CATEGORY 14 AUSTRALASIAN DENTIST INNOVATIONS Behind every successful service business are people, people with the knowledge to solve problems, the experience to get things right and the commitment to look after customers. For Queensland Dental Services (QDS), people have always been at the heart of the business. From a small service team to a Queensland success story QDS began in 2012 when Ian Colley and John Grey established the business following the outsourcing of their dental service unit by Queensland Health. The initial goal was simple: build enough work to create a reliable and sustainable service business. Within 18 months, QDS was awarded a major Queensland Health contract to maintain over 800 dental surgeries including chairs and X-ray equipment across Southern Queensland. The contract required short response times, strong service performance and a focus on fixing equipment correctly the first time. QDS expanded its team and technical capability to support a large and geographically dispersed customer base. Importantly, the four employees recruited during that early period are still with QDS today, a reflection of the people-focused workplace Ian and Rhonwyn Colley have worked to create. Growing with our customers As customers asked QDS to support more of their equipment, the business continued to evolve. Services expanded beyond dental chairs and X-ray equipment to include sterilisers and other dental equipment, together with breakdown support, preventative maintenance and compliance services. QDS also grew beyond its government client base, supporting private dental practices throughout South East Queensland and Northern New South Wales. QDS continued to differentiate itself through service quality: factory-trained technicians, responsive scheduling, strong technical support, quality management systems and a focus on first-time resolution. The business also developed considerable expertise in refurbishing A-dec dental chairs, extending the useful life of quality equipment that may otherwise have been replaced. Building for the future Changes within the Australian dental industry created both challenges and opportunities. QDS recognised the importance of continuing to evolve while retaining the values of a privately owned, family-operated business. This led to a stronger focus on equipment sales through National Dental Equipment (NDE). The roles of the two businesses are clear. QDS provides service and technical support across Queensland and Northern New South Wales, while NDE supplies dental equipment Australia wide, supported by a network of like-minded service partners. Together, QDS and NDE combine local technical capability with broader national equipment supply. But the principle behind that growth remains simple: find good people, give them opportunities, support them and enable them to provide exceptional service. People first Following substantial growth, QDS and NDE are continuing to invest in the people, systems and technology needed to deliver consistently high levels of service. Field processes and scheduling are being streamlined, while improved reporting and asset management are giving customers better visibility of their equipment. Corey’s Help Line already enables many customer issues to be diagnosed or resolved without waiting for a technician to attend site. QDS is also exploring how digital and AI-enabled tools can assist its experienced team, improve access to technical information and help customers receive faster support. The aim is simple: give our people the tools, training and information they need to do what they do best — solve problems and look after customers. A more sustainable dental industry The second major focus is sustainability. For QDS and NDE, sustainability means looking at the full lifecycle of dental equipment and considering how servicing, refurbishment and product choices can reduce waste and make better use of resources. A well-built dental chair can have many years of useful working life remaining, even when a practice decides it is time to upgrade. This thinking is behind initiatives such as the national dental chair buy-back program, which provides an opportunity for existing equipment to be refurbished, reused or responsibly managed rather than unnecessarily becoming waste. The same approach extends to supporting energy-efficient equipment, environmentally responsible cleaning products and practices that help dental businesses reduce their environmental impact. Sustainability and good business practice do not need to be competing objectives. Extending the life of quality equipment can be good for the customer, good for the industry and good for the environment. Staying local while continuing to grow Despite significant growth, QDS remains proudly Queensland owned and operated. The goal is to continue strengthening QDS as a leading dental equipment service provider across Queensland and Northern New South Wales, while NDE continues to expand its Australia-wide equipment supply network. There will always be new technology, new equipment and further change within the dental industry. But one thing is unlikely to change. People make it possible. It is the knowledge, commitment and customer-first attitude of the people within QDS, NDE and their partner businesses that have brought the group this far, and they will continue to drive what comes next. u People make it possible The driving force behind Queensland Dental Services A-Dec dealership. New chair sales.
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