We have been talking about systems quite a bit lately. This is no accident—I believe that effective and efficient systems are critical components to healthy, profitable practices. But today we’re going to change it up just a bit, and instead of diving into the nitty-gritty of creating systems, we’re going to look at warning signs that your systems may need to be overhauled.
Five signs that the systems you use in your dental practice may need an overhaul:
1) You’re spending time doing your employee’s jobs for them. Efficient systems mean that you spend your time doing your job—treating patients and focusing on big-picture strategy and operations. You shouldn’t be answering the phones, entering data into the computer, or fixing the plumbing. That’s why you have a team!
2) Patients are complaining of an inconsistent experience. One of the hallmarks of effective systems is consistency. Because your team does things the same way each time, your patients know what to expect. If you’re getting complaints, your systems aren’t working the way they should be.
3) Things like patient scheduling and billing are “slipping through the cracks.” If you’re noticing matters slipping through the cracks, something is wrong. Your systems should ensure that nobody has to remember anything—they should simply execute the system.
4) You have no basic organizational structure. If your employees don’t have enough work to keep them busy all day, it’s time to add some responsibility—systemized, of course. Ask yourself what tasks you are spending your time on that could be performed by someone on your team? And then create a system to get the matter out of your hands. Clear organizational maps with a clear job description for each staff person can be the most important time you will ever spend on your practice.
5) You constantly feel “scattered” mentally. There’s nothing wrong with being busy—that’s a good thing. But you want to be busy treating patients, not bouncing between the bookkeeping, the marketing, scheduling, billing, etc. If you’re constantly feeling scattered, your systems need an overhaul!
Systems and efficient organization are the key to a profitable practice. Are your systems performing well… or do they need to be re-examined?