For your investment in a digital lab to be worthwhile over time, it’s crucial to strategically link up and integrate equipment, software and material into your daily operations. What should you prioritize in the process?
When implementing digital equipment and modern materials, you should tailor them to the specific circumstances of your lab. How much technology are you already using? What are your financial goals? With a thoughtfully designed system, you can enhance your lab’s efficiency and productivity, while consistently delivering high-quality results. Besides the actual investment decision, there are numerous other factors to take into account.
A well-integrated workflow and a smooth interaction of equipment, materials and software are just two of the many factors that influence the effective implementation of digital solutions in your lab. In addition, the quality and performance of the products integrated into your processes also play a significant role, affecting both the cost structure and the amount of manual work required to complete your tasks.
Manual tasks and the time they require to complete them drive up your lab’s expenses. However, with careful selection and forward planning of each product in your digital workflow, you can boost the efficiency of your digital processes and cut down on lab expenses. Each product has specific criteria to consider when making the right choices. This leads to general improvements in the quality of your restorations, increased effectiveness and less need for manual labour.
In a digital workflow, data is key. One of the most important considerations is how data moves seamlessly and reliably between different systems and devices without any loss. When datasets can be smoothly transferred from one stage of the workflow to the other, it significantly boosts your efficiency. This, in turn, will lead to more precise and higher-quality results.
Even though digital workflows offer extensive possibilities, it is nonetheless important to perform a personal Return on Investment (ROI) analysis. This calculation helps you to quantify how the practical advantages of the investment affects your bottom line in terms of money earned or saved. So, you can keep an eye on your breakeven point – the moment when your lab’s revenue matches your total costs – and you have a comprehensive understanding of your economic situation and a firm foundation for making decisions.
To make the most effective and targeted use of your lab investment, it’s often best to have just one point of contact. This way, training requests, support options and troubleshooting can be handled efficiently and in a timely manner. You should consider in advance how many manufacturers and suppliers you include in your investment decision.
There are additional factors to consider when establishing a successful digital lab strategy. Our ebook provides you with an overview and helps you calculate your personal return on investment.