Vetsolutions
April 2017
The power of three Spotlight on Bush House Veterinary Group
A day in the life Focus on James Rillay, Vetsolutions’ Head of Operations
The domino effect Greg Robinson explains why Sparkline is a catalyst for change
Always looking to the future Alan Robertson reflects on product development and customer success
Find us at BSAVA on stand 711
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Contents April 2017
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Find us at BSAVA on stand 711
A day in the life James Rillay talks about a 25-year career in IT and his role as Head of Operations at Vetsolutions.
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The domino effect Greg Robinson explains how Sparkline has helped transform the fortunes of hundreds of veterinary practices around the world.
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Always looking to the future. Alan Robertson reflects on the transition to Agile working and an increased focus on customer success across the business.
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The power of three Discover how Vetsolutions and Henry Schein Animal Health joined forces to help Bush House Veterinary Group achieve results that far exceeded its expectations.
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Up to 50% off To celebrate the 60th anniversary of BSAVA we’ve got some tantalising show offers for you!
Vetsolutions Insight
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Welcome to
Vetsolutions
Running to just three letters, why can stake a claim to be the most important word in business. Think about it. Why asks us to explain ourselves, justify a decision and provide clarification. The question puts us on the spot and that’s no bad thing. For such a small word, it has a huge impact.
If a colleague or customer asks, ‘Why did you do it that way?’ is it reasonable to reply, ‘Well, we’ve always done it that way.’? Of course not. That would be complacent and lacking credibility. It falls well short of a convincing answer. Organisations are defined by many things, but I believe a willingness to embrace new ideas and technologies and change established practices in the search for something better is a great quality to possess. There’s little doubt that it’s part of our culture at Vetsolutions and it’s incumbent on us to encourage our customers to aim higher. In the last edition of Insight, I talked about customer success and am pleased that this theme runs through the pages of our BSAVA ‘17 issue. We hear from Sparkline Technologies’ CEO Greg Robinson who explains how he works with his customers to develop business improvement strategies from the KPI data generated by his software. With our emphasis now firmly focused on delivering solution-based services, Alan Robertson shares some great insights on software development and collaborative working. It’s also good to include a client’s perspective on our services and we are delighted to welcome Rapport customer Fran Wynne from Bush House Veterinary Group who describes how our software is helping to drive growth across her business. And in our Day in the Life feature we talk to the man who has a pivotal role in delivering success to Vetsolutions’ customers - James Rillay, our Head of Operations. Let’s take a step back for a moment and consider what customer success actually means. After all, no two businesses are the same and in the veterinary world desired outcomes vary enormously. Yes, financial improvement is a constant, but outcomes centred on clinical and operational performance and those focusing on the customer/patient experience are equally important. These days, it’s not enough to understand our clients; we must get to know their customers too if we are to provide insights around the entire value chain. We can help in each of these areas, but to do
so we must be unequivocal in determining what needs to happen - and why. By defining this clearly, outcomes can be measured against objectives and only then are we in a position to say for certain that customer success has been achieved. One of the clearest indicators of progress and success is the ability to benchmark practice performance against that of comparable vet practices, especially those whose competitive position is similar. Here, our skills in macrodata management enable us to analyse statistics from different sources and provide an objective assessment of results per practice across the various process areas. Armed with this information, a veterinary practice knows exactly where it stands. The most important way we can contribute to our customers’ success is to ensure they convert our insights to actions. They have the opportunity to respond to what the data is telling them and, with our support, develop strategies to improve performance and increase profits. We have the expertise and scale to do this and tell them where their business is falling short and where it is already ahead of the game. This is the essential difference between Vetsolutions today and the organisation of previous years. We are no longer simply a software provider; we’re becoming a trusted business partner. Or perhaps we’re learning to ask why more often? If you are planning to attend BSAVA Congress in Birmingham from 6 - 9 April, look out for us on Stand 711. I look forward to meeting you. In the meantime, enjoy Insight. I hope we’ve given you lots to think about.
