Summary: To remain competitive and relevant in this new age of “Digital Dentistry”, it’s imperative that dental organizations take full advantage of their technology assets. By doing so, they allow themselves to gain a competitive edge, instead of just levelling the playing field. We take an in-depth look at the ways dental organizations can optimize axiUm and help maximize their ROI.
Technology is a wonderful thing. It improves productivity by enabling us to communicate, collaborate and share knowledge with others. It also allows us to innovate, whether we’re in the workplace or at home. Consider 3D printers and how they give us the ability to swiftly manufacture products for low cost. For example, a college student created his own set of clear, orthodontic aligners from a 3D printer, saving himself thousands of dollars.
For organizations that deliver healthcare services, technology can help improve the quality of patient care. For example, some healthcare organizations use barcodes or RFID (Radio-Frequency Identification) tags to help prevent medication errors and improve patient safety. That said, advancements in emerging digital technologies are thrown at us daily, often with lightning speed. These enhancements, designed to make our lives easier, sometimes demand that we adjust our workflows and business processes which can bring unexpected delays and setbacks if we’re not ready.
Our ability to quickly adapt to technology changes is key. Our adaptability is what gives us the capacity to take advantage of the bountiful benefits technology can offer. If your organization uses axiUm, the importance of staying up-to-date on the latest version of your axiUm software cannot be overstated.
Consider, for example, the apps on your mobile device. Many of us barely blink when it comes to auto-updating to the latest version of those apps. Should we then adopt the same mentality when it comes to updating our enterprise software? The answer of course is yes. It just takes some resourceful planning and preparation.
Before you begin the journey, first start by asking your team some key questions. For example, inquire if you’ve recently made changes to the workflows in your dental organization. If this is the case, you’ll want to ensure you’ve accommodated for these new processes in axiUm. Let’s explore further. Here are six ways you can optimize axiUm at your dental organization.
1. Identify and adapt to changes in workflows
Perhaps you’ve recently made changes to the workflows in your dental organization. If this is the case, you’ll want to ensure axiUm can accommodate these new processes. As axiUm is highly customizable, there’s a good chance another dental school has adopted a similar workflow that you could emulate.
For example, Exan’s Professional Services team can perform a gap analysis between your organization’s existing workflows and those in axiUm. This involves determining and documenting the differences between the two. The analysis may reveal, for instance, areas that can be improved upon, such as increased efficiencies in daily tasks or job roles. Contact Exan’s Professional Services team for more info.
2. Take advantage of new features in axiUm
Is your organization taking advantage of all the new features in the new version of axiUm? Much like keeping your mobile apps up-to-date, staying current with the latest version of any enterprise software solution is important.
axiUm upgrades include several new features designed to improve the usability and/or overall user experience of your investment. For example, new versions have improved functionalities that may increase your ability to track, review and report on your data. Alternatively, the upgrade might include enhancements that will allow your organization to stay current with other solutions such as third-party integrations. For more info, contact Exan’s Professional Services.
3. Review your IT security
It’s good practice to establish and track when you last reviewed the security of your organization’s IT systems. For some dental schools, even a few minutes of system downtime can carry enormous business costs. Maximizing uptime should be a high priority. Most organizations can’t afford issues with internet connectivity, email communications, corrupt data or system failures. The cost of reacting to these events, in many cases, is just too high.
Also important is determining if your institution has recently restructured. You may want to, for instance, re-assess and re-set the user levels and roles in your axiUm Power Admin module if this is the case. In addition, you may want to ensure that “Use Advanced Encryption” is checked in your axiUm System Options.
Watch our webinar where we discuss and show you 6 ways you can enhance axiUm for the benefit of your dental clinic:
4. Streamline your business processes and workflows
When was the last time you reviewed your business processes and workflows? Efficient workflows can help save time, reduce costs and, above all, improve patient care. To streamline your processes, first identify your challenges and then find unique solutions that fit your organization’s structure. This presents opportunities for process improvement.
Perhaps there’s been a change to a regulation or policy that has forced you to alter your business workflows. Or your dental school may have changed its teaching or evaluation methods, since you’ve implemented axiUm. Have you trained your staff on these new processes? Training is an investment in your most valuable asset – human capital. Exan’s Professional Services consultants can conduct a business process analysis, to define ways that will help you optimize the way you use axiUm. They have the expertise to guide you through these changes and streamline your workflows.
5. Automate your current manual processes
If your dental organization is still using antiquated processes from old paper charts or not submitting and receiving insurance claims in a timely fashion, it’s probably a good time to look at automating your current manual processes. Automation can help you increase productivity and efficiency.
For example, there’s a new module called axiUm eLab which helps you create and send dental lab orders electronically. You can also view, edit, track and manage those lab orders directly from axiUm. Automating the process enables you to streamline the workflow between your dental organization and the lab. As well, it helps improve the accuracy of lab orders. For more information on digital lab workflows, click here.
6. Benefit from best practices in axiUm
In a perfect world, you would be able to create an automated workflow for nearly any process or task and never worry about it again. However, in the real world, workflows can sometimes be plagued by unintentional delays, setbacks and bottlenecks. Using developed best practices in your dental organization enables you to complete tasks far more efficiently, allowing you to focus on your core business concerns.
Take the time to benefit from Exan’s Professional Services consultants’ knowledge in real-world best practices. They have specialized knowledge in axiUm, specific to the dental education market. Exan’s consultants have taken the time to research what other dental organizations have done and found the best way to go about getting it done. They can help you identify pain points and provide tried-and-tested, best practice solutions for those problems.
In conclusion
Developments in new digital technologies are changing at warp speed. They influence the way we work and play. With some resourceful planning and preparation, your dental organization can take full advantage of its technology investment in axiUm. Allowing you to fully maximize and realize the return on investment you’ve made in the axiUm platform.
To help you respond to new updates and changes, rely on the guidance of the experts in axiUm – Exan Professional Services. Draw upon their specialized knowledge and expertise, that might otherwise be too daunting to develop or maintain in-house. Exan’s Professional Services consultants have access to a broad axiUm knowledgebase and the hands-on experience in “real world” environments. They have “customer perspective” like no others and can provide you with the tools to implement axiUm in a way that best serves your organization. And who better to implement axiUm than the very experts from whom you purchased it from?
Want to learn more? Watch our recorded webinar. https://vimeo.com/327142449
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