WASTE PREVENTION IN YOUR OFFICE

There are two ways to increase profitability in your office:  earn more and spend less.  Many dental practice management consultants, advisors, speakers, writers, and instructors focus on the “earn more” part of the equation.  Time and energy focused on the “spend less” concepts are equally productive.

Saving money in your practice is possible, and those savings flow directly to the bottom line to become increased profit.  Many tools should be utilized as part of your “spend less” efforts, including (1) annual budgeting, (2) comparative shopping, (3) advance planning for capital expenditures, and (4) staff involvement.

An effective way to get your team members to buy in to savings projects is to ASK their opinion and advice about savings, and then implement all feasible ideas so that staff members feel valued and contributory.  A word of advice:  unless you, the Dentist, intend to use their ideas that are practical and possible to implement in your office, do not seek their input.

If you choose to involve staff, assign team members the challenge of listing at least three ideas for saving money in the office.  A list of more than three ideas is encouraged; three is minimal.  Correlate the individual lists into one master inventory of creative possibilities.  Then distribute copies to the entire team for discussion, evaluation, and planning at the next Staff Meeting or at a lengthier Practice Retreat.

A client who recently used this method received a wealth of ideas that, when implemented, generated significant savings for his practice.  Staff suggestions covered the entire practice---from basics such as lights off in every unoccupied space to ideas for using less material during procedures to improvements in time and motion during   clinical procedures to efficiencies at the business desk.  That office improved efficiency while better serving patients and saved a great deal of time and money in the process.  And remember, in a busy dental office, TIME = MONEY!