September 2018

In case you missed it

In August we sent emails to let everyone know about a new document we compiled to provide a summary of the last five years of DQB releases.  It includes a table of contents for easy navigation and you can also search by topic.   We were pleased that so many of you responded to request a copy and those not already up to date started making plans to bring their systems up to the latest release. For those who have not, just let us know if you would like to have a copy emailed.   

If you have not updated within the past year, we strongly recommend that you do so that your software is compatible with all the surrounding technology and security measures as well as the changing expectations in the dental lab industry.

A special offer to those with DQB Starter

So that those with DQB Starter can take full advantage of the digital files feature of DentalRx Direct that comes with their service agreement, we are offering a special bundle this month.  The offer includes an update to DQB Standard plus the Images supplement for digital files and documents.   The standard license fees of $600 will be reduced to $480, a 20% savings.   This offer will remain valid until September 30, 2018.   

If you would like to review all the benefits of having a web portal for your customers through DentalRx Direct, we can email a flyer that covers all the DentalRx versions to you.  Just let us know. 

QuickBooks 2019 has been released

Features in the QuickBooks Desktop (QBD) versions for 2019 that we think will be of most interest to dental labs are these:  

1) Intuit Data Protect now automatically backups the company file faster and has added more messaging if backup failures occur. 

2) Data File Optimization allows reduction in the company file size by about 30 percent without deleting older records.

3) The Invoice Status Tracker provides real-time visibility on invoice statuses at a glance, which can help to expedite collections.

4) A new report on Inactive Items in Inventory has been added to allow users to exclude or include inactive items. 

From Adiya Dixit, senior project manager for QBD, "While online accounting software is becoming more popular, Intuit still believes QuickBooks Desktop to be the easiest most productive QuickBooks ever."  

When asked by Intuit, we have told them that most of the dental labs tell us they still prefer the desktop version and are reluctant to give up privacy and control of their information and that of their customers to another company, but do like to have options to implement web-based features.  Intuit has a solid reputation for listening and we are pleased to see more and more web-based options becoming available to the QBD versions.

To answer your questions...

Q: Is there a way to find out who deleted a case?

A: Yes, first go to Cases/Extended/Deleted Cases to find the case.  Make note of the date it was deleted.   Then to go Reports/Event Logs to list the events for this date.  The deletion event log will include the login for the person who deleted the case.

Q: Does DQB have any graphics that will show us the case workloads?

A: Yes,there are a number of graphics in DQB that focus on the scheduled cases.   For both the starter and standard versions:  

Master Schedule - This shows a calendar graphic for each work center with counts for completed and scheduled case items as well as the daily limits.  From each date box, you can click to drill down to the details.  You can easily navigate to other dates and work centers.

Weekly Schedule - This shows a calendar graphic for all work centers with counts for completed and scheduled case items, beginning with the current week.  From each date box, you can click to drill down to the details.  You can easily navigate to other weeks.

DQBT Workflow App - You can choose to see a list of case items scheduled by technician and/or by work center, which ones have been started, paused, finished with date/time stamps by which technician.  

For the standard version:

Home Page Dashboard  - This shows bar graphs for case counts by status, late cases by work center, and counts for completed vs scheduled case items by work center.  You can also see month-by-month comparisons on the right.   From each graph, you can click to drill down to the details.  The dashboard is refreshed upon each entry into the Home Page.

Focusing on workflow

This summer we worked with four labs, all of them successful, all having been in business for a number of years, all having new ideas for their software and having one more thing in common...they all wanted to focus on improving their workflow so that they can continue to be the best choice for their customers. 

Ideally, being the best choice means a good balance between high quality and affordability, maintaining a reputation for keeping commitments and providing responsive customer service.   Some of the ways your software provides for supporting an efficient workflow are:

• Standard Procedures for Case Design
  
• Accessing Digital Files/Documents  
• Communication with the Dental Office  
• Marking Case Items 
• Monitoring Case Progress
• Addressing Issues
• Ongoing Training/Guidance

The full writeup on this topic can be found in the Blog section of our website:  www.mainstreetsystems.net

When you face huge challenges

When the issues involving your work seem overwhelming, a very wise approach is to break them down into much smaller steps.   A very unwise approach is to do nothing and try to coast with the status quo.  

If you choose to conquer the smaller steps one by one, you have a much better chance of adapting to new expectations and new circumstances.   This is true not only for your laboratory work and customer service but also for the computer systems that support your case and financial management.

This is the approach we have always taken.   In close coordination with the labs that use our software, we continually add features and update capabilities to match the growing needs of the labs.   This has created a win-win environment for those who continue to maintain their service agreements and to update their software.  Having this service also means that the lab's staff can request education and guidance whenever needed.

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