Inventory control for dentists: 6 tips to avoid making mistakes

Opening a clinic or dental office can be an immense opportunity and the fulfillment of a dream, but you must be ready to deal with the challenges of this endeavor to not let the dream become a nightmare.

The management of the enterprise has many details that are not covered in the Faculty of Dentistry but are essential for the success of your dental clinic. You need to know that there are several things that must be done in order not to make mistakes in the management of your clinic. One is to pay special attention to your stock. That's right! You thought stock would be something you wouldn't have to worry about in a clinic, right? Know that a good inventory control is essential for a good organization of your clinic or office; but, as with other administrative processes, inventory management at a dental clinic can take time, so count on our tips to improve your management easily, so you can focus on your clinic’s big goal: excellent service for your your patients.

Continue reading and find out how not to make mistakes in the inventory control of your dental clinic:

Why is it important to have an organized stock?

You may be asking yourself: If it's something that can be so laborious, why does your clinic need to worry about it?

We have the answer! You need good organization in your dentist stock in order to:
- Never be surprised by the lack of material;
- Streamline clinic processes;
- Reduce spending on unnecessary purchases;
- Avoid loss of equipment or materials;
- Save space;
- Control spending on materials and equipment.

These are just a few examples, but they are enough to show that good inventory management can be very useful, don't you think?

So, the next step is to find out how to do this. Here we go. Check out our six tips on dental clinic inventory management.

1. Have clear, accessible and accurate information

The first tip has to do with a very important notion for the business world: “Knowledge is power”. To manage your inventory well, you need to know what is there. You need information on the quantity, validity and storage location of each item used by your clinic; these data need to be accurate, to avoid the leftover of any product, forgotten in the bottom of your stock. They must also be accurate to avoid buying equipment or materials that you already have. They need to have quick and easy access, so as not to delay their processes. After all, it is much more complicated to control the stock if the information is difficult to find and use, after all, it is much more complicated to control the stock if the information is difficult to find and use.

Finally, the data needs to be clear! Imagine the difficulty of dealing with lots of confusing spreadsheets of stock, each with different names for the same product. Imagine? It's chaos, isn't it? So, you need that data to be clear, accessible and accurate! There are several ways to achieve this, such as management software, for example.

2. Look for partnerships with your suppliers

Your business can be much more organized if you have the support of your suppliers. Find companies that are committed to your clinic, that guarantee prompt service, fast delivery and charges that are appropriate to your clinic's needs. In addition, you need to have a supplier that does not require you to make large purchases at once; it fills your inventory with things you won't need for a long time. You can even try to negotiate a large purchase to be delivered in several batches, so as not to arrive all at once, so you can get a discount on a large purchase without filling your stock.

You also need to be right in choosing your dental products. Assess the reliability of your supplier and find out about the quality of the products.

3. Define optimal quantities for your dental clinic stock

It is no use filling your stock with products that you will use little by little over many months. On the other hand, it is necessary to ensure that your clinic will not be without those dental equipment and materials that are essential for your work, so it is necessary to define what are the ideal quantities of each essential product, that way, your stock can always be occupied only with what is important. This facilitates the negotiation with the supplier and its inventory management work; but, when defining the ideal quantities, also consider oral hygiene kits that you can assemble for your patients, to improve the response to your treatment and increase loyalty.

4. Control all inputs and outputs

This tip is very important! To have accurate data, you need to know exactly how many products have entered, how many have left, and how many have been lost, so keep records of dates and times of any movement of your stock. Also have the name of the person responsible for entry or exit.

In addition to keeping your data accurate, control also helps you know how long each item is in your inventory and improves your perception of what would be the ideal quantity for each item. This also allows you to quickly notice strange movements of inventory, identifying situations such as loss or even theft of an item. This control can be done in spreadsheets or in software. Notice how your clinic will be more profitable with these measures!

5. Have an organized space

All of the above tips are very useful for efficient software management, however, they can all be lost if you don't have a good physical organization.

Your inventory space needs to be organized. Piles and piles of different materials, mixed and disorganized, will make your work more time consuming and boring for everyone involved, so take advantage of the fact that you have accessible data and that you were able to negotiate with your supplier not to have too many products, so you will have a lot easier to leave everything in its place and organize the space of your stock.

6. Automate the process with good management software

As we have seen, the organization of the stock depends a lot on your knowledge about it. You need to know the quantities, track the entries and exits, know your essential needs and organize your space. For all of this, you need information management. It is clear that this management can be done in spreadsheets, or even in printed papers, but in these two supports, you will lose practicality, agility and security in your process, so, consider the advantages of a good management software. In addition to helping with your inventory control, it can improve the entire management of your clinic.

We know that you need to be careful with financial management, cash flow organization, account control, customer registration and even marketing, but we also know that so many obligations can have a huge weight on your team's routine - and, to be quite honest, those obligations are not the main focus of your clinic, are they? You need time for your main goal, which is to give the best care to your patients.

Think about all these tips and start today to reorganize the way you handle your planning and inventory.

Source: Dental Office. Available at: https://www.dentaloffice.com.br/controle-de-estoque-ideal-para-gestao/. Access on: 09/09/2020.