The "How To" on Effectively Managing Eyecare Practice Efficiency
Imagine this situation.
The phone rings. It’s 87-year-old forgetful Frannie Sue calling to check up on her new spectacle lenses for the fifth time this week. Of course, you are quite fond of Frannie, she has been a loyal customer for years, so you don't mind helping her out. Unfortunately for you, you called in her spectacle lens order so you now have to pick up the phone to call and check on the status.
After finally getting a hold of the lab, and then thoroughly explaining to Frannie Sue that her new-fangled cell phone is on mute, you tell Frannie that her spectacle lenses will be ready in about three days. You then wish her a good evening and prepare yourself for the plethora of calls to be made next week.
So what are your options now?
Because you must call the laboratory to check on all your customers' orders that you place over the phone, it is obvious that you have not achieved efficiency at your eyecare practice. But what is there to do?
Don’t fret! Frannie Sue may be calling again (and again… and again) next week, but there is an online ordering solution to improve your eyecare practice efficiency! In fact, you will be able to check order status online 24/7!
But first, check out these 10 insider tips for ultimate eyecare practice efficiency! Managing your practice will be easy as pie. All you need to do is download our FREE eBook, 10 Easy Ways to Boost Practice Efficiency and you’ll be on your way to becoming an efficiency expert!
Spoiler Alert:
- Discover what inefficiencies are holding you back
- Stop bad eyecare product ordering habits
- Elimate time-wasting calls to suppliers
- Maximize all the benefits of your practice management system
- And much more!
photo credit:
jitze via
photopin cc
It’s the holidays and everyone is swamped. Not only is this one of the busiest times of the year at work, but everyone is most likely distracted by things things too. Food, gifts, and visiting the in-laws are only a few things that are potentially distracting - even for the hardest-worker in an eyecare practice.
So lets be honest, everyone could use a little bit of advice around the holidays. And a few of our guys just love sharing what they know best. So if you’re having the holiday blues at work and all you want to do is go home and sip on hot cocoa, we can do the thinking for you! VisionWeb’s Three Wise Men decided to share a few key tips on three different aspects of an eyecare practice – social media, online ordering, and claim filing.
The Online Optical Ordering Prodigy
“Nothing says Happy Holidays more than efficiency.”
Yes, I’m sure if you sent your lab gingerbread cookies, they would obviously be thankful. But, for the most part, they appreciate customers around the holiday season that are efficient and consistent. So tell them all Happy Holidays by being efficient! With services like VisionWeb, your orders go to optical lenses suppliers without errors, which expedites the turnaround time of your orders and ultimately gets products to your customers faster.
Everyone around this time of the year wants to go home and celebrate with his or her families, so the perfect gift to your lab and customers is to be prepared for the holiday rush! Don’t let your orders sit still, utilize resources that can increase efficiency, like VisionWeb, and have customer’s order statuses readily available – trust me all of this will keep them in a happy holiday spirit!
The Electronic Claim Filing Sensation
“Silence is almost better than saying thank you.”
Dealing with even just one payer during the holiday season can be overwhelming. Some payers are closed for a few days and some just don’t have a lot of one-on-one time they can give you. And if you’re clicking back and forth from 5 tabs for 5 different payers, you’re doing it all wrong!
Claim filing can be very stressful, and the holiday season just makes it that much more hectic! The last thing payers want are 10 phone calls from your practice a day. And you don't want to be wasting that much time on the phone anyway! But if you’re still not sure as to where to start, download VisionWeb's Electronic Claim Filing Playbook, which provides great tips and tools for doing electronic claims processing in the most efficient way possible.
The Optical Social Media Whiz
“Don’t be afraid to let your customers get to know you.”
Social media for optometrists can be tricky, but the biggest thing you want to do on Social Media is show your customers who you are! Post pictures of your office holiday party, tell them how you’re giving back this year, and decorate the office! Being welcoming and interactive with your customers during this time of the year is more important than ever. Letting your customer’s know who you are increases the potential of a customer returning by more than you would think!
And remember, they aren’t just buying for themselves this time of the year, so give them some gift ideas! Thinking of what to get everyone for the holidays is probably one of the biggest challenges, so help them out. Make a holiday-themed infographic about gift giving during the holidays – They will appreciate all the help they can get!
