The Hidden Costs of Clinical Disorganization, (and how to obliterate them with color)

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In the realm of business, a simple cost-benefit analysis is often the law of the land. But how good are we at accurately assessing costs that aren’t directly associated with a purchase or price tag? When it comes to our own dental practices, how skilled are we at recognizing costs brought on by clinical inefficiencies like disorganization? The truth is, without a system that directly measures these more ephemeral costs, dental practices have no good information on the costs incurred by inefficiencies resulting from disorganization. Without being able to see the actual dollar amount, practitioners instead “feel” the costs of disorganization in various manifestations including stress, loss of valuable time, confusion, hindered team communication, difficulties in training, and subpar patient experiences, to name a few.

The fact is, there is simply no place for confusion or error in the dental operatory. Fortunately, the source of these issues can be eliminated with Zirc’s patented Color Method, a color-coded organizational system of dental products (e.g. tubs, trays, racks, cassettes, ID rings, holders, etc.) that aids in the management and location of instruments and materials used in various procedures by every member of the clinical team.

As dental professionals, we go to school and learn everything there is to know about oral health, and we strive to give our patients the highest level of care. But we are not trained to increase efficiency with instrumentation and material management. Zirc exists to make your team happier, safer, and more efficient. These guiding principles directly led to our development of the Color Method in order to rescue your team from clinical clutter and disorganization, helping your practice go from surviving to thriving.

So how does Color Method work?

Ask any DSO who has adopted the system and they’ll tell you, extremely well! But we’ll break it down into 5 simple steps.

1. Get Colorful! How many times have you been setting up for a patient and asked a team member to grab the bonding agent… in the cabinet, on the right-hand side, of the middle shelf, on the back wall, and they bring it over only to be told, “Nope, that’s not the one!”? The Color Method fixes all those problems because now you can simply tell anyone, regardless of their level of training, to just go grab that yellow tray and tub.

2. Instrument Management What makes the Color Method so valuable is that we make trays, high-quality resin cassettes, and matching bur holders in 16 different colors. Create grab-and-go efficiency and stay OSHA compliant by adding a Safe-Lok cover to each instrument tray setup.

3. Material Management All of our tubs are designed and built specifically for all the products you use every day. Fully customizable, fully color-coordinated, and fully organized.

4. Central Sterilization A centrally located sterilization center is the ideal place for you to store your trays and tub setups. It allows for easy access, perfect organization, and efficiency. Proper clinical workflow is essential for team members’ success.

5. Treatment Room When everything is prepared in advance and the countertops of your op are clean and organized, the treatment room is less cluttered allowing you to focus all your attention on your patients.

What are the hidden costs of clinical disorganization addressed by Color Method?

By recognizing the hidden costs resulting from disorganization, you can begin to see how your own practice relates to these adverse effects.

Increased Stress and Mistakes When you do not have a direct organizational system in place, you end up not preparing your tools in advance in the exact same way, day in and day out, which causes your team to stress about not having the right tools at the right time. A negative cycle then occurs wherein the stress results in more mistakes, and more mistakes equate to less efficiency.

Inability to Work Alone We’re all experiencing staffing issues, and without a clear system like Color Method that can cross-train every employee, regardless of their experience level, it’s far more difficult to enable the doctor to work independently. Similarly, the cost of training new employees vastly increases as the process takes more time to address inefficiencies and confusion.

Wasted Time How much time is your team unnecessarily devoting to inventory management? When your clinical team has to go from operatory to operatory looking for the materials they need, time, money, and patient confidence is lost. Without streamlining and automating clinical processes, you have less time to devote to what matters most, your patients.

Damaged Tools and Materials Zirc’s resin-molded cassettes protect instruments from damage and extend their lifespan. Procedure tubs make restocking dental materials more efficient by eliminating overstock and lost or expired materials.

Patient Experience We couldn’t exist without our patients, and their perception of our level of competency and professionalism is vital to our continued success. Each time you or your staff has to leave the chair to go find the correct tool or material, the patient’s confidence erodes.

How does Color Method address the costs of disorganization in a real-world setting?

The numbers don’t lie, so let’s take a look at an actual case study:

An office in Draper Utah switched to Color Method and their independent case study found:

1. They left Chairside 95% fewer times

2. The clinical team spent 45% less time sorting, punching, and putting instruments in the autoclave

3. An average of 17 minutes a day were saved on restocking materials

All of these findings directly resulted in an improved patient experience, greater team efficiency, and lowered labor costs simply by eliminating wasteful uses of time.

Are you ready to eliminate the costs of clinical inefficiencies for your practice?

There are 3 key ways Zirc works for you to make the entire process of adopting Color Method smooth and easy, so you can start reaping its benefits today.

1st: Guidance A simple phone call will connect you with a Color Method specialist who can help unpack the whole process and answer all your questions.

2nd: Deeper Assessment We’ll send some products for you to explore to spend more time understanding the practice and how Color Method will solve your problems.

3rd: The Ultimate Reset We’re going to come right to you and work alongside your team to introduce this industry-leading instrument and material management system.

The many costs stemming from clinical disorganization stack up so quickly that it can be overwhelming. But finding the right clinical processes that yield efficiency, increase revenue, and reduce team stress is surprisingly simple! When you make the decision to improve the efficiency and overall work environment of your office with Color Method, you can rest assured that you are never going at it alone. Our dedicated support team operates from Zirc’s singular mission to ensure that every team is able to practice safer, be happier in their work environment, and ultimately be more efficient. Ready to watch costs dissolve, and dental teams smile? Then reach out, and bring the rainbow to the cloud of disorganization.