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April 2021

DentaLab NewsApril 2021
from Mainstreet Systems & Software

FAQ  DentaLab News

 

For April and May

The April release for DQB 1.66 has been posted on our website along with the full release document and  a short guide for downloading.  Those who have an up-to-date service agreement should call just before downloading to get the current authorization codes.   If you are new to this and would like to have tech support to guide you, please call or email. 

This release includes two large enhancements for advances in technology for the menu and daily schedules and one to expand the criteria for the daily Cases by Scheduled Date report.   See further details below and on our website in Support/Quarterly Releases.  We will welcome your feedback on these. 

Looking ahead to May, put it on your calendars that our offices will be closed for the USA Memorial Day on Monday, May 31.


New master chart for service agreements

We have created a new master chart showing the latest features of both the Essential and Plus versions of your service agreements.   If you would like to have a copy emailed to you, just let us know by phone or email. 

Our service agreements have always been a win-win offering.    They provide the support most labs need for guidance, keeping up to date with the surrounding components of your computer system and dental technology, customizations, equipment updates and transfers, and staying in compliance with government regulations for patient safety, good manufacturing standards and taxation. 

In turn, they provide the funding that is needed to have expert technical and educational personnel, equipment and other resources on board for whatever may be needed.

When you click the button Send to Mainstreet

In our programs there are measures to detect predictable errors such as having alphabetic letters in a field requring numbers.   For other errors coming from Windows, QuickBooks, the DQB-QB Connector, a detailed technical error message is generated that typically includes a Send to Mainstreet button near the bottom.   When you click this, the technical details are sent to our weblog.  

It is important to understand that we do not monitor this log throughout the day.   Its use is to provide us with the specific technical details and workflow to help solve the issue that caused the error.   When you encounter an error that you cannot resolve on your own, it is best to click Send to Mainstreet and then call or email for technical support.   We do monitor emails throughout the day.   If you call and we are not able to respond immediately, our system will alert us if you have left a voice message and need assistance.    These resources are covered by your service agreement. 

 

    Easy, versatile software for the modern dental laboratory.

To answer your questions....

Q: When we request changes to a form or report, you sometimes ask us to send an example.  What is the best way to do this? 

A: The easiest way is to generate a display of the form or report and then request that it be saved to a PDF format.    PDF is short for Portable Data Format.   This has developed into an industry standard.   Our reporting tool provides for saving to this format.   Typically on your screen to the right of the Print button will be Save.   Click Save and then choose PDF.  

If you need to mark it up to show changes, first print, then draw/write your changes.  If you have a multi-function printer/scanner or image scanner, you can scan this and save to a PDF.  

If you want to send us an example of your report to show us the contents, you can send it to your printer and choose to save to PDF rather than actually printing. 

Note that if you have keeping your Windows 10 up to date, the latest printer controls include a choice of Save to PDF.  You can then attach the PDF to your email.

We also continue to have fax capabilities.  The number is 215-256-1594.    

Also worth knowing are these other widely accepted formats that have become industry standards for compatibility: 

  • JPG/JPEG for the best capture of visual components, developed for photographers   
  • DOC/DOCX for text/word processing, developed for Microsoft Word
  • HTML/XML/STL are mark-up languages for precision in creating information transfers, graphics, products

Q: How do you determine which requests will be considered custom and billable and which will be funded by the service agreements? 

A: Most of the time it is clear when a request is specifically for one lab and to be considered custom work.  If it is not, we work it out with the lab.  We have a standard policy that if the custom request will involve less than 4 hours of work, it will be covered by the provisions within the service agreement.  If 4 or more hours, typically a work authorization with specifications will be required.  

We do keep notes in our release planning documents when ideas and suggestions come our way.   Sometimes there are a number of requests along the same line, others indicate trends in the industry that should be addressed.   Some of the suggestions come from our staff, based on advances in computer technology, security measures and compliance requirements.   Sometimes we see the need such as the new menu design coming in the April release.  

It is important to note that if a lab wants to keep within our standard releases as opposed to having a completely custom system, some of the features developed as custom will be incorporated into the standard release.

Q: Is there a way to copy and paste to an email from Case List?  We have a client who wants a weekly list of return dates and it takes too much time to retype the info into an email.

A: There are several possible solutions for this within DQB.   

  1. One would be to set the criteria and columns in Case List for the report you want, then transfer to Excel. 
  2. If you would like reports generated for a number of your customers, consider implementing the DQB Notifications supplement.   Reports on their cases received and recently shipped are automatically emailed to the customers you specify on the schedules you specify.  You can also include marketing messages and shipment tracking information.  
  3. Providing a DentalRx web portal for your customers to submit prescriptions, digital files and other communications also includes reporting on the status of cases in process and history cases. 