If you enjoy reading content from VisionWeb, we strongly encourage you to subscribe!
Claims, claims, claims; we all know insurance claim filing is never fun. Patient eligibility, claim reports, is it rejected or accepted? It can all get rather overwhelming in an eyecare practice and without something entertaining to get you through a day full of claim filing, the day probably seems to last a lot longer than it shoul
d!
Now, there are three things we love at VisionWeb: claim filing efficiency, ordering efficiency, and of course music. So we want to take you on an electronic claim filing journey that takes you through the ‘Lifecycle of a Claim’ with a playlist that relates to each stage of the process. Put on your headphones to begin claim filing with a great playlist to go along with it!
Your Journey to Eyecare Practice Claim Filing Efficiency Playlist from VisionWeb on GrooveShark
9 Tracks for Eyecare Practice Billers
Track 1: Kokomo – The Beach Boys
(Checking Online Patient Eligibility)
"That's where we wanna go; way down to Kokomo". We all need a day off here and there, especially as an eyecare practice biller. And checking patient eligibility online can save up to 2 weeks of time each year! This real time info may not convince the boss you need an extra 2 weeks of vacation each year to the Bahamas, but it might just give you a little extra time to do a few different things around the office! And on top of all of the time you will be saving, 95% of eyecare practice’s that use online services say it allows them to take better care of their patients, and that should be #1!
Track 2: Dance Yourself Clean – LCD Soundsystem
(For Submitting Claims)
“Go and dance yourself clean, oh. Go and dance yourself clean, yeah". We hope that’s what you're doing when you finish submitting claims for the day through your insurance claims processing system, because submitting claims online allows you to create claims quickly with an option to even submit batch claims. And the direct data entry feature we have on VisionWeb allows our users’ claims to go through a ‘claim filing scrub’ to ensure cleaner claims and fewer rejections – chaaaching – IMPROVED CASH FLOW! So, as soon as you start submitting your claims through VisionWeb, dancing yourself clean will be the only thing you have to worry about!
Track 3: Walking on Sunshine – Katrina and the Waves
(Claims Confirmation Report)
“I'm walking on sunshine, woooah"! Within 4-24 hours after submitting your claims you will receive a Claim Confirmation Report, which tells you which claims have been accepted or rejected by claims clearinghouses. Getting rejected claims here and there is inevitable regardless of what service you are using, but with VisionWeb's claim scrub mentioned in the last song, rejected claims occur a lot less often. Plus, if you do have a rejected claim, it's much better to find out in the first day of the process! There is nothing like receiving a Claims Confirmation Report with claims that are all accepted - what a feeling of success. All of your hard work has paid off, and you deserve a walk in the sun!
Track 4: Be OK – Ingrid Michaelson
(Checking Reports)
After submitting claims you are probably thinking, “I just want to be ok, be ok, be ok; I just want to be ok today,” but I hope it’s not worth biting your nails over! Remember, claims filed online have fewer rejections. And after using VisionWeb, many of our users quickly see the difference! Janet Nelson from Ridgeland Eyecare Center quotes, “With VisionWeb, I get reimbursed faster and have fewer rejections than ever before. This service is a must-have for my practice”. Now that’s something to think about!
Track 5: Analyser – Alunageorge
(File Detail Summary and Batch/Level Rejection Reports)
“I hope you find a new direction - I know you're reaching for perfection; All the words will help you understand”. Within 2 days you will receive a File Detail Summary and Batch/Level Rejection Reports, which is from the payer and shows a list of accepted and rejected claims along with details of why specific claims were rejected. Nothing is ever perfect, but the great thing about electronic claim filing through VisionWeb is that our service offers reporting and analytics that give you the knowledge and ability to analyze your top ten rejection reasons, so finding a new direction is right at your fingertips! And we all know being aware of mistakes is the only way they can ever be fixed!
Track 6: Just Got Paid – NSYNC
(Payer Adjudicates Claims)
“Thank God it's Friday night and I just-just-just-just-juuuuuuust got paid!" With online ordering you can expect to get paid in about half the time that it takes when you file on paper, so instead of singing this once every month, you get to sing it twice! 14 business days opposed to 30? I don’t think there is a question!
