GAP Australasian-Dentist-Mar Apr 2019

Category AustrAlAsiAn Dentist 125 i n today’s modern dental practice there are a number of considerations to make when it comes to the ordering of dental supplies. From minimising the cost of materials and holding stock, to comparing prices, finding specials and finally communicating your orders to suppliers. it is no wonder that finding an effective ordering practice has become a universal problem across all dental practices. With dentists often spending anywhere up to $100,000 a year on consumables, this level of expenditure would be seen as a major procurement exercise for any business. But for many dental practices it is often seen as a spur-of-the-moment activity, done when absolutely necessary and with little transparency. With a new culture arising for shopping around, the time and effort spent on ordering can also lead to a false economy. As the focus is now on efficiency in the workplace, Dental innovations sat down with one of its new Zealand members’ practice manager lana simpson to find out how she has systemised the ordering process within the practice. lana has worked as the practice manager for Dr Dylan Yung of Aevitas Dentistry for the last several years. Along with an additional 13 year stint as practice manager for orthodontists’ Max + Beresford, lana has a combined 20 years’ experience in stock ordering. initially, lana says she ordered stock through the individual supply companies; either online, or by phone. But ever since Dr Yung became one of the first practice owners to join the Dental innovations network after it expanded into new Zealand in 2017, lana has embraced the Dental innovations online ordering portal as part of her ongoing role of purchasing stock for the practice. With a number of different supply companies listed on the portal, lana explains that the way it is set up, it could not be simpler for her to order her consumable purchases. “We use virtually all the companies that [Dental innovations] are involved with. i can just do it in one hit,” she says. “i can go onto the Dental innovations website and put in all the product codes and it allocates them to the appropriate company. that is really easy. At the end of it when i check out, each individual companies order comes up. “i can whistle through it in five to ten minutes.” the practice also orders on a regular basis, usually every week to 10 days. “We order quite regularly, because things arrive quickly – we don’t just do it once a month. it’s just as long as we’ve got enough to get the free delivery or to make it a reasonable order,” lana says. “Because with Aluro and most of the firms, we receive the product the following day, i can leave it until we only have very little left in stock so we’re not holding a lot of stock. that’s a saving for us as well.” the Auckland-based Practice Manager considers speed and efficiency to be the major benefit of ordering through the online portal. “Having everything under one site, i just have to go to one website and i can put everything in. there is no logging out and going back into a new website and then thinking, ‘God what did i order?’ it is all there at your hands – it is so simple,” she says. ever since switching to the online portal, lana says she now sees a difference when a second dentist within Aevitas Dentistry, who does not use the system, orders. “i see the way they order and it just takes so long, because the dental assistant will come to the practice manager and tell them what they want or the dental assistant will go on but they are not familiar with it. And i’ve already done all mine and finished and gone,” she says. lana says she is lucky to work for a dentist as innovative as Dr Yung, “who always likes the ‘new’ things and anything that is efficient.” “[the portal] is easier, but it is just showing other people how easy it is and getting the dentist to understand it as well, because they just want it ordered,” lana says. “it saves time when you don’t have to sit on a phone and order. You can then deal with patients directly as well as their inquiries. i just think it is a win-win.” As dentists are more interested in the bottom line, lana says that access to pre- negotiated exclusive pricing on products from the suppliers on the portal has been very “meaningful” for the practice. through the Dental innovations online ordering portal, practices get access to: u the full range of products from our major partner suppliers through one point of ordering. Australian members can order from Dentsply sirona, sDi, Gunz, Caredent, trollDental, erskine, livingstone, Dentavision, ivoclar and Ark Health, while new Zealand members have access to Dentsply sirona, Aluro, Perla, sDi and Gunz. u exclusive discounts pre-negotiated through the collective purchasing power of our members. u A customisable favourites list, which saves users hours by not having to browse through extensive product catalogues. u A record of previous orders, offering practices full transparency of their spending. u To learn more about how the Dental Innovations membership can assist in systemising your ordering and give you considerable savings on your consumable ordering, contact Khadija Awan on 1300 797 019. For New Zealand dentists contact Paul Steele 021 912 476 Innovate your practice with a simpler ordering system By Dr Khadija Awan ColuMnIsts Dr Khadija Awan Lana Simpson