How Can Damas Help Me Save Money?

This is the $64,000 question. I wish we could say this is the amount DAMAS will save you each year!  It could, depending upon the size of your laboratory, customer base and application of the system.

Realistically the savings to be made by adopting the DAMAS system are more modest, but, nonetheless, quite substantial. Each laboratory is different and not every laboratory will find a saving from the same place.

DAMAS focuses on the working practices within the laboratory and identifies those activities that can be improved and those where savings can be made. This improvement may mean changing the method of manufacture, materials used, the level of expertise of the technician, or other factors. DAMAS examines all processes and, where necessary, provides the means for more efficient production.

The system also ensures that what is now called ownership is introduced. Basically, this means that each technician accepts responsibility for the work he does. This really does encourage the concept of right first time, thereby reducing the number of minor adjustments or rework required during the manufacturing process. The cost savings based on materials and time are more than significant.

The DAMAS system also concentrates on returns and remakes from the dentist. By investigating returns and identifying the most common causes vast savings can be made. The simple reduction of a few remakes each month can save you thousands of dollars a year. 

The same principles apply throughout all laboratory functions, from receipt of the work through to packaging and dispatch including administration, purchasing and maintenance of equipment. DAMAS provides simple systems that have been proven time and again to produce significant savings. Problems are identified at an early stage enabling prompt and less costly resolutions.

As a GMP system, DAMAS also ensures that the lab can be seen to be operating Good Manufacturing Processes; this not only meets the obligatory U.S. Food and Drug Administration requirements for dental laboratories but also assures the dentist that his confidence in the laboratory is fully justified. A laboratory that can show evidence of certification to a universally recognized GMP will attract a larger number of customers.

In the United Kingdom, DAMAS certified laboratories enjoy a 30 percent reduction in their liability insurance premiums; this in itself represents a substantial sum.

You may own a smaller laboratory and feel that much of the above does not apply. I can assure you that even in 2-3 person laboratories, the DAMAS system has produced very significant savings and smoother working practices.

Whatever the size of your laboratory, the DAMAS system can produce major savings in time and money.

Better use of management time allows you to focus on the real ways forward.