Track 7: 3 R's – Jack Johnson
(ERAs and EOBs are Received)
“We've got to learn to reduce, reuse, recycle”. Going green was a trend that has become the norm these days. Not only does it help the planet, but it also saves space in your practice! Our ERA management service simplifies your billing by automatically interpreting remittance information received from your payer and delivering it to you electronically in place of paper EOBs. So within 14 days you have easy to read summaries with powerful searching options! And if you ever do need a paper copy, just find and print!
Track 8: Lean on Me – Bill Withers
(Contacting Customer Service)
“Just call on me brother when you need a hand…I just might have a problem that you understand. We all need somebody to lean on”! No matter how much you know about claims, things are constantly changing in regards to insurance benefits and compliance! And at VisionWeb, because we exclusively serve the eyecare community, we are on top of all of it for you! We are committed to providing a professional and friendly customer service team available to support you and your staff!
Track 9: Eye of the Tiger – Survivor
(All Claims Successfully Reimbursed)
“Risin' up straight to the top; had the guts, got the glory”. After all claims are successfully reimbursed, this is how you should be feeling. Because that’s what electronic claim filing does; it sets you apart from the rest of the crowd and can quickly increase your performance if you're using a great system to manage electronic claim filing. So embrace the opportunities technology has given eyecare practices and take advantage of them! We want you to have all of the glory and know exactly where you’re going!
If you haven't started listening to The Journey to Eyecare Practice Claim Filing Efficiency, I think now is the time to click play!
Let us know which part of the journey you enjoy the most!
ODs should tweet because...
Since the beginning of Twitter time, tweeting has been all about sharing. Whether or not some of the information at the beginning of its time was of value, I can’t answer that, but since its birthday on March 21, 2006, Twitter has transformed into an environment full of knowledge. Twitter isn’t just celebrities tweeting of their exact whereabouts or professional athletes tweeting during a big game; it’s evolved into an environment all about each person developing a network to engage with and create connections.
Not to our surprise, businesses soon found the value of Twitter to be much more than that of a fad, and as the increase of businesses on Twitter sky-rocketed, many ODs (because they are obviously intelligent, right?) decided to join in and take a piece of the pie. But what was the value they found in Twitter exactly if there are already online OD communities to listen and learn from experts and share individual knowledge? The value of Twitter comes from the ability to quickly and efficiently build a network in the optical industry that allows you to build relationships and learn from not only fellow ODs, but also students, patients, and the wider public, which is so powerful.
With that, we decided to create a Twitter Pie that involves 6 slices of why and how an OD should use Twitter. And just like at Thanksgiving, finishing the entire pie is a necessity; no leftovers!
6 Slices of the Twitter Pie
Support
Twitter is all about developing a personalized network, and for ODs the ability to connect with other researchers, educators, and practitioners gives the ability to build an educated, online support system. You can find people to reach out to that are also interested in the same topic of research you are, or even get ideas, or feedback, on something new you are trying in your practice. Before you know it, your Twitter family will become a huge support system that you can lean on at any time!
Listen
We’ve heard it since we were children, listening is probably the most important part of a conversation! Maybe I changed this up a bit, but you listen and you learn, right? One of our followers, @FirstClassKris, also pointed this out; she must be pretty social media savvy! Learning about new research or products out there has never been easier, and the information you learn could be of great value to you. Plus, a lot of your optical dispensary customers can be found on Twitter, and they will be looking for you! Listening to their feedback can never hurt!
Inspire
One of our favorite things about Twitter is the ability for any individual to be an inspiration. There are a lot of wise Opticians out there, that before the boom of social media were never heard! Twitter Doctors is a directory of the most inspirational doctors on Twitter, of course including the ODs out there as well, and we'd love to see you on the list once you become a social media genius!
Challenge
Expect both support and challenge from your world of followers on Twitter! Traditional learning has always been about challenge - I'm sure you remember all of those difficult lectures in college! Follow and reach out to people who may have a different point of view than you do. Maybe you won't change your outlook on the issue, but new optical industry information, whether of support or challenge, is always insightful!
Engage
Just signing up for Twitter and posting every now and then isn't fully taking advantage of the optical industry social network you've created! Join in on conversation, and when 140 characters isn't enough, link to a blog you've wrote. Twitter allows you to reflect with real people and engage with those you don't usually hear - students, patients, and the rest of the world. Let your entire audience get to know you!
