Murphy's Law: Let's Define When a Case is on Time
Murphy's Law: Let's Define When a Case is on Time
At the laboratory level, it is whenever we get the case to the doctor’s office on or before the mutually agreed upon date and time. Simple enough, and from that definition we may decide we are on time much more often than the doctor does. Let me explain.
If the laboratory calls and asks for extra time or for me to do something at my end that necessitates rescheduling the patient, the case was late. Crazy I know, but when my staff has to call and reschedule a patient it is very disruptive to me, my staff and to the patient. Even if the outcome is better and the restoration more esthetic or serviceable, it feels late. I know we agreed to a new due date and time, but the disruption at my end still has my staff and the patient scrambling and inconvenienced.
By building some extra time into the capacity management system of your lab these new due date/late cases can be minimized. I would not pretend you would never have to make this call. That would be unrealistic. There will always be times when you have issues that require rescheduling the patient. Some laboratories have used a calendar that has expected due dates on it that is given to the dental office every month in advance. It has expanded and contracted expected dates on it based on the capacity that the laboratory can handle. When technicians will be on vacation, they can add a day or two to the in laboratory working time to expand or contract the number of days in laboratory.
It is not perfect, but it does allow you to adjust slightly for capacity management based on available technicians. That way, you have better flow throughout the year and may have enough time to talk with the office about a concern without having them reschedule the patient. If we always have 10 working days or eight, and anything arises at all , however small, we have a greater risk of making the case late (patient reschedule) at least in their definition.
And their perception is reality.
By the way, staffs love these calendars. Just ask someone who uses them.
