Do's and don'ts for creating an efficient office

Every day there are a thousand different things that can create inefficiency in your office. Poor communication, scheduling, or systems can throw any practice off its game. Working efficiently doesn't just happen. It takes proper planning and focus.

Make sure all team members are on the same page. When team members give patients different answers to the same question, your practice will seem unprofessional, disorganized and inefficient. Use scripting to solve this problem. Excellent scripts lead to consistent messaging, which projects a more professional image and can ultimately increase production.

Don't forget that even the best systems need to change over time. Most practices have poorly designed management systems -- and even well-planned protocols eventually become inefficient. Internal and external changes cause bottlenecks and other problems that no amount of tweaking can correct. For this reason, you should review and rethink all practice systems every three years.

Roger P. Levin, DDS, is the CEO of Levin Group, a leading dental management consulting firm, and one of the most sought-after speakers in dentistry. Dr. Levin has authored 65 books and more than 4,000 articles on dental practice management and marketing. You can sign up for the Levin Group Tip of the Day.

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