Share
Last but not least, social media is for sharing, and we all know that! Share your thought on anything you believe to be appropriate! Hashtag (#) to reach a wider audience on the topic. Share by collaboration and participation. Twitter is a give and take relationship, especially in the business and education atmosphere!
If you aren't already using Twitter, we hope you see how valuable it can be to you and your eyecare practice! And when you sign up don't forget to review our Twitter Pie! But if you already happen to be a Twitter prodigy, we want to know the value you see in creating an online, optical industry network; talk to us on Twitter!
Hiring the wrong person for the job is not only expensive in terms of time and money, but it can also create an unhappy and hostile work environment. So why not get it right the first time? You don’t just want someone who can simply get the job done, but someone who will perform above and beyond your expectations. What you need is a Rock star! Here are a few simple tips to guide you through the hiring process.
1. It starts with you
Writing a killer job description will help attract the right applicants before you start the process of reviewing resumes and cover letters. Think through the responsibilities, tasks and role you want the new hire to take on and define them in the job description. Will they be working with other team members? Is familiarity with eyecare software and programs needed?
However, avoid stating overly strict prerequisites. These usually require large amounts of experience in doing exactly the job that is being considered. The best candidates avoid such positions because it may seem to offer little growth and variation in tasks.
2. Avoid spotting for keywords
Now that you’ve received tons of applications, you might not have the time to go through every single one of them in detail. But don’t simply rely on looking for keywords. You may end up with candidates who have adjusted their resumes to fit the “keyword” system. Generic candidates are not what you are looking for.
3. Set up an “on-the-job” interview
A recent study showed that interviews are about as useful as flipping a coin to select candidates! While many may see interviews as the most important stage of the process, it can only be used to evaluate the chemistry between the interviewer and candidate (which is definitely still worth knowing.) However, it may not a good predictor of performance, especially if the job is skill-based.
You will either need to use a structured interview with questions that have been validated as good performance indicators, or set up a “hands-on/ on-the job” interview where candidates have to demonstrate or apply their skills in a practical and realistic situation.
4. Check your candidate’s references
After the interview, you picked out a potential rock star and you can’t wait for him/ her to start. But hold your excitement! Not checking your candidate’s references is a common hiring mistake so be sure to do so. This adds a reality check to balance the qualities your fell in love with during the interview process.
5. Review and evaluate your performance
You followed all of these steps and hired the most outstanding applicant. Two months have passed and chances are, you’ve hired a rock star and you are glad that you made that decision, but what if you begin regretting it? Take a step back and walk yourself through the hiring process.
If your new hire doesn’t actually possess the skill stated on their resume, you probably need to review the interview phase. If the new hire has a total change of attitude after a few weeks on the job, you should have checked back channel references, not just the ones they gave you.
It may seem frustrating rewriting job descriptions and restarting the interview process, but it is definitely worth the time and effort. Hire right the first time and find yourself some rock stars!
Get the latest tips for ECPs from VisionWeb first! Subscribe to the VisionWeb Blog!
When it comes to optical dispensing online, we imagine the numbers most eyecare providers are concerned about are their patients perscription strength. But have you ever stopped and wondered about the magnitude of resources online ordering with VisionWeb brings to your finger tips every day? After taking a minute to analyze our data, we've found some optical dispensing numbers you have to see to believe!
2,000
The number of orders the average eyecare practice places in one year. Keep this number in mind when thinking about the time savings of online ordering!
730
The number of days an order is saved on VisionWeb once it is archived, which means easy access to patient records! We keep your archived records for two years! So the next time an infrequent patient comes in, you can still quickly access their previous orders online.
400+
The number of spectacle lens suppliers connected to the VisionWeb ophthalmic product ordering network. VisionWeb's supplier network is the eyecare industry's most robust, yet easy-to-use, suite of services for online product ordering. With this many supplier connections, it's easy to see why!
365
Most of you are probably familiar with this number. It's here to represent the number of days a year that your practice can place orders online through VisionWeb's online ophthalmic product ordering service.
93
The percent of recently surveyed eyecare providers who say that online ordering makes their practice more efficient compared to phone and fax ordering.
58
The number of seconds it took Strom Floyd from @AmazingEyes1 to place a sample order, error free, on VisionWeb. Talk about fast and efficient!
34
The number of hours wasted every year by eyecare practices ordering over the phone and fax instead of using an online ordering service for eye doctors.
