And… action!

By Reuven Lirov

Practice management software ensures your movie has a happy ending.

What belongs on Ben’s list of must-have features for practice management software?

“Do you remember,” Ben asked his wife, “how you were saying that lines in the parking lot made it easier to park cars?”

“Wow,” Carmen answered, “I must have been feeling very deep and philosophical that day.” She was scrolling through the local movie offerings on her phone. They had a babysitter lined up, and she was planning to enjoy a rare date night with her husband.

“It was kind of deep,” said Ben. “You were talking about how it’s easier to change a situation than to change the people in the situation.”

“Oh, right — we were talking about the issues at your office, right?”

“Yes, and I’ve been thinking that maybe this new practice management software might help.” He stared into space for a moment. “Well, okay, to be completely honest, I’ve been thinking that maybe I’m just no good at this, but today I’m entertaining another possibility.”

Ben looked into his wife’s eyes. “Am I fooling myself?”

“Not at all!” Carmen spoke passionately. “Just imagine if I had to run the pizzeria without my fancy industrial dishwasher and my computerized ticketing system. What if I had to milk sheep and make cheese by hand and grind flour and cook in an oven in the courtyard.”

“Sounds picturesque.”

“It would be back-breaking labor. They say our modern appliances even in a home kitchen are the equivalent of having several extra pairs of hands to help. The industrial appliances make all the difference.”

“I can see that,” Ben agreed.

“So why shouldn’t having the right tools make all the difference in your practice, too?” Carmen asked triumphantly.

“So how will I know the right tools when I see them?”
“Let’s make a list.” Carmen opened an app on her phone. “You need something complete — not a bunch of different programs that might not work together.”

“Been there and done that,” sighed Ben. “It has to be a turnkey solution that won’t require an IT department, because I don’t have one. But it has to work for all the people I do have. We don’t need information silos or duplication of efforts across the team, and we don’t want to be delayed if someone is out of the office.”

“Training would be good,” said Carmen, adding a note to the list.

“Effective training,” Ben specified, “with real human beings to answer questions if we happen to have any.”

“It would be great if you could access it on your phone,” Carmen pointed out, “in case of emergencies.”

“Or even in case of date night,” Ben smiled. “Shoot that list to me and let’s pick a movie. I can smell the popcorn already!”