Most businesses thrive with three main components: their people, process, and the technology that facilitates these. We aim to serve our customers and patients, but the orthodontic services lead to these three components. People should come first, process second, and the technology last when we rank these in order.
No business can thrive without its employees. Our teams and our leadership are paramount. Good systems leverage the work of our team to gain traction, and they should be well-defined and updated. Technology will raise the orthodontic practice even more. We can achieve operational efficiency by optimizing our people, processes, and technology.
People
Your team members drive the performance of an orthodontic practice. The number of people in that team can measure how effective they are and how large your business is. However, the quality of your team will dictate your performance and potential far more than any other metric. In most orthodontic practices, its payroll is the largest line-item expense. Therefore, they are our largest investment. Investing in people will yield the greatest returns and directly impact patient care and the patient experience.
Process
The systems we implement are critical to streamlining the orthodontic care we deliver. Having a playbook and a standard operating process will help our people deliver consistently, effectively, and efficiently. We can provide orthodontic care with a repeatable process to exceed patient expectations and improve our businesses. The more team members we have on board, the more critical detailed processes are to the healthy growth of our orthodontic practices.
Systems thinking is a key learning skill to look at the bigger picture and solve problems with an awareness that each action we take impacts other parts of the system. Think about an orthodontic practice as an ecosystem or integrated element. When we consider and implement System Thinking, we can create better processes and move towards better clinical care and business results. Office systems should also evolve to compensate for our growing practices and changing technology.
Technology
Our technology is the largest opportunity to create a successful orthodontic practice infrastructure. In today’s environment, with greater competition and the reach of digital innovation, no practice can thrive without proper technology implementation. Our practice management software, IT infrastructure, appliance technology, and the equipment we invest in all deliver the value we aim to provide.
The challenge we face today is determining which investments in our infrastructure make business sense since not all can offer the same return on investment. The latest toys and shiny pieces of technology often entice orthodontists, but they don’t always deliver. Before investing in technology, think about the returns it will provide. Technology should add value, facilitate growth, and improve the patient experience.
The modernized infrastructure can update an office and positively impact our people by showing continual improvement. With new technology, we should also update the process to maximize the benefits. New infrastructure and new systems go hand in hand.