17
The number of leading practice management systems with a VisionWeb ordering integration.
8
The number of tracer interfaces compatible with VisionWeb's online ordering service - giving you the ability upload trace files to accompany your spectacle lens orders
4
The number of different types of products you can order on VisionWeb (spectacle lenses, contact lenses, stock lenses, frames).
2
The number of VisionWeb royaly programs for AOA and OAA members who place their orders online via VisionWeb. The VisionWeb Royalty Programs help support these important organizations, and all you have to do is take advantage of online ophthalmic product ordering. There’s no cost to you, just benefits for you and your organizations!
1.5
The average number of minutes a practice saves on each order by placing an order through VisionWeb instead of via the phone or fax.
0
The number of errors contained in an order sent to a lab on VisionWeb. Optical ordering services through VisionWeb automatically error-checks all orders before they are submitted - making it virtually impossible to submit a job to the lab that can't be made because of an invalid product/treatment combination.
These optical dispensing numbers just begin to tell the story of efficiency that your practice gains when ordering on VisionWeb. Register for a free account to take full advantage today.
Longer sunshine-filled days, iced coffee, barbecue, and of course fun parties and events are back! You guessed right, it’s summertime! And everyone loves this time of the year! Now is the perfect opportunity to organize an entertaining event at your practice. Our friends over at the Optical Vision Site came up with the fun and innovative idea of having a LEGO Eyewear Party! How amazing does that sound?
One of the oldest and most popular toys in the world is LEGOs. (Wikipedia) The Lego Group began in the carpentry workshop of Ole Kirk Christiansen, in Billund, Denmark. In 1916, Christiansen purchased a woodworking shop in Billund which had been in business since 1895[1]
The shop mostly helped construct houses and furniture, and had a small staff of apprentices. The workshop burned down in 1924 when a fire, lit by two of Christiansen’s sons, ignited some wood shavings [2]. Ole Kirk constructed a larger workshop, and worked towards expanding his business even further.
When the Great Depression hit, Ole Kirk had fewer customers and had to focus on smaller projects. He began producing miniature versions of his products as design aids. It was these miniature models of stepladders and ironing boards that inspired him to begin producing toys [3].
Two Guinness records were set in 1992 using Lego products: A castle made from 400,000 Lego bricks, and measuring 4.45 meters by 5.22 meters, was built on Swedish television, and a Lego railway line 545 meters in length, with three locomotives, was constructed. Duplo was augmented with the addition of the Toolo line featuring a screwdriver, wrench, nuts and bolts; the Paradisa line, targeted towards girls, brought a variety of new pastel colors into the Lego system and focused around horses and a beach theme. 1993 brought a Duplo train and a parrot-shaped “brickvac” that could scoop Lego pieces up off the floor.
We are always searching for fun ways to engage your patients and their friends. So why not have a LEGO Eyewear Party? Of course you would have to purchase LEGOs (possibly for cheap on craigslist or ebay), invite your customers, and have a fun event!
Kids and adults would come, and perhaps you could find a sponsor for some Co-Op advertising?
We thought we would give you some ideas on what eyewear you could make. Post the pictures on Facebook, Tweet about the contest, and even have your customers vote on the best LEGO Eyewear.
The winner could win a free eye exam, free lenses, or a pair of sunglasses.
For more ideas and inspiration on LEGO Eyewear, go to google.com/images and search LEGO eyewear, you will be amazed at all the LEGO fashion.
So are people really into LEGO’s? Approximately 19 billion LEGO elements are produced per year. 2.16 million are molded every hour, 36,000 every minute. (Source Gizmodo LEGO Interview)
More than 400 billion LEGO bricks have been produced since 1958. There are about 62 LEGO bricks per person of the Earth’s population
The number of LEGO sets varies per time of year and per year. In the U.S., we launch on average, 130 new sets per year. Approximately 7 LEGO sets are sold every second around the world
Germany is the number-one LEGO market; in fact, LEGO is the number-one toy company in Germany. The top-selling lines in Germany are LEGO TECHNIC and LEGO CITY. The U.S. is the second largest market, with the top-selling lines being BIONICLE and LEGO Star Wars.
Tell us your LEGO Stories!
After reading this article, we have tons of ideas in mind! How about you? How do you see your event? Let us know by commenting!
