{"id":6738,"date":"2019-11-20T10:43:29","date_gmt":"2019-11-20T18:43:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/?p=6738"},"modified":"2023-02-10T23:04:25","modified_gmt":"2023-02-10T23:04:25","slug":"automation-gets-the-job-done","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/navc.sitepreview.app\/todaysveterinarybusiness.com\/automation-gets-the-job-done\/","title":{"rendered":"Automation Gets the Job Done"},"content":{"rendered":"

I was listening to the dreams of a soon-to-be owner of a one-doctor veterinary clinic. The young gentleman was truly excited, and he was inspired to implement trendy solutions to change the old practice.<\/p>\n

His ideas were bold but humble in timing. One step at a time was his motto \u2014 renovate an abandoned building, redesign the outdated website, start online appointment booking, open a boarding facility, refresh the social media channels, do in-house marketing. I was impressed, as every idea seemed well thought out and his sparkling eyes showed me the passion behind them.<\/p>\n

I asked how much time he would devote to managing the practice, as he didn\u2019t plan to hire a practice manager. He replied, \u201cI will practice medicine during the clinic\u2019s hours and do the managerial things over the lunch break and in the evening.\u201d<\/p>\n

How is that possible? While filled with enthusiasm and great ideas, he hadn\u2019t thought about the importance of having current, meaningful information at his fingertips from which to manage. He had overlooked the need for financial automation.<\/p>\n

Automation is a big deal in today\u2019s business world. But first, what is it exactly?<\/p>\n

Wikipedia:<\/strong> \u201cThe technology by which a process or procedure is performed with minimal human assistance.\u201d<\/p>\n

Dictionary:<\/strong> \u201cThe technique, method or system of operating or controlling a process by highly\u00a0automatic\u00a0means, as by electronic devices, reducing human intervention to a minimum.\u201d<\/p>\n

We\u2019re in the golden era of automation. Reducing or eliminating laborious tasks delivers higher quality results and, most importantly, efficiency. If you are not on the automation train, board now. You\u2019ll love the ride.<\/p>\n

Here\u2019s what automation<\/a> can do for your veterinary practice.<\/p>\n

Bookkeeping<\/h3>\n

Credit cards and bank accounts will automatically feed your accounting system if you partner with the right bank. Feed? Let\u2019s say you go on Amazon to purchase office supplies and pay with your credit card. The transaction, as soon as it moves from \u201cpending\u201d to \u201ccleared,\u201d will automatically show in your accounting system. You have eliminated entry creation and achieved automation. Minimal human assistance is required. (For more information, explore Xero or QuickBooks.)<\/p>\n

Accounts Payable and Receipts<\/h3>\n

Imagine the example above, but now you have an addition application that integrates with your accounting system. By integration, I mean the two communicate without anyone downloading and reuploading transactions. The Amazon receipt is automatically emailed to the application, which processes the transaction and magically transfers the receipt to the accounting software. The same things works with bills. It\u2019s hard to describe it, but when you see it, you will be like, \u201cYay! This is cool.\u201d Another cool feature is the purchase receipt will be attached and visible in case the ultrasound machine breaks down and the insurance company wants to see the receipt, or you need to file a warranty claim. (Explore Hubdoc or ReceiptBank.)<\/p>\n

Veterinary Software<\/h3>\n

If your practice management software<\/a> and accounting software aren\u2019t integrated, you are wasting a lot of money on a bookkeeper or your own precious time. Most of these systems integrate with one another in some way. If you are not sure, reach out to your software rep and ask. Always ask how the integration works \u2014 both ways or only one way? Do each invoice and each customer sync? How about payments? Here are just two examples:<\/p>\n