REGARDLESS of industry type,
most business owners share a
common perspective: investment in
business management technology is
a critical decision with long-lasting
implications.
The initial and ongoing financial
cost and time investment is
significant. The right
technology can help
the business flourish
and grow over the
years; the wrong
choice can impede
business success, harm
client relationships –
and drive your staff
crazy!
Consequently, the
selection of both the
right system and the
right relationship with
your business
technology vendor is critical, and at the
centre of any positive relationship is
one indispensible factor: trust.
To underscore this fact, a 2010
survey of reasons why financial
institutions leave their current system
could apply across many industries,
including veterinary practices.
The top three drivers cited were:
- lack of confidence in the system;
- poor, unresponsive vendor support; and
- mistrust in the vendor (source:
bankingonline.com).
Fortunately, there are a number of
practical tips veterinary owners and
practice managers can employ to ensure
your practice selects the right system
with a vendor you can trust and truly
partner with over time.
Before contacting any vendor:
- Understand your success destination
and what it takes to get there. This may
seem self-evident, but it’s a critical first
step that is not always properly taken.
Consider the trends and challenges you
see taking place in the veterinary
profession and which elements of your
business are most critical to your long-
term success. Do you want to focus
more on building current client
relationships or attracting new clients?
Are there specialty areas you want to
expand, such as dental or behavioural services? - Determine your budget and, if needed, consult with veterinary financial
service professionals about investment
options. - Consider contacting a respected
veterinary consultant to advise you on which vendors to
consider and why. - Pre-screen vendor
history and software
approach. Beware of
“new” vendors with
little experience in
veterinary business
system development –
experience and
longevity count. Also
avoid “bundled”
software, where a
number of capabilities
are presented as part
of one package. Why? Because the bundle may contain capabilities you don’t need
or want. Instead, seek out vendors
whose systems are truly modular. These
vendors can create a custom approach
to your system that ensures your budget
is put to best use only on the features
and functions you need. Through your
ongoing relationship with the vendor,
you can add other modules as your
practice needs change over time.
Vendor discussion and negotiation
Once you’ve narrowed the field to
those top vendors you’d like to vet
further, consider the following.
- Be willing to be open. There is a
natural inclination when making any
major purchase to hold back on sharing
information, for fear a potential vendor
may try to take control of the
negotiating process. In other words,
vendor mistrust can creep into the
process from the beginning. However,
there is a high price to be paid for
withholding information from potential
vendors. A business management
system should be the foundation of
your daily workflow over a minimum of
six to 10 years. In order for any
potential technology business partner to
scope the right system solution for your
needs, they must understand in detail
your current and anticipated challenges,
goals and strategy. Engage them closely.
The more they understand, the clearer
any potential vendor can be regarding
the right system configuration to fit
your specific practice needs and budget. - Expect ongoing collaboration and
support. Question vendors about the
variety of ways they intend to help you
succeed after the initial sale. How do
they help during system
implementation? Is their support team
available 24/7 or only at certain hours? Are they willing to come to your site to trouble-shoot system problems? What
continuing education do they offer so
your entire staff can get the most out
of your system? - Future capabilities. Does your vendor
listen? Ask each vendor how many
software releases they provide each
year, and how they determine new
capabilities. Any established vendor
should show evidence that their
software has been improved over time
in direct response to veterinary industry
trends and their clients’ feedback. - Expect proof of concept based on
value, not simply price. Before you
negotiate, determine success metrics.
For example, is your goal to reduce
missed charges by 10% or decrease
time spent in processing client and
patient records by 20%? Use this value
analysis to drive the discussion with
your vendor: ask what they can deliver
and how their system can help meet
goals. - Ask about user interaction and “free”
services. A sign of a solid technology
partner is one who cares enough about
clients to spend time and resource on
enabling valuable user interaction and
other “free” services. Does the vendor
provide user group meetings, seminars
and on-line discussion boards? Do they
provide links on their website to an
array of information that will help you
run your practice better? Do they offer
free e-learning courses? All of these are
signs of a vendor to whom client
service and client success are high
priorities. - Make a realistic analysis of finalists.
Once you have the field of vendors and
systems narrowed, understand that
comparing available systems is not a
one-to-one approach. Most systems
vary greatly. Consider which systems
provide “standard” features as part of
the base system. Examine whether the
system and the vendor offer practical
ways to make it easier for you to run
your practice successfully. Don’t be
swayed by technology bells and whistles
that you don’t need. At the same time,
avoid unrealistic cost-saving projections.
This is a long-term investment and your
decisions should be influenced in part
by that fact
After the selection, build trust
and partnership
- Involve your selected vendor in
building your business case. It’s natural
for some staff to be resistant to change.
Enlist your vendor’s help in talking with
those staff members to determine and
overcome their concerns. - Partnership is real and beneficial.
Contract negotiations are important
and you have no doubt insisted on
terms that support your businessobjectives. However, remember that no
contract will adequately cover your
long-term goals and expectations.
Consider your technology vendor a
partner in your long-term success and
build a relationship accordingly. - Focus on mutual success. Just as
you’ve questioned your vendor on how
they will help you continue to succeed
beyond the initial transaction, you
should practice the same in return. If
they have a user group, become
involved. In turn, support your vendor
in their marketing efforts. Remember,
your system may be in place for years
and you’ll depend on your vendor for
enhancements, support and education
that will help your practice thrive. Your
long-term success is tied to theirs. - Collaborate and educate. Provide
suggestions and ideas to your vendor
for enhancements that will improve
their software and hardware in a real-
world setting. In turn, take advantage of
software updates and your vendor’s
knowledge to put your system to
optimal use. Remember that education
is ongoing – consider training and
learning a continuing process.
