Systems & Processes

It is important to consider what systems and processes your office currently has in place. Ultimately, this is going to focus on hiring new team members, training them, and reviewing their performance over time.

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The primary goal is to keep these employees because retention is easier than hiring new talent. However, you also need the right dental practice systems and processes in place so that they know what’s expected of them and how to do it effectively to be more productive.

Ultimately, dental practice training is only one aspect of the systems and processes we consider. You also have to think about the inner workings of your dental practice. This includes front office procedures, insurance, scheduling, billing, and so much more.

In a sense, we’re here to help you develop a systemized process for each area of your business so that it’s optimized and runs smoothly.

Our team can help you customize the processes and implement them into systems. Since no office is the same, we’re calling this the fourth step of the entire process. It began with an analysis of your practice, then we worked on goals and targets, and then talked about psychology for growth. Now, you’re starting to piece all of that together to create the infrastructure.

Employees Systems and Processes

Your employees are the lifeblood of the dental practice. Without them, you couldn’t do your job successfully. Yes, you are the dentist, but there are so many other aspects of the business. Whether or not you have a marketing or billing department, you rely on others to do their jobs well. This includes the receptionist (who may also assist with billing), the hygienists who do most of the work, and billing. To start out, you may have two or three receptionists, and one may focus more on the billing aspect while the other deals with patient scheduling and greeting.

Regardless of the methods you have in place, you’ve got to have the right processes. That way, each person knows what’s expected of them and can feel confident knowing that they’re contributing to the dental practice and its growth.

Ultimately, you must have a system and process in place for all things relating to your employees.

Hiring and Interviewing

What do you look for when hiring a team member? These things need to be drawn out and fully understood. That way, when you start getting resumes, you’ve got a better idea of what you need.

There should be a step-by-step process for hiring someone, and we can help you determine what that is. A quick breakdown is knowing what you need, searching for talent, going through resumes, and picking people to interview.

You should also have systemized processes in place for interviewing. This can include a checklist of skills, their job description, and what to look for. These things are all different for practices, so we can help you choose the right criteria.

Performance Reviews and Benefits

What about the employees you already have? For them to do a good job, they need to know how you ‘grade’ their performance. This can include learning new skills, being on time, and working hard. However, these are generalized, so we can help you figure out specifics.

This also pertains to the benefits they receive. Things like healthcare are often perks if the practice is small. You can also offer paid vacation time, PTO, and more. The benefits package you provide is a great incentive for employees, and we can ensure that it works for your practice and is advantageous for the staff.

When employees know what you look for, it makes them confident. They know what’s expected of them and focus on their performance to give 100 percent.

Disciplinary Actions

No one wants to get in trouble, but you know that it’s bound to happen. A team member might be having a rough time at home, which causes them to be late a lot. It can lower morale and productivity rates.

When you’ve got clear disciplinary actions and steps in place, there is no confusion later. We recommend things based on your practice and have analyzed your current situation already.

Written/verbal warning
Another written warning
Suspension from work for a few days/week
Probation for a specified amount of time
Termination without benefits (unemployment, etc.)

This process will change based on your specific needs, but it’s important for these steps to be laid out and known by all.

Human Resources (HR)

If you’re still a small dental practice, you probably aren’t going to have an HR department. However, it’s important that whoever handles HR responsibilities knows the systems and processes that are in place.

Whoever you delegate for HR duties is going to be part of the recruitment and hiring process. They’re also going to focus on compensation needs and benefits. If anything wrong happens, they’re in charge of figuring out what to do. When you’ve got everything systematically written out in a handbook-style fashion, it’s easier for them to do their job.

For example, what might happen if a staff member accused another person of sexually harassing them? There must be specific steps that are taken so that each party is protected and a ruling can be made. Typically, this falls under employee relations. Along with that, the HR person should work with the employees and pay attention to morale issues. Similarly, any problems with training should also be brought to that person’s attention.

Smaller practices often have the receptionists in that role, so they’re going to be working closely with other team members. That way, they can spot the problem quickly and take care of it.

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Focus on Front Office Procedures

You can’t forget about the front office when you’re creating systems and processes. This typically focuses on the receptionist, but it goes deeper to the administrative tasks.

