Shop As A Team Using An Online Marketplace

We all know the importance of dentist-patient communication, as effective communication helps your patients feel comfortable and satisfied with their experience in your practice. But given that communication has such a significant impact on our relationships and performance in the workplace, dental teams should constantly strive to improve their abilities in this area. 

Communication is a fundamental skill and imperative for proper business operations, especially when procuring the necessary supplies and products needed to run a successful dental practice. Not clearly understanding the preferred mode of communication for various day-to-day operations can be highly ineffective for the practice, so when it comes to ordering, it’s essential to learn how to shop as a team.

First and foremost, being a good communicator starts with being a good listener. There should be set protocols and guidelines for best practices when ordering supplies, and all team members should understand the protocols properly. With an online procurement platform, it’s simple to create an efficient system for ordering. Taking advantage of an online marketplace helps the practice be more strategic when saving on cost and keeping an eye on usage. But you must first implement a strong system for it to be well-organized and documented. 

Having one person in charge of ordering is a standard practice in most dental offices. While this dedicated team member should be organized and efficient while keeping the practice budget top of mind, they should also understand that there is a fine line between being overstocked and understocked with supplies. This is where ordering as a team could prove highly beneficial. 

Proper ordering protocols ensure the process is easy to manage and less time-consuming. With Sowingo’s online procurement platform, each team member is given a login to access the marketplace and can easily add supplies to the cart. Doing so eliminates the daily stress and frustration of having one specific person in charge of tracking and ordering supplies. Even though multiple team members can add items to the online cart, there still should be one primary dedicated team member to ask questions and approve the final order. 

Information is at your fingertips when switching to an online procurement platform. Online marketplaces have demonstrated continuous growth with a faster buying process, cost reductions, flexibility, volume-based discounts, and, most importantly, the ability to reorder and track inventory quickly and efficiently. 

It’s important to be diligent and continue proper communication with all team members about new protocols when developing an inventory management and ordering system. If communication remains a top priority and set protocols are clearly understood, online ordering will prove efficient and benefit the practice, your team, and your budget.