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March 2010

DentaLab NewsMarch 2010
from Mainstreet Systems & Software

FAQ  DentaLab News

 

It Didn't Seem Possible...

But early spring has arrived in Pennsylvania and while our huge snowpiles are still melting, flowers are starting to bloom.   So it is now time to start developing our schedule for group training sessions.   Our first will be Monday, April 19, to be held in our offices here in the Village at Lederach in Harleysville, Pennsylvania.   Please let us know if you would like to have a flyer and/or directions sent to you.   These are offered at very affordable rates and are open to both users and prospective users of DentaLab for QuickBooks.  Space is limited, so call us quickly if you want to reserve a spot. 

Our April release is well underway.  Early in this quarter, we had just a few small items on the to-do list but thanks to the steady flow of good ideas from our labs and new technology, it is shaping up to be quite a substantial release. Two of the new features are described below. 

So far our Friday afternoons have been booked with individual requests for webinars, but we have the capability and will also be working toward developing group webinars on specific topics.

We will be closed, however, mid-day April 2 on Good Friday.

 

    Easy, versatile software for the modern dental laboratory.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: One of the other companies that offers dental lab software is telling us that DentaLab for QuickBooks is only for small labs - is this true?

A:  No, absolutely not.  This same company has told labs for years that they had secret knowledge that we were about to go out of business and that, of course, was never true.   DQB is based on Microsoft SQL Server, which can and does handle very large operations.  It is in use with labs having over 300 technicians, over 5000 customers. QuickBooks Enterprise can handle up to 30 concurrent users.  

Q: What is the difference between the various country versions of QuickBooks?.

A:  In addition to the USA version, QuickBooks is available in versions for Australia, Canada and the United Kingdom.  The primary difference has been in handling taxation, but we have found some of the non-USA versions do not offer as many fields of information.   If you are interested in the USA version, Intuit now offers it for download-only in these countries:  Australia, Brazil, China, India, Mexico, Phillipines, and United Arab Emirates.  

Q: Can you take a look at my computer from your computer?.

A:  This has definitely become one of the most frequently asked questions...and the answer is yes.   We primarily suggest using the logmein service (available at www.logmein.com).   To have us access your system, you will need to schedule a session and then give us your current authorization codes.  Remote access sessions have been used to review data setups/entries for those new to the system, for extra training and coaching, and for trouble-shooting.   For training and guidance, we are also setup to have you take a look at our training system.

      With the same look and feel of QuickBooks.

A Leap Ahead for Image Scanning

Support for image scanning using WIA (Windows Image Acquisition) was recently added to DQB and will be part of the upcoming April release.  Using WIA will become the default when the software is installed or updated.  An option will be available to continue to use the original TWAIN interface, which had been the industry standard for many years.

From the Options/DentaLab Settings page, there will be an option to use the older Twain scanning.   When TWAIN is used, the original instructions for scanning images into DQB will apply. There are, however, many benefits in the new WIA standard:

1) There is a larger choice of settings for brightness, resolution, color and whether to use a flatbed or document feeder.

2) Your settings will be preserved, so that scanning can be performed with just one click, making the process much faster.  You will be able to change these settings if you wish.

3) AutoCrop is a new feature.  This examines the image after it is scanned and removes empty areas from the edges of the image.  AutoCrop will be enabled by default, but may be disabled.

In summary, if your current scanner is Twain compatible but not WIA, you will be able to continue to use it.  If you acquire a new scanner, check whether it is WIA or TWAIN or both and let us know for your records here so that we can guide you.

If you have not tuned into the huge time and money saving benefits of scanning prescriptions and other case-related documents and attaching digital files sent by your doctors to their cases, give us a call.   The image scanning supplement is one that typically returns your full investment in a very short time. 

 

On the Subject of Tooth Charts

Over the years at our User Group meetings, we would ask whether you wanted us to add a tooth chart to the system for selection during case entry.   The response was always that our users preferred free-form entry of teeth so they could enter exactly what was on the prescription and then ultimately have this transferred to the invoice so that it matched the doctor's specification.   We noted along the way that labs used a variety of numbering schematics and sometimes even text.  

As many labs are transferring to DentaLab for QuickBooks from other systems that had selection from a chart, we have been asked to have this available.  So we have begun developing the screens and code that will provide for both free-form entry and selection from a chart.   We will show the two most frequently used formats and provide for setting up other formats (we have been told there are 20 in use worldwide) as well.  We plan on having this ready in time for the April release.   Be sure to let us know if you have any thoughts on this topic.

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Customization is available for all products.

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

"I could kick myself for not doing this sooner...this system is awesome!"

Dale Dramstadd
Doctors Dental Lab
Minnesota, USA


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