Summer is officially here and with the hot temperatures, outdoor activities don’t sound appealing at all! Our friends over at The Optical Vision Site put together an awesome post with creative DIY eyewear racks. What a better way to beat the heat this summer then by staying inside and making a DIY eyeglasses rack!? Check it out:
One of the big advantages of Pinterest is the ability to find all sorts of cool ideas, such as what can you and your patients do with multiple pairs of sunglasses and eyeglasses? What would be cool, is set aside a little wall and put up some of these DIY eyewear racks to show your patients how multiple pairs of eyeglasses can be a bit of fashion decor.
1.) This is a nice little DIY project. A piece of reclaimed wood, some string, rubber, cords stretched across the board and how cool is this. Even in the office you can showcase various colors. Paint the boards, color coordinate with fun glasses.
2.) Simple hangers - All you need is wood hangers and a few nails or hooks to put these hangers up.
3.) For crafters, this eyewear rack comes with it’s own DIY instructions. Multiple prints and colors displayed in the office could be seasonal fun!
4.) I want this one! Check out the sunglass rack on the inside of the closet door. Good for small spaces!
5.) Check out this great idea; take an old picture frame and hang some eyewear. Again, paint the picture frame and this could be a great way to showcase your 'Eyewear of the Month' or 'Trending Colors.'
6.) I like this idea, never leave home without your keys and your sunglasses!
7.) Along the same concept as the picture frame, these are old window frames! You can take a wall and showcase ‘eyewear stories’ in each section. Old window frames and doors are easy to find on sites such as Craigslist for free. Instead of "Family", Put in "Trends".
8.) Old Rakes - Do It Yourselfers are using old racks for Wine Glasses and necklaces. The same idea can be used for Eyewear!
Do you have any ideas about how to display your eyeglasses in your home or eyecare practice!? Leave us a comment and share your creative ideas!
We know how hard it can be working in a busy practice: between appointments with patients, the phone ringing, and other office duties, it's usually easiest to just go about your day the best way you know how. If that means retyping a patient's order into your practice management system, or wasting time calling a lab to check on an order's status, so be it, right!? Wrong!!
At VisionWeb, we strive to make your day to day tasks more efficient and time saving by providing you with convenient features that streamline your practice's optical dispensing processes. While we know how these features can benefit your practice, you may not be taking advantage of these beneficial optical dispensing features. We want to make sure you are getting the most out of VisionWeb's services, so we put together a list of six of the best practices for optical dispensing on VisionWeb. Check out some of these practices and start increasing your practice's efficiency!
1. Save to Pending Feature
Picture this: You are entering a patient's information into your VisionWeb account and a patient walks through the door requiring your attention. Without thinking twice, you close out the order assuming you will just have to re-enter the information later. What went wrong here?
We know how frustrating it is when you have to re-enter information because of an interruption or distraction, so we created the "Save to Pending" feature. By saving an order as "pending," you can start an order and return to it later, allowing for you to edit it before sending it off to the lab. Don't waste time re-entering information when you can simply save it to "pending." Find out just how easy it is with this how-to video!
2. Create a Favorite Order Template
For many eyecare practices, we have found that many of you are more than likely to have an RX that you frequently order. To save time entering the same frequently used information for each individual patient, take advantage of VisionWeb's "Favorite Order Template." With this feature, you can create a "favorite order" in your pending orders, allowing you to reuse the same template over and over again. This will save you time and decrease the likelihood of making mistakes. Find out how easy it is:
3. Track Orders
One of the most beneficial features that VisionWeb's services provide for optical dispensing is the ability to track your orders 24/7. By placing orders online, you have the ability to access a patient's order status at any time, allowing for up to date information to communicate to your patients. Tracking your orders on VisionWeb is an easy process that will save you the time and frustrations of calling the lab to check your order status.
