There’s no harm in getting a second opinion. It’s standard practice in so many industries – why not IT services as well?
There’s no harm in getting a second opinion. It’s standard practice in so many industries – why not IT services as well?
Our team recently visited an oral surgeon that was sold some new technology for their practice. They were given a SonicWALL TZ215, fairly standard for businesses of that size today. But here’s where it gets interesting – the invoice for the product didn’t say SonicWALL TZ215. It said SonicWALL TZ 300, at a price of $599.
That’s not right.
The primary issue is that a TZ 300 is simply a lot more expensive and powerful than a TZ215. It was this first mistake that leads to the oral surgeon, and us, asking more questions.
What had they really received?
Had this happened before?
If they continued with the same vendor, would it happen again?
And most importantly – if we hadn’t been there, how would the oral surgeon and their staff have known the difference?
That’s the big question – do oral surgeons and orthodontists understand everything that they are getting from technology providers? Can they be sure that they are getting the right equipment, installed in the right location, and in compliance with HIPAA standards?
If you don’t, then how can you be sure? By getting a second opinion.
Think about it for a second – since you were a kid in elementary school, you’ve been taught how important it is to double check the answers you’re given. Whether it means double checking the answer you get in long division, or more extensive critical thinking, it’s important to double check what you’re being told.
It’s not just a priority in school either. How about when you get a diagnosis from a doctor? It’s common practice to consult a second physician to double check that what you’re being told is correct, and that what’s being done about it is the right course of action.
Just as you would with a doctor or a mechanic, you should be sure to have your dental practice IT services and onsite hardware double checked on a regular basis. In doing so, you can verify the following aspects of your IT infrastructure:
For example, we recently checked in on a dentist that had been sold a wireless access point. The only problem was that no one on staff knew where it was. Once we found it, it turned out it had been plugged into an unattended wall jack and left on the floor. We were able to make sure it was properly and securely installed in a place where someone wouldn’t trip over it by accident.
At another oral surgeon practice, we came in to have a look at their displays. The staff had been complaining about poor image quality for some time, despite the fact that they had been told everything was connected via HDMI cables.
The truth? Their displays were hooked up with out of date, low-quality VGA connections, which contributed to the low image quality.
By verifying how your IT expenses measure up against industry standards, you could find new opportunities to save money and budget for your technology more effectively.
Bottom line? There’s a (slim) chance that your IT is perfectly optimized. Everything is installed, configured and maintained just the way it should be. Your entire infrastructure is recently up to date. You’re paying among the most competitive prices available in your market.
That may be the case – but do you know that for sure?
If not, then it’d be wise to get a second opinion – have a trusted dental practice technology provider come in to perform an unbiased assessment of your IT today.
Like this article? Check out Windows 10 Enterprise Is Microsoft’s Most Secure Operating System Ever, 7 Things To Look For In An IT Company For Your Dental Practice or Microsoft Launches $4 Million Global Competition For Female Founders to learn even more.
