7 Ways to Optimize Your Time and Become More Profitable

When you first started out in the veterinary field, you probably had everything down pat. Managing your schedule was easy because, well, your book of business was lean. As a practice grows, however, it becomes much more challenging to keep up with the day-to-day operations while still remaining profitable. If your team always seems busy, but the work never seems to fully get done, it may be due to inefficient processes. Here are seven simple ideas for making the most effective use of everyone’s time and driving a more efficient, profitable veterinary practice performance.

Go Paperless

How much time does your staff waste pulling physical files and managing client paperwork? The answer might surprise you. Thankfully, there’s a relatively easy and incredible effective solution: going paperless. By transitioning from physical to electronic records, you’ll free up your staff to focus their time and efforts on more critical business initiatives, such as growth and revenue expansion. And your clients will enjoy a more positive experience as well, which means greater retention rates.

Embrace Technology

You probably already have a computer terminal at your front desk, but that doesn’t mean you’re taking advantage of technology as much as you could be. In fact, the most efficiently run veterinary practices are the ones that adopt and embrace emerging tech options. For instance, you could use tablets to speed up the check-in process or implement a faster printer to improve the checkout experience. Not only do these things make the lives of your team members easier, but they’ll also improve client satisfaction as well.

Get a Partner

You are busy trying to build your business. You don’t have time to focus on things like marketing campaigns and other new client generating techniques. Yet, these things are critical to your practice’s continued profitability. Working with a partner, like DVMelite, can help you better optimize your time by ensuring that these important practice growth activities are continuously performed while also shifting much of the heavy lifting from your team to your partner’s shoulders.

Invest in Training

Your staff is capable and competent, but are they up-to-par on their industry knowledge? Ongoing training can help your staff stay on the cutting edge of performance, enabling them to better optimize their time. For example, investing in front desk training and implementing a script can help improve first call resolution, saving time and allowing your receptionist to allocate their energy and expertise to other tasks and initiatives.

Delegate

For many practice owners, this concept is easier said than done, but it’s absolutely critical if you are to optimize your time most effectively. The fact is, you don’t need to be involved in every task that occurs within your practice. Doing so will only lead to burnout. When you delegate a portion of your to-do list to your team members, on the other hand, you’ll be freed up to focus on building your business, your staff will feel empowered and your practice will run more efficiently, which is better for everyone.

Refine Your Scheduling

One of the biggest killers of practice efficiency is poor staff scheduling. When there aren’t enough people on deck to handle the daily tasks, everyone suffers, including your clients who will experience delays and other frustrations. Make sure you are being strategic about your scheduling. For instance, if you know one doctor will be in surgery all day, be sure that there are enough supporting staff members on hand to handle things in his or her absence. This will keep things running smoothly and on time.

Automate Wherever Possible

Another simple yet highly effective way to improve practice efficiency and subsequent profitability is to leverage automation technology whenever possible. This may include automating certain internal tasks and workflows as well as external activities, such as lab results. When manual, routine tasks are shifted from human to machine, not only does the work get completed faster, but the risk of human error also dramatically decreases.

These are seven simple ideas for helping optimize your time to improve efficiency, productivity, client service, and as a result, increase your profitability. Often times it’s the little things we do that can add up to big, measurable results and in this case, these small changes can produce great rewards.

Our Advice on Ways to Optimize Your Time and Become More Profitabl in 2024

How can you make your veterinary practice more efficient?

To enhance efficiency in your veterinary practice, consider implementing these strategies: transition to a paperless system to streamline records management, embrace technology such as tablets for check-in and efficient printers for checkout to improve client experience, partner with experts for specialized tasks like marketing to free up internal resources, invest in ongoing staff training to maintain industry-leading performance, delegate tasks to empower your team and focus on strategic growth, optimize staff scheduling to ensure smooth operations, and leverage automation for routine tasks and workflows. These measures can significantly boost productivity, client satisfaction, and ultimately, profitability.

What is the benefit of going paperless?

Going paperless in your veterinary practice offers multiple benefits: it significantly reduces the time staff spend managing physical files, allowing them to dedicate more effort to critical business initiatives like growth and revenue expansion. A paperless system streamlines operations, making your practice more environmentally friendly and enhancing data security. It also improves the client experience through faster service and easier access to pet health records, contributing to higher retention rates. Ultimately, transitioning to a paperless operation leads to greater efficiency and profitability for your practice.

How do you identify the main time-wasting areas in your practice?

Identifying main time-wasting areas in your veterinary practice involves a thorough analysis of daily operations. Start by conducting an audit of all activities, tracking how much time each task takes. Pay special attention to repetitive administrative tasks, lengthy manual processes, and areas where staff frequently encounter bottlenecks. Solicit feedback from your team about what tasks they find most time-consuming or inefficient. Analyzing this data will highlight areas ripe for improvement, such as tasks that can be automated, streamlined, or eliminated, paving the way for a more efficient practice.

What specific technologies or software are best for your practice type?

The best technologies or software for your veterinary practice depend on specific needs and goals. For general practice efficiency, consider cloud-based Practice Management Software (PMS) for seamless access to records and streamlined operations. Electronic Medical Records (EMR) software enhances patient care and record-keeping. For client engagement, Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tools facilitate appointment reminders and personalized communication. Telemedicine platforms expand your service offerings. Lastly, automated marketing software supports client retention and acquisition. Assess your practice's unique requirements and client expectations to select technologies that align with your strategic objectives.

How do you get staff buy-in for these changes?

Securing staff buy-in for changes in your veterinary practice involves clear communication, involvement, and education. Start by clearly explaining the reasons for the changes and the benefits they'll bring to the practice and staff, including improved efficiency and job satisfaction. Involve team members in the planning and implementation process to give them a sense of ownership and control. Offer comprehensive training to ensure everyone feels competent and confident with the new systems. Recognize and reward adaptation and success, reinforcing positive engagement with the changes. This approach promotes a supportive environment and facilitates smoother transitions.

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