Centaur expands training focus

Centaur Software has announced it is expanding its training department exponentially to cope with the uptake of the new version 11 of its practice management software, dental4windows.

"Training and support are the two most critical departments in our business," said managing director and practising dentist, Dr Frank Papadopoulos. "We have recently added two new staff members to our full time training team and are currently looking for a third.

"As any of our customers will understand, training is a strategic part of the acceptance of any new software system and perhaps none more so than a Practice Management Systems (PMS).

"For a PMS to be fully accepted, adopted and utilised within a clinical environment, it firstly needs at its core a logical and easy to use workflow with no unnecessary pop-ups or other workflow impediments that will slow the user or reduce their ability to complete tasks at hand.

"As most practice reception staff will also point out, the real test for how logical the workflow of a system is will be put to the test when a patient is in a hurry and standing there waiting for their account or next appointment to be booked. This is one of the areas most reception and practice management staff will sing the praises of dental4windows.

"The next aspect is to fully train users in the system's capabilities and how the it can enhance a practice's ability to be managed. There are many ways a PMS can enhance the clinical and business operations of a practice yet to achieve maximum outcomes, it is necessary to understand the broader practice dynamic so the system's functionality can be utilised without giving new users too much to comprehend in the early stages of implementation. For most practices, implementation can be staggered based on the internal systems already in operation and the functionalities of the PMS to be utilised."

Dr Papadopoulos said that with any practice implementing dental4windows, the training department will contact the new practice to identify suitable dates for initial training and if they don't already know, ascertain which technologies and imaging systems the practice currently utilises. At the first training session, the trainer is then able to know from the outset the level of technical understanding of staff and what systems the PMS will be reproducing, how it should be set up and how the functionality in turn is best taught. This may be staggered over a few training sessions or it may be delivered more intensively over a shorter timeframe.

"The dental4windows training team are currently running numerous training sessions around the country for the new version 11 of dental4windows," Dr Papadopoulos said. "These training sessions are always popular and well received with both our head of training, Sina Burgo and our training supervisor, Veronica Emerson conducting many sessions personally with the added support of the various state trainers and other staff.

"Like most areas within the dental4windows family, our trainers will ideally have strong dental practice experience to understand the complexities of our customer's various practice sites. We take this very seriously and I am confident we are seen by our customers as being second to none in the level of training and support we deliver. Strong and well programmed training is paramount to the implementation and success of your practice management system. Dental4windows is seen as the easiest system available to learn and yet training is still critical - don't let anyone tell you otherwise! Make sure you and your staff are trained properly on what ever system is installed."