Nick Young Managing Director
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Vetsolutions Insight
A day in the life James Rillay Head of Operations
On the face of it, a 25-year career in IT is the perfect grounding for a change of direction which saw James Rillay step into the world of veterinary software and solutions. As he tells Insight, his move to Vetsolutions has presented him with the challenges he was looking for and an opportunity to experience a different workplace culture. As the title suggests, the role of Head of Operations carries with it considerable responsibility and this is an essential part of its appeal. For sure, it’s not a job for the faint-hearted, but to suggest we’re talking about a power obsessed lone wolf is totally wide of the mark. That’s the stuff of fiction. To an extent, the position is unique within a business in that it’s not focused on a single department or function. There’s much more to it than that, but in simple terms it’s tasked with making sure everything runs smoothly. And for this to happen, all the constituent elements must click into place seamlessly. Ultimately, everything is geared to delivering the best possible service to customers and, as James explains, this is his primary responsibility.
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‘There are three parts to my job and they’re all closely linked. Firstly, my main role is to support our customers and ensure they get the advice and services needed to improve their business. Also, I am responsible for managing the Implementation team - the people who make sure our systems and software are configured correctly on customer sites and that clients receive proper training following their conversion to our PMS. Lastly, I look after a new and exciting function called DevOps, which rolls out the work of our Development Team across Vetsolutions and briefs all departments on planned software upgrades, system enhancements and any changes in product functionality. Not only that, I play an active part in the company Leadership Team and, as we are part of Henry Schein, am involved in a number of global initiatives focusing on customer support.’
My main role is to support our customers and make sure they get the advice and services they need. From this overview it is clear that effective communication plays an important part in fulfilling this role, both internally within the different departments and with customers and other external stakeholders. James believes that as Head of Operations he is ideally placed to bring clarity and focus to what can be a complex business. He is also quick to dismiss the notion that there’s a ‘typical’ day at Vetsolutions. ‘Quite honestly, no. There are plenty of repetitive challenges which are part and parcel of the product cycle, but no two days are the same. We have immediate targets such as meeting software release deadlines and longerterm strategic initiatives aimed at improving our processes and working practices. Also, I would say that because most of our customers are veterinary surgeons and not IT professionals, there’s a greater degree of unpredictability about the support required. That keeps things interesting!’ James joined Vetsolutions in July 2016 having spent the previous 25 years working in the IT Service Management market. As he recalls, it was time to apply his skills in a different sector, although the veterinary industry was not one he had ever considered.
‘I was approached by a recruitment company who asked me if I’d be interested in learning more about the role. Once I read the job description, I was convinced it would take me out of my comfort zone and challenge me - that was exactly what I was looking for. I applied for the job, was successful and the rest, as they say, is history.’
I was convinced the job would take me out of my comfort zone and challenge me - that’s exactly what I was looking for. James is quick to acknowledge that his background in IT, from junior support roles in the early days to senior management positions, has given him the breadth of experience that never fails to have relevance whichever path his career has followed. As James points out, he has taken the ups and downs in his stride. ‘I’m an Edinburgh lad, so you can imagine my delight at landing my first job with John Menzies, a famous name from UK retailing, with its HQ and flagship store based in the city. I worked in the IT Helpdesk team which supported EPOS back office systems for over 150 shops nationwide. When I look back now, I learned so much from my time there and this continued when the company outsourced the IT support function to Computer Science Corporation and I grabbed the chance to join the CSC team. ‘My career took another twist with the demise of John Menzies’ retail business, but as one door closes another opens, this time with a company specialising in mobile phone billing software applications. This job introduced me to support models such as Follow the Sun and the experience, although at times daunting, improved my technical and customer service skill sets. With ten years in IT under my belt, I was ready to move up the ladder and a managerial position with ITSM company Axios Systems provided my next challenge - one that was to last for 15 years! I was promoted to Head of Support Services, a role that encompassed customer relations and responsibility for the company’s IT estate. It was here that I was introduced to ITIL methodologies, which align IT services
with business objectives, and was tasked with developing best practice solutions. In this game, you never stop learning and one of my goals is to deploy ITIL practices at Vetsolutions.’ James joined Vetsolutions at a time when ‘customer success’ was finding its voice and the business culture was changing from an exclusively product-based service to one focused on solutions and outcomes. He immediately bought into this ethos - one that resonates with him. ‘Customer success is what drives us - simple as that. We have the expertise to take something that isn’t working properly and make it work really well. That’s a great position to be in. With our software products and business insights, we can turn an under-performing vet practice into one that is extremely profitable and runs efficiently. We all get a great kick out of doing that.’