However, you don’t have to worry because we’re here to help. It’s our job to consider everything that has to be done each day. Then, we can create a strategy to assign tasks to the team members. From then on, those processes are in place, and any new hires understand what’s expected of them.

We can also advise you on ways to create a more productive work environment. This may mean rearranging the furniture and making the documents needed easy to reach. Though most people use a computer system now, paper filing is still required for most dental practices. Therefore, you want it to all be easy to get to and find, which can include alphabetizing the files and more.

It’s also important to focus on how to remind clients about appointments. Everyone leads busy lives, so you want to make it easier for them. SMS and email are the top choices, but some people still prefer calls or snail mail. Having these processes automated ensures that the system works for you so that you can do other things.

Account Scheduling & Appointments

While the back-end is important (HR, billing, hiring, etc.), you also have to focus on the front-end office needs. An essential aspect includes appointments and scheduling. You don’t want to schedule two people for the same time because you can’t help them both. It leads to tension between you and the customers and doesn’t look good for your dental practice.

You should implement a scheduling tool to make things easier by automating the majority of the process. Ultimately, we’re here to help you figure out the right tools and how to use them. That also means assisting to help you choose the right scheduling processes.

Billing

Though many dental practices don’t have a separate billing department, it’s still important for those systems and processes to be in place. That way, there’s no confusion about amounts, payment schedules, or insurance problems.

Insurance Claims

Many people have dental insurance, and it’s up to you to send those claims in on time so that you get paid for the services rendered. Though patients may have partial payments to make, the bulk of the money is likely to come from the insurance company.

This requires you to have a system in place to code everything correctly and get it sent to the insurance company on time. Generally, this is the easy step. Then, you’ve got to have the right processes in place so that the receptionist (or whoever you choose to handle billing) knows what to do and when it needs to be done. We can help with both aspects.

Payment Plans

As a provider, you want to get paid for the service you give. However, some people aren’t as quick to pay as you might like. You need clear processes in place to deal with patients who can’t or don’t want to pay you.

Usually, this involves sending notices and working with them on payment plans. You may also need to hire a collection agency to get some restitution and wash your hands of the debt. This can be a bit tricky to set up, but we are here to help you.

The Right Processes for Systemizing

Systemizing everything means having the most appropriate tools (software) in place so that everyone can do their job effectively and be productive. When you’ve got the right systems in place, you can hire, fire, and grade performances more easily. That also means the front office is taken care of so that the receptionist can send the right forms to insurance companies, schedule patients, and all the rest.

Once you’ve got the systems in place, you need clear processes on how to handle every situation. That means everyone knows how to send an insurance claim in, how to dispute things, and how to set up an appointment for a patient. Though these things should already be done, we understand that it’s a challenge. With us by your side, you’re going to clean up the back and front office so that everything runs smoothly.

Systems and Processes FAQs

You’re sure to have questions related to dental practice systems and processes. These FAQs should help, but you can always call for assistance, too.

Q: What Is the Primary Difference between Processes and Systems?
A: Systems and processes keep your business running smoothly, saving you time and growing your business. The system runs the business, while the processes make it more efficient through the use of steps.

Q: Why Are Processes and Systems Important for Dental Practices?
A: Processes and systems are important for building a dental practice. They’re the building blocks that support growth and employee satisfaction. Primarily, they focus on efficiency and accuracy.

Q: How Does AMP Help Implement Processes and Systems?
A: We know where you are right now from the analysis, and we’re working on streamlining everything. That means you get assistance to determine which software programs and systems are right for you. Then, we help to create a step-by-step guide for each area of business.

Q: Are Processes and Systems Related to Management?
A: Yes! The Systems and processes in place are related to management. With the right tools and the steps to do everything, the dental practice is managed much more efficiently.

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You’ve already taken the plunge to analyze your dental practice and find out what could be improved. From there, you worked on creating goals and targets to meet so that you can grow and expand. We also helped you understand the psychology of people and how that affects your practice.

Now, it’s time to work on the dental practice systems and processes. If you don’t have any in place right now, we’re going to ensure that you figure out what you need and how to implement it. Those who already have some in place might want to improve them or create more effective processes.

Regardless, we’re here to help streamline everything so that the dental practice runs smoothly. From there, you can work on other ways to improve and grow your business.