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July 2019

DentaLab NewsJuly 2019
from Mainstreet Systems & Software

FAQ  DentaLab News

 

Happening in July

The July DQB 1.59 release has been posted on our website along with a list of its features.  When ready to download, call or email to request the current authorization codes. 

The open period for updating continues until July 19.   If you have not already done so, we urge you to update so that your system remains compatible with the Microsoft framework that covers coordination with device manufacturers and the latest data safety standards.

Remember also that several Microsoft software products have already ended or will soon end support.  These include Windows 7 and prior, SQL Server 2008, .NET Framework 3.5 and prior.


About Printing Labels

DQB provides a wide variety of labels for cases and for shipping.   Some are small and include essential case information.   Some are larger and include the customer name and address.  Some have barcodes. 

In the Help/User Guide there is an overview of the existing standards, sizes and formats.   You can also see these in Options/Case Settings and Invoice Settings in the selection boxes for automatic labels.  If you have a special format, you can request customization.

At one time labels had to be printed on sheets with 20 or 30 labels and if not printing a whole sheet, special adjustments had to made or labels were wasted.   We recommend use of a single label printers to print one label at a time.  These are available from office supply and major online stores and typically range in price from $60 to $100.  

 

The dynamic DentalRx

Just about every lab that has implemented the DentalRx web portal for their dental offices has requested customization.   We have built in to the standard DentalRx a number of choices you can make to do your own customization such as which entry fields to include, which to make mandatory, colors.   We have also developed features to that you can specify which standard procedures or product groups you want for selection of case items at the dental office.

We have also taken extra time to develop the essential controls for designing the prescription entry page so that you can create categories, items and prompts to guide the dental office on your offerings.   These same controls could be used to design custom feedback forms for your quality control efforts and/or receive testimonials from your customers. Let us know if you are interested in these types of customization.

Having a web portal with so much versatility has been one of growing reasons why labs select DQB and DentalRx.  The portal not only provides for more accurate and clear prescriptions but also the ability to securely send digital files and documents, updates on preferences, the ability to look up case status and histories at the dental office, requests for pickups and other communications.  You can include the link to DentalRx in your own website so that your marketing information and news are right nearby.

 

    Easy, versatile software for the modern dental laboratory.

To answer your questions...

Q: Can we ask you questions about QuickBooks?

A: Yes, we are not Certified Public Accountants or QuickBooks Pro-Advisors but we can and do answer a lot of questions about QuickBooks.  This is particularly true for those areas that involve the dental lab cases such as custom fields, discounts, invoices, sales and accounts receivable.  You can always ask....if your question requires the expertise of an accounting or tax professional, we will let you know.

Q: Most of the DQB case reports very nicely provide counts at the end, but sometimes we just want counts for quick analysis.  Is there a way to do this?

A: With DQB 1.59 we have added a case count of the matches whenever you enter criteria and then search the case list.   Working with the variety of search criteria you will be able to find and count cases for many purposes.   We have also added three new search criteria for Rep, Ship Method and Vendor.    The case count will be displayed below the center criteria column.

Q: When setting up our items, we are in a quandary as to whether to have one item and then add notes in case entry such as upper vs. lower or to have multiple items.  Do you have any advice for us?

A: When making these decisions, think about how you want see your items in production and sales reports.  Do you want prices, dollars, quantities and scheduled units separately or combined?  You are not limited in any way on the number of items you setup in QuickBooks and then transfer to DQB.  You will need to train your staff on how to choose items (and/or standard procedures) and when it is appropriate to add case and case item notes. 

Remember that case and case item notes are included in the standard work tickets and tablet information to guide the work.   When invoicing, you can change or append notes to each item description and then also include an invoice message to give information to the dental office.  For both, the item name and description are the core that is used for production and sales analysis.

      With the same look and feel of QuickBooks.

Some fancy words for sensible concepts

The computer industry has gained quite a reputation for abbreviations, acronyms, and fancy words.  We can tell that even we as experienced software developers need to scurry to keep up with all of them.   There are some words that have been receiving a lot of play recently that are worth knowing because they are applicable to your dental laboratory case and financial management.  Here they are along with the sensible concepts they convey: 

Colocations:  This is an important concept for those providing internet services.  It means that for safety, your data is stored in more than one geographical location.   This helps to guard against weather-related damage, crime, data breaches and ransomware. Having your data backed up automatically to multiple locations is also a very wise idea.

Deprecation:  This term is typically associated with a date when software components will no longer be supported or acceptable because they will be considered obsolete.   This has been particularly true in the ongoing struggle to make cloud-based services secure from data theft and harm.

Hybrid System:   This has emerged as the latest trend in providing both security for critical information and providing appropriate information to authorized persons.  Its structure can vary from organization to organization but it typically means that the core of critical information is kept secure and in control of the organization while parts of that information are shared via the internet when interactions and communications are useful and worthwhile.  

Minimalization:   In the quest to keep information transmitted via the internet secure, the concept of minimalization has gained strength and notoriety.   This means keeping each transmission to a minimum so that efforts to interfere are not worthwhile.   Sometimes it also means splitting the information into several transmissions in a way that it becomes difficult for a hacker to piece it back together.

Histories to keep and safeguard

When labs are evaluating and choosing our software, one of the things we are often asked is whether they will always have access to their history records.    This is a wise question because there is always the possibility that you will need those histories.  It might not be an everyday happening, but your case and financial records may be needed for various purposes such as these:   

  • The dental office needs them to respond to patient, government or legal requests.  It is an important component of your customer service to provide the details. 
  • You may be selected for an audit by a government agency for safety or taxation issues. 
  • Should you want to merge or sell your business, you will need to provide documentation on both past details and trends for the future.

Because your DQB data is SQL-based, you can store very large volumes of data.  It is always in your control and you do not have to remove your histories.  We also recommend that you consider backing it up with the Advanced Backup Protocol because your can have automatic backups to multiple locations and media, assure that your SQL database is backed up and verified even when open, as well as choose from encryption methods to safeguard against data breaches. 

Also, in the July release for DQB 1.59 we have expanded the search by doctor plus patient to provide for more extensive case histories.  This is available in the Reports/Cases By menu.

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Customization is available for all products.

Contact us at 1-800-257-4535 or www.mainstreet-systems.com.

"It?s been a big help! This (DQB) is a very good program."

Ken Ireland
Precise Dental Works
Oklahoma


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