For both DQB Notifications and DentalRx, you can request customization of your reports.  Before you take on a time-consuming task, we recommend that you check with us to see what might already be available and/or what can be easily customized in your software.  

      With the same look and feel of QuickBooks.

Easiest ways to classify and archive digital files

We have had quite a few support calls and questions on how best to classify or name digital files.   Those who have been doing this manually have found this process to be burdensome in increased time and labor costs.  Other factors in this include:

  • making sure the digital files are accurately associated with the case records for the doctors and their patients 
  • assuring they can be accessed and retrieved whenever needed
  • secure and private backups to assure the files are kept confidential and not lost 

DQB Standard together with its Digital/Images Supplement provides for automatic naming to associate digital files and documents with the case.   While the case record is open, you can browse/navigate to the digital file(s) sent to you and they will become part of the case record.  You can also scan documents or use a camera to capture documents.  

An even better solution that provides for accuracy and time savings is to offer DentalRx to your customers.  The primary services are creation and submittal of a prescription that flows into the DQB case record.  This record automatically records for the correct doctor and patient with selection from your own standard procedures and items.  The dental office can also transmit digital files associated with the case and have them automatically named and stored correctly.  If the lab is registered with one or more of the digital dental providers such as ITero or 3Shape, the lab can receive an alert that the digital file has been transmitted.

Other very useful services for the dental office:

  • enter, edit and view doctor preferences
  • request pickups
  • lookup current case status and case histories
  • communicate with the lab

Very beneficial al features for the lab:

  • Prescriptions that are clear, accurate and complete
  • Entry of case record is typically more than 90% complete
  • DentalRx cases are easily identified and accessed from the case list
  • Cost savings in less remakes, reduction in costs for data entry, responses to case status inquiries
  • Transmissions are HIPAA compliant

Another component is the DQB Advanced Backup Protocol to provide automatic backups on the schedule you choose, to your choice of local or web-based locations or both, your selection of encryption levels for privacy and security.  


A quick look at DQB Release 1.66

DQB New Menus for Standard Version

Several of the current menus for the standard DQB version had become very long. A new design has been created to have subcategories under the long menus that lead to a submenu with corresponding options.

This new design also features these new capabilities:

  • You can select a FAVORITES set for your most frequently used options.
  • At the top of the main menu will be FAVORITES and GUIDANCE with drop down menus.
  • From SHOW FULL MENU, you have the ability to hide options that the user/login does not plan to use.
  • If you wish, you can create limited menus for specific users. 
  • The new design will provide for space and ease in adding new options.

NOTE:  There is a white paper available to provide full documentation on the new menu.  You can request that a copy be sent via email.

 

DQB Cases:  Daily Schedules in Pane Views

DQB stamdard has had two graphic presentations for the work schedules, one for the Master Schedule in which the selected work center calendar is presented and the other for the Weekly Schedule that lists all work centers for the week.  

To CASES/Schedules has been added a Daily Schedule that will introduce the new technology of pane presentation and even greater versatility. 

The schedule date will be initially set to the current date, but you can use the graphic calendar to the left to choose another date and then the arrows to navigate through dates.

The default criteria will be:

  • All Work Centers
  • All Technicians
  • Open/In Lab Case Status

You can limit the presentation:

  • Select one work center from the list
  • Select one technician from the list
  • Select one or more case statuses:  Open/In Lab, Out for Try-In, Prebooked, Finished

You can also choose to:

  • Hide Completed
  • Hide Currently Scheduled

Above each set of panes will be the Work Center. The graphic will show 3 panes for each row.

The pane for each selected case item in the daily schedule graphic will include:

Case #  Pan     Patient     Case Status (also if Remake or Adjustment)

Case Item           (units and name)

Technician          (name if assigned or marked when completed)

Completed           (date/time if marked)

Customer

As you navigate through dates using the arrows, in the left frame will be unit counts by work center and at the top will be unit counts by status.

To view/edit the case item, right click in its pane. The ability to edit will be based on the permission for the user role/login.  The edits will be the same as you have had with the master and weekly schedules. 

 

DQB Reports:  Cases by Schedule Date – Sequence Choice

In the top criteria section for the Cases by Schedule Date report to the right will be two choices for sequencing from low to high within the selection and date:

  1. Case #
  2. Pan Code

These choices will be available for both the summary and detailed versions of each report. 

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.

"To be honest with you, I like it (DentaLab for QuickBooks) a lot."

Alexander Santiago
Dental Technology Studio
Florida


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