The Latest in Dental Technology Budgeting Strategies
Would you ever consider opening your wallet and giving your sales representative free reign to empty it? Sorry, had to ask. But without a dental technology budget, this can easily happen to you.
Simply put, a budget gives a breakdown of all expected costs for a project. Well managed projects should always include a baseline budget so progress may be monitored against it at chosen intervals. Take responsibility for this or give it to someone you can trust...and please, not your rep.
Knowing these costs upfront will drive purchasing decisions along the way. Phasing in technology over time trumps over extending the practice with equipment that it cannot afford.
Also, budget development must be tied back to a sensible plan...from the start. Collectively, budget and planning prepare the groundwork for successful dental technology - minus costly surpises. These surpises will likely force your technology off target. Once off target, your budget goes with it…out the window!
The latest in dental technology systems still need wire but are lying behind your walls, over ceilings, and hopefully out of sight. Cabling can add up faster than you think.
One example: Price per cable drop fluctuates depending on your location but ranges between $150 & $200. With 31 cable drops x $200/drop = $6,200. Becoming more significant, isn’t it?
The budget development example shown was developed for a T2 customer. These numbers were not perfect, but meticulous enough for the dentist to make decisions accordingly. Included was:
- Infrastructure wiring
- Telephone system
- Background sound system
- Large LCD displays
- 15 computer workstations
- File server
This $73,000 did NOT include intraoral cameras, digital x-ray sensors, digital panoramic or dental software. Like most of us, your guess was likely in the $25K range? If financed, this is a $48,000 differential - yes, one big problem! I can't emphasize enough - leaving this to chance will only lead you down the wrong path. Not having the funds will lead to cost cutting mistakes compounding the problem further.
The least expensive way to integrate technology is to do it right the first time...and you can take that to the bank!
Since 1998, Ted Takahashi has helped more than 750 dentists successfully integrate technology solutions. Ted is the owner of T2 Consulting Inc., a planning and design firm exclusively dedicated to the dental profession. T2 Consulting, one of the most trusted names in the dental industry, chooses not to sell dental technology products, opting, instead, to provide objective and unbiased information that can be trusted. You can reach Ted at 952-891-5177 or ted@t2consulting.com.