Watch the video below to see how we recommend tracking your orders:
4. Add a Supplier
With the most supplier connections in the eyecare industry, VisionWeb gives you the ability to connect with over 400 spectacle lens, contact lens, stock lenses, and frame suppliers in one convenient location. One of the benefits of our online ordering and optical dispensing is the ability to access all of your ophthalmic product suppliers in one convenient location. Being connected to all of your current and potential suppliers will not only increase efficiency, but it will also reduce your turnaround time! Find out just how easy it is to add a supplier to your VisionWeb account:
5. Use the "Drop Shipping" Feature
Did you know you can order frames on VisionWeb and have them sent directly to your finishing lab to accompany your VisionWeb "frame to come" spectacle lens job? With our drop shipping feature, you can expedite order processing on jobs requiring frames that you don't already have in your practice's current inventory. With this feature, you are ultimately optimizing the optical dispensing process. Follow these steps to have your frames "Drop Shipped":
- Login to your VisionWeb account.
- Go to the My Accounts section.
- Set up your lab account as "Dropship Accounts."
- Select the frames that you wish to order from VisionWeb's frames engine.
- Select the lab where you would like the frames sent to in the "Dropship Location" field. Your frame will ship directly to your lab to accompany your spectacle lens orders!
6. Archived Orders Feature
Store away your completed orders and reduce the amount of time it takes to access your order status page by taking advantage of VisionWeb's archived orders feature. We offer you a way to file away all of your completed orders in your VisionWeb account. By archiving your completed orders, your order history is readily available whenever you need it, but isn't slowing you down when you don't. Once archived, you can search your orders by date range, order number, patient number, or supplier! Follow these steps to properly use the Archive Order feature:
- Login to your VisionWeb account.
- Select Order Status from the navigation bar.
- From the list of orders, select the ones you wish to archive by clicking in the check box to the left of each order.
- To archive the selected orders, click on the Archive Selected button.
- To later retrieve an order that's been archived, go to the Archived Orders page. Here you can retrieve your archived orders by date range, order number, patient number, or supplier.
Have more questions about VisionWeb's services or features, and need step-by-step instructions? Be sure to check out the VisionWeb YouTube channel where we have how-to videos covering a wide range of your VisionWeb account features!
Learn more about VisionWeb's Online Ordering Service!
Having to call your labs to fix errors, losing time trying to find your patient files, having to deal with patients getting impatient when purchasing new spectacle lenses? Does that ring a bell? For some of you, this is ancient history, but for others, this is still part of a typical day at work. We are sure you have already heard about Optical Practice Management Systems, however, you may not have purchased one yet, either because you don’t see the point or you think it’s not worth it. Well, for those of you who still doubt the benefits of a Practice Management System, optician software has enabled huge changes within the eyecare industry and increased the efficiency of hundreds of eye care practices. And when it comes to Practice Management System efficiency, most everyone agrees that the system integrations and error reduction are the major benefits because they save time.
Online Ordering Integrations
Most practice management systems have the capability to integrate with an online ordering service like VisionWeb. Having this ability is a crucial component of any good optician software because it allows you to access and order from all of your existing suppliers. Think about it like this, instead of spending all day on the phone trying to get through to each lab (a process that could take hours on a bad day), you can order to all of your labs in minutes and know that the order is accurate when you send it – all without being put on hold for a second!
Centralization of Processes
Another great benefit of optician software is its ability to consolidate processes into one centralized location – a lot like VisionWeb! Because your optician software comes jam-packed with features and functionality, once you connect it to an online ordering service, you can pretty much run the entire practice from your desk. This centralization allows you to place all of your orders online, schedule patient appointments, access patient billing information, and more all from one location. Not only does this save you time, but it also keeps your office more organized because you no longer need to keep large filing cabinets filled with patient information. It’s a real time and space saver!
Reduced Duplicate Data Entry
Typos – everyone makes them. They can be especially hard to avoid when you’re forced to type something in more than once. That’s another reason why optician software is a great investment! Since these systems are able to integrate with online ophthalmic product ordering services like VisionWeb, the patient’s order doesn’t have to be submitted a second time. The data that was entered into the practice management system will be used again to complete the online order. Not only does that save your practice time by not having to type in information again, but it also reduces the errors made in the practice. Face it; you are much more likely to make an error typing if you have to type the same thing over and over again. The best solution is to get a system that can replicate the data for you and save you a bunch of time and money in the long run!
If you are hesitant/reluctant to buy optician software, think about it as an investment! Remember, time is money and the time you spend looking for a patient file can be used to attend to another patient – which would imply more money earned at the end of the day. Do the math. Don’t think twice when deciding whether to purchase one, just look for what’s best for your practice! And let us know how using optician software has changed your dispensing practice forever!