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July 2021

DentaLab NewsJuly 2021
from Mainstreet Systems & Software

FAQ  DentaLab News

 

For the month of July

Although the activity in July typically slows down due to vacations as well as the heat, humidity and air quality in some locations, there is lots of activity here at Mainstreet. 

The annual open period for extra technical support to catch up began on July 6 and continues until July 16.   The current release version is 1.67.  You can check your About box to see your version.   If you need to catch up, you can call or email to schedule a technical session.  

We have been told by Microsoft that Windows 11 is on the horizon scheduled for general release this fall.  Those who have kept Windows 10 up to date should have an easy transition but those who have not or who have earlier versions such as Windows 8 or 7 will not.

The July release for DQB 1.67 is ready for download by those who have an up-to-date service agreement.  Call or email just before you are ready to download to get the latest authorization codes.  It is very easy and quick to download but if you would like to have our technical support, just let us know and we will schedule a session for you.   The details for DQB 1.67 are posted on our website in the Support/Quarterly Releases section.   The highlights are listed in the topic below.

Bright minds lead to bright choices

The DentaLab and DentalRx software have gained excellent reputations as the programs with lots of choices.   We give credit for this to having lots of bright minds in our user group sending in suggestions and our technical crew keeping up to date with the latest best techniques for accomplishing these.    Whatever your business model, there are likely to be choices within the software.  Here are some examples:

  • The software provides for the full range of lab sizes from very small to very large labs, some specialized, others full service.
  • You can choose how much or how little of the internet you want to use. 
  • You can handle both the traditional and the latest digital workflows and processes.  
  • If you wish to outsource all or part of your work, there are many features to help you keep track. 
  • You can personalize your lab and your choices through the Basic Lists and the Options and Settings.  
  • You can synchronize with the QuickBooks online subscriptions or the desktop versions such as Pro, Premier and Enterprise. 
  • For case entry, you can choose the traditional key entry, entry from the dental office via the DentalRx web portal, simplified entry for outsourcing points.   
  • For scheduling and tracking cases, you can work with just the critical dates or develop detailed procedures. 
  • To mark work completions, there are five methods including barcode scanning, tablet touch technology, by work center, by case review or simply by invoicing.
  • There are many note-taking spots throughout the system for you and your staff as well as opportunities to create alerts.  
  • For limiting access, secure encrypted transmissions and other security measures, you can set and monitor your criteria.
  • All forms and reports can be customized.  Further customization can be requested as well.

Take a few minutes to monitor

Both QuickBooks (QB) and DentaLab for QuickBooks (DQB) record the date/time and entry-by for significant entries. 

In QB, you can customize the queries/reports to show the Last Modified Date and Modified By for transactions.   One of the reports that is worth monitoring in QB is the Voided/Deleted Transactions report to review whether case invoices are being deleted without justification or in error.  Also worth monitoring are changes to the customer and item records that are essential to your invoicing.

In DQB Standard, significant transactions are recorded in the Events Log.  You can query this log by date range, case number range, specific customer and specific user/login whenever you need to track down or review who made entries and when.  

When setting up user logins and passwords, it is often best to have these pinpoint a specific user rather than a generic group and to limit access whenever applicable.

Also worth monitoring are your backups.  Do not assume they have continued to be successful and as scheduled.   If your method includes a log, check this for the components, date/time, size, and status.  If your method simply stores the backups in a folder, you can monitor the components, date/time and size. 

 

  Easy, versatile software for the modern dental laboratory.

To answer your questions....

Q: What are the differences between the Cases to be Shipped and the Cases Shipped reports? 

A: The cases included in the Cases to be Shipped report will have a planned Ship Date to match your date range selection.   You can check an indicator to include those already marked as shipped by having an Actual Date Shipped recorded.  You can also choose to show all ship methods or select just one. This report has been designed to help you organize the cases scheduled to be shipped. 

The Cases Shipped report includes cases that have their Actual Date Shipped to match your date range selection.  The Actual Date is marked in the QC & Ship menu option by either manual selection or scanning of the case number barcode on the work ticket.  You can also choose to show all customers or select just one.  

If you need to determine the status of cases that have been scheduled to ship but have not, here are two other reports that can be useful:

  • Cases by Ship Route will show the Last Scanned Date and Technician and the number of steps needed to complete the case. 
  • Cases by Date and Status for Ship Date will show you the status of each case. You can choose the detailed or summary report.

Q: Which DQB features use the internet? 

AThe internet applications that are part of DQB are:

  • Advanced Backup Protocol
  • DentalRx
  • Local Driver App
  • Notifications
  • Remote Access
  • Synchronization with QuickBooks Online
  • Tablet Workflow App

The Advanced Backup Protocol provides for both local and web-based backups with your choice of automatic backup schedules, encryption levels, media and locations.

Having a web-based portal for the dental offices to submit prescriptions and digital files, lookup cases and other communications was the first of the DQB supplements designed to work with the internet.   This is called DentalRx.   The successful implementation and ongoing reliability of this over the years led to many new features and choices developed at the request of both the labs and dental offices.  We now offer three choices on how to implement this:  

  1. Inclusion in your existing website with customization to coordinate with its look and standards. 
  2. Development of a new website with the standard web portal. 
  3. A simple link for the standard web portal available as part of your service agreement.  

