Enhancing efficiency in veterinary practices in a digital age

By Stuart Cooke

Stuart Cooke, Director and Founder at Swift Referrals discusses how digital transformation can drive better efficiency for veterinary practices.

More and more businesses are embracing cloud and mobile technologies in order to deliver an unrivalled service to clients and enhance efficiency in-house. From streamlining internal teams, to reducing administrative tasks, software solutions offer an array of benefits and are being implemented by many businesses across many sectors. 

But how can veterinary practises adapt to an ever-changing environment and embrace the benefits that these digitised solutions offer? Recent research suggests that pet owners are more willing to spend money on their pets than ever before and will continue to do so even if there is an economic downturn. This combined with the current skills shortage in the sector, which saw veterinarians being put on the country's so-called Shortage Occupation List, means the sector needs to be working harder and smarter to meet customer demand. 

In light of this, Swift Referrals has put together a complete guide on how professionals in the veterinary and small animal sector can boost productivity by embracing the cloud and more specifically, Software as a Solution (SaaS) technologies. 

Reduce the amount of time spent on back-office tasks

Digital systems can streamline back-office tasks, reducing the time needed to be spent on them by automating tedious admin tasks such as timesheets, manual file-sharing or report writing. These inescapable tasks are both time-consuming and an inefficient use of a skilled workforce. Powerful communication and collaboration tools will increase engagement across workers and allow them to spend more time on their core tasks, rather than administrative work. Onerous admin tasks have the potential to take cash away from your company by soaking up precious time and resources which could be better spent elsewhere.

Implementing a cloud-based software that offers solutions such as online booking and keeps all information in one place will allow result in a decreased workload, allowing key personnel to concentrate on more important tasks and functions.

Streamline teams and internal communications 

CRM systems make it easier for specialists to work closely together across departments to deliver truly extraordinary levels of care, allowing your veterinary practice to achieve the best possible outcome for each patient under your care.

If you are working within an environment that has a process in place which requires people and projects working together across multiple sites and locations, it's crucial to keep everyone working from the same information source. There are software solutions available which provide helpful tools to enable real-time collaboration and communication, making the opportunity for internal conversations easier and more efficient.

Keep on top of finance and accounting 

Adopting and implementing a finance and accounting software solution will allow you to manage cash flow, sales, procurement, credit control and anything else you need to run your finance function more efficiently. 

The reporting and analytics features available with most products also mean that complex data can be transformed into real-time reports and dashboards almost instantly, improving efficiency and productivity, allowing you to maximise profitability across your business. 

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Optimise HR and payroll activities 

Providing staff with easy access to the essential information they need, which is all stored in one place, as well as the ability to request and amend records, is a valuable perk that makes a huge difference to productivity. 

Whether it is a small, medium or large veterinary business, implementing a people management system will offer fast, reliable and safe solutions. From recording absences, viewing payslips to inputting data; online systems that easily allow employees to carry out these activities are a credit to efficiency amongst the team. 

Improve customer relations 

By adopting management software that allows for streamlined workflows and improved collaboration, you’ll be able to focus on the needs of your clients and their poorly pets in a more efficient way and provide a first-class service. Implementing a software solution will also give admin staff the ability to pull up information about a customer or client on the phone in real-time, allowing them to offer a personalised experience if relevant or necessary. 

Software solutions allow your staff to engage your clients through online booking, automated SMS and emails, client apps, client reminders and client satisfaction measurement tools.

Monitor stock control and reduce waste 

Stock management solutions allow workers to control stock levels from one place as well as produce price lists and keep track of inventory - meaning you will never over order, reducing losses, as the medicines and feedingstuffs do not reach their expiration dates.

With stock management, inventory lists are automatically updated based on orders and usage. Accurate recording of the usage ensures stock balances are correct and up-to-date without further work. 

Having greater insight into every aspect of your business means you can keep everyone on track, identify where you are least productive and make better-informed business decisions to save money in the long run.

For more information on business topics in Canada, please take a look at the latest edition of Business Chief Canada.

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