Optimum accessibility in a modern dental practice

A retail company was looking for a way to test new technologies risk-free. Using Cloud Foundations from Sunrise Business, the fashion retailer was able to find a new point-of-sale system that meets its specific needs for all its shops quickly and flexibly. The flexible cloud service gave the SME the ability to make informed decisions and laid the foundation for further growth.

Customer

DentalKlar AG* is a well-established dental practice in Neuchâtel canton with five dental practitioners and three administrative staff. In addition to traditional dentistry, the focus is on delivering preventive care, advice and structured management of appointments.

The daily routine features patients being treated in parallel, telephone enquiries and spontaneous cancellations. This makes communication between reception, treatment rooms and administration challenging – especially as individual team members sometimes work from home.

Background

Before the switch to SME Ready Office, calls to the practice were limited to a single central line: once a call was underway, no other calls could be taken. Callers heard an engaged signal and had to keep on redialling to get through. And the existing infrastructure did not allow group calls or call-forwarding functions.

For example, employees who were temporarily working from home had no way of communicating using the practice’s number. Internal enquiries between treatment rooms and reception could also only be made by physically walking between the two, and handing over and reclaiming phones was commonplace – so activities were overly complicated and took up an unnecessary amount of time.

Recognising the need for action, the practice management was looking for a new phone solution to deliver more accessibility, better control and flexible scaling.

Why SME Ready Office from Sunrise Business?

The practice opted ultimately for SME Ready Office from Sunrise Business . With good reason: this solution can be run very easily without an in-house IT department and offers professional, contemporary functions like group calls, individual user profiles, voicemail to email and integration into mobile work tools such as smartphones or notebooks.

Existing DECT devices can easily be integrated into the cloud-based phone system, and additional devices can be added to the phone system very quickly. Thanks to a softphone and mobile app, home-office staff can now also receive or forward calls made to the practice number.

Configuration takes place via a user-friendly interface – changes can be made without external IT support. The SME also benefits from reliably fast Internet and protection against cyber attacks.

Solution and collaboration

Sunrise Business initially conducted an on-site assessment and then worked with the practice management to plan for day-to-day needs and the full migration process. The technical implementation was carried out during routine operations, ensuring there were no restrictions on patient activity. The phone system was set up centrally, the devices were delivered preconfigured and were integrated on site immediately.

The staff were given training on the app and softphone. In addition, the administrative management were trained on the configuration process and can now change voicemail messages, adjust time-based settings or define new call rules independently. The support provided by experienced Sunrise partners proved especially helpful as they are experts in the kind of situations a practice like this faces – such as connecting multiple treatment rooms.

Result

Since the changeover, DentalKlar AG has seen significant improvements in operating workflows. Calls can now be answered by multiple employees, queries can be transferred directly and changes to appointments are handled faster. Patients benefit from shorter waiting times and can now contact the practice more reliably – despite high call volumes.

Even when employees are working from home or when staff levels are reduced, availability is always guaranteed. The system is scalable, maintenance-free and – thanks to regular updates – always secure and up to date. With these optimised processes, the practice saves significant amounts of time and can offer its patients even more focused care.

Advantages

• Group call system with simultaneous accessibility

• Integration of existing devices along with the app and softphone

• Automated call-forwarding and voicemail function

• Web-based management with no need for IT resources

• Smooth changeover during routine practice operations

• Flexibly scalable for personnel changes

• Personal support from experienced partners

* The example of DentalKlar AG has been anonymised, but is based on a real customer case. The experiences and solutions outlined have been tried and tested in practice – and are appropriate for very many SMEs.