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August 2010

DentaLab NewsAugust 2010
from Mainstreet Systems & Software

FAQ  DentaLab News

 

A welcome summer lull

After three very hectic booming months, we are welcoming a little summer lull.  There have been two programming projects we have been wanting to launch for a while now and we have finally begun.

One project is to begin adding user-defined (custom) fields to some of the Basic Lists.   For each type of record, there will be up to 10 extra fields for which you will provide the definition and up to 50 characters of text.   The first set of fields will be for Items, which will carry forth into Case Items.  You will be able to show and print two of these in the QuickBooks invoice in the predefined Other 1 and Other 2 columns.  If you have been entering extra information in the Notes fields for Case Items, such as tooth number(s) and shade, you will now be able to define a custom field for each of these.   The second set will be for Customers.    We anticipate that these will be used for marketing and customer relationship purposes to further define customers and their needs.

The second project is a new look for the Home Page, with better organization and simplification.   As ideas flowed in over the past five years for DentaLab for QuickBooks, some areas such as the Report Center outgrew their space in the original design specification.  We hope to have this ready to show you for the fourth quarter release in October.  If you would like to have an advance preview and give us your feedback, please call or email and we will put you on the list to receive this.    Once we solidify the new Home Page, we will tackle two more adjunct projects to change the tutorials and user manual to match.

Still a little more time...

There is still a little more time to take advantage of the introductory offer for the new Automatic Backup and Job Scheduler supplement. This supplement consists of two programs.  One is a client program for you to setup the schedules you wish to have by specifying the days of the week, the time of day, the backup type and location. A Windows service program will monitor the date and time, perform the jobs according to the schedules established and then record the date and time of completion and if any issues/errors are encountered.

The introductory license fee will be $99 (USD) for each system, effective through August 20, 2010.  The programs will be distributed via the Internet and will include a written guide.  Please call or email if you wish to add this to your system.  If you have a tendency to forget to do your critical backups, this would be a wise investment to protect your records and assure the continuity of your business.  

 

    Easy, versatile software for the modern dental laboratory.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q:  Can we use color on our work tickets?

A:  Yes, if you have a color printer (and most are), you can setup for color in a variety of ways.  Already built into Options/Settings is the ability to choose colors by the day of the week to correspond to the case's Ship Date.  Many labs request red for the Case Memo.  Work ticket customization is the most frequent request we receive.   There are myriad ways you can use color to help get the work done smoothly and on time.  We recommend that you use the strong colors such as red, blue, green, purple, orange, magenta, black.

Q:  Must a lab use QuickBooks to work with DentaLab for QuickBooks?

A:  Yes, DQB is designed to synchronize with the QuickBooks software.  From the case records it creates invoices and updates the accounts receivable transactions in QuickBooks.   Because of DQB, many labs have switched to using QuickBooks for the backend accounting.   If you have another system for this and want to keep using it, keep in mind that QuickBooks has excellent export facilities that could provide for updating other accounting software.  

Q:  Can we keep prying eyes away from our QuickBooks financials?

A:  Yes, all of the versions of QuickBooks that work with DQB also have excellent security features to prevent access by unauthorized persons to various areas of QuickBooks.  To learn more about QuickBooks security, go to its Help section, then choose Security from the Index.   Keep in mind, too, that you can now print invoices from cases in DQB, which further minimizes access to QuickBooks. 

      With the same look and feel of QuickBooks.

What is the best way to learn?

There is never just one way to best learn something new.  We who are very adept with computers and software can typically quickly review a written guide to see if there is anything special to be learned and then just jump in and start using new equipment or new software.

We know, however, from our many years of experience that some struggle with anything new.  There is often a tendency to try to do things the way they were done before or the way they were done in another circumstance.   Some put up a mental block against learning anything new.  Some learn best by watching others, some need extra hand-holding to work their way through the learning curve.  And, of course, some can learn the way we do. 

This is why we provide a variety of ways to learn our software.   Here are some of them:

  • Video tutorials can be used from our website by anyone with internet access and speakers on their computer.   These provide a guide through the initial steps.
  • Downloadable demos for our Starter version are also available from our website.  These have some of the basic lists already available such as sample customers, items, work centers, standard procedures and do not require QuickBooks.   These show how cases can be entered, scheduled and tracked.
  • 30-day trial CD's provide a way for those who already have QuickBooks or who are willing to setup a few of their customers and items in a trial version of QuickBooks to learn and work with all the features of the system for a limited period before going live.
  • Help button brings up a full User Manual that can be printed or searched easily by topic for those who like to read and review before giving a try.
  • Telephone discussions with our support team provide coaching and guidance on whatever topic or issue you have.
  • Webinars provide a way for those at a distance to tune in to our training computer for an introduction to the system or to cover a specific topic via the internet along with interaction with our staff.
  • Remote connection from our computer into a lab computer provides a way to review, with authorized access, what is setup on the lab's computer and to discuss possibilities or give guidance.  We typically use the services of logmein to do this.
  • Group training at our offices provide an affordable way for labs to learn the system having interaction with our staff and other labs.

We are in the process of setting up schedules for the autumn months for webinars and group training sessions.   Let us know if you are interested and the date(s) that would work well for you.

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Customization is available for all products.

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

"Thanks for a great program!"

Dan Stenkilsson
Middle East Dental Laboratory
Dubai, UAE


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