The Local Driver App provides for pickup and delivery lists available on the driver's smartphone with the ability to mark completions, record notes, interact with the lab, access maps and directions.   It also provides for monitoring the daily pickups and deliveries from the lab.   

The Notifications supplement began as a simple email transmission program to send reports on cases received and recently shipped to customers at scheduled times.   This has been expanded to include marketing messages and shipment tracking information, as well as the possibility of custom reports.   More recently we added internal notifications to send designated reports via email to lab management personnel at scheduled times. 

The DQBT Tablet Workflow App provides for technician and work center assignments, lookup of related case and customer information, marking start, pause, restart and finish on case items, timing and production analysis, monitoring by lab managers.   This was designed for use on tablets with touch technology but can also be used on desktop/laptop computers.

DQB can synchronize with the QuickBooks online subscriptions as well as the desktop versions such as Pro, Premier and Enterprise. 

For remote access, you have a choice of many options now widely available.  We typically use AnyDesk to provide support to you and join.me for training webinars.  You can host in-house or choose a secured webhosting service.  For this, we recommend using a VPN (virtual private network) or Amazon Web Services.

Because of the increased mandatory security standards for internet transmissions, we will need to comply with those standards on a regular basis.  Installations and setups will need to be performed by our trained technical staff.   Typically, there will be a small setup charge for this.   Then ongoing participation in a service agreement will be required to maintain compliance with security measures.

      With the same look and feel of QuickBooks.

The Plus option for your support agreements

We introduced the Plus option for your DQB support agreements about two years ago.  This was designed to give those who want to be proactive a way to save money as well as assure coordination and success when adding more software capabilities to support their business growth.  Here is what is included in the Plus option:

  • Choice of the DQB Advanced Backup Protocol or one license to the DQBT Tablet Workflow App ($200 value)  
  • Discount of 20% for additional supplement or user (can range from $60 to $320 each)
  • Annual system review to assure coordination and compliance for critical components of their information systems ($240 annual value)
  • Scheduled after-hours support  
  • Reduced customization rates 
  • Cloud Backup to secure web-based location for easy automatic business backup of DQB and QuickBooks ($120 annual value)   

The Plus option adds $40 per month to your essential support level.    Let us know if you would like to have this. 

 

Highlights of DQB 1.67 

The following enhancements are available in both DQB Starter and Standard:

DQB Sequencing of Local Route Stops for Pickup & Delivery
In the Pickup & Delivery Reports options (available from the Customer action menu and the Customer Center), you can now sequence the stops for each local route.  A Stop column has been added to the report. 

The sequence can be easily changed whenever needed for the best efficiency and/or to meet customer requests. Included in the report are the cases scheduled to be delivered, the pickups requested, and the customers that have requested pickups every work day.

DQB Capture of Errors with Easy to Understand Messages (New)

This new feature captures some of the most frequent errors and first presents an explanation or message that will be easier to understand and resolve.  You will still be given the option to send the detailed technical message to Mainstreet. 

DQB Call List:  Add Date Range

Previously you chose one date to generate a list of cases for which the dental office requested a call.  We have added the ability to request a range of dates. 

DQB Customer Mailing Label (New)

Previously address label selections were based on cases.   This new option provides for creating a mailing label for a specific customer.   The default will be a 2 x 4 inch label with From: (lab name and address) and To: (customer ship-to name and address).   You can request customization of this label.  It is available from the customer's additional details screen and from the action menu at the bottom left for the selected customer in the customer list.

QB Inactive Customers

In Case Entry and Invoicing (Single, Batch, Sequenced Batch), the program will determine if the customer has been set to Inactive.  If it has, the transaction will not be continued and an alert will be issued:

This customer has been set to Inactive in QuickBooks.  Your request can not be completed. 

If invoicing, the message will also say:   Invoice for case #_______ cannot be created. 

NOTE:  Before setting a customer to Inactive status in QuickBooks, be sure to check in DQB whether there are still cases that have not been completed in DQB.  You can set the criteria in the Case List for status and customer to determine this.

 

 

The following are available only in DQB Standard:

DQB Daily Schedules:  Grid View Added

DQB now has three graphic presentations for the work schedules, one for the Master Schedule in which the selected work center calendar is presented, another for the Weekly Schedule that lists all work centers for the week, and a third for the Daily Schedule with options to select work centers, status and/or technician.  You can now choose to show the Daily Schedule with panes or in a grid view.

DQB Case Alerts/Communications Report (New)

In the top criteria section, you will have these selections:

Case Communications                     Option to include only those marked Case Alert

Date Range ______ to  ________     

The report will use the latest entered/edited date to select.

The report will provide these details:   Customer, Case #, Entered, Edited, Entry By, Spoke To, Patient, Teeth, Short Memo, Communication/Alert Memo

DQB Special Items Reports:  Add Case Status

For Special Items by Product Group and Special Items by Customer Group, a Case Status column has been added to the right of Case #.   

 

If you wish to be removed, reply to this email with the subject "unsubscribe".

     

Customization is available for all products.

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

"Thank you AGAIN!!!!! YOU are the BEST!"

Carol
Hennessy Dental Laboratory Inc.
Florida


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