your practice.
  • A system is capable of handling any eventuality, so even if a dentist becomes sick or injured and cannot work for an extended period of time (or permanently), someone else in your office will still be able to take their place seamlessly while keeping all of their patients happy by continuing with their scheduled appointments and procedures as normal.

Conclusion

As you can see, systems are important to any business. They’re the backbone of your organisation and the key to your success. When you have a strong system in place, you have something that can be replicated and transferred to another location, which protects the business owner, which allows for consistent service delivery, and is able to handle any eventuality.