We have the expertise to take something that isn’t working properly and make it work really well. While still relatively new to the company, James has been here long enough to know that Vetsolutions has lived up to its promise of taking his career in a different direction, as he reflects. ‘Remember, I had worked in the ITSM market for over 20 years and you do become a bit institutionalised after all that time. Vetsolutions is certainly different, but in a positive way. It’s less formal in some respects, but the company has a great work ethic. Everyone is totally committed to doing the best they can for our customers and we all share this in common. The guys here know their stuff that’s for sure, but they’re a sociable bunch too. It’s a healthy balance.’ It is clear that at Vetsolutions, Head of Operations is a role that could never be described as dull. Varied, certainly; challenging, most definitely; and without a doubt, rewarding.
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Vetsolutions Insight
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Vetsolutions Insight
The domino effect by Greg Robinson
In the short space of just four years, Sparkline has helped transform the fortunes of hundreds of veterinary practices around the world. What we’re talking about here is improved financial performance, notably revenue growth. These businesses are now seeing their income and profits increase to reflect actual customer footfall as changes in process management deliver very real benefits. In this edition of Insight, we take a closer look at this groundbreaking software with the help of Sparkline CEO Greg Robinson. And as Greg designed it, there’s no better person to guide us through the features and functions that are proving instrumental in eliminating those avoidable missed charges and triggering wide-ranging improvements across the veterinary industry. 10
Sparkline now has over 750 customers across seven countries worldwide. For a product that’s still relatively new, these are impressive statistics particularly as individual users include large corporate veterinary groups, busy city practices and small, rural clinics. It is clear that Sparkline is relevant to businesses of all sizes and provides something that other veterinary software simply cannot match. It has an undoubted USP, as Greg explains. ‘We are not asking owners and managers to pour over spreadsheets or trawl through a 100-page operational report. I’ve worked in this industry for many years and know they simply don’t have the time to do that. Nor should they. With Sparkline, the proposition is very different. It strips away the unnecessary padding to provide clients with clear, accurate data that tells them how well their business is performing. We are dealing with fact, not interpretation. There’s no guesswork involved, the presentation is simple and the information easy to understand.’ Sparkline is in fact a set of Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) built around the four principal drivers of a business: Customers, staff, finance and processes. From this starting point, Greg developed a Balanced Scorecard, a series of metrics which enable a veterinary practice to measure its performance across these areas. It can tell clinic owners how many customers are coming through the door and how much they are spending on an annual, quarterly and monthly basis. This is valuable stuff, but it uncovers much more than that. The real value of Sparkline is its ability to dig a bit deeper and analyse how a veterinary practice delivers standards in patient care. The software examines the various processes within a business and provides conclusive proof of what’s driving growth. As Greg admits, there’s much to take onboard.
‘The work of a busy vet practice is characterised by different processes, treatments and transactions. There’s always lots going on. The ability to keep tabs on all of this has long been a problem for owners and managers, especially when it comes to charging their customers. Inevitably, something will slip through the net.’
By refining the processes within a veterinary practice, other areas of the business will improve in parallel. And it does. Greg has calculated that missed charges account for between 3-5 per cent of lost revenue in a typical veterinary practice. It’s a sobering thought that for a business turning over £500K per year this is an eye watering £15,000-25,000.00 and it all falls to the bottom line. He can point to case studies where a client’s net profit has doubled simply by capturing these charges. Processes such as surgery, diagnostics and dental care are the lifeblood of the industry and some have between 15-20 individual cost elements associated with them. It’s great news if the work is carried out to the letter and reflected in the customer’s invoice, but a failure to do so highlights issues within the process in question. If this is occurring elsewhere in the business, then the practice has a major problem on its hands. Not only is it losing revenue, but it is clear that there are inconsistencies in the way patient care is administered.
Having worked in the veterinary industry for over 30 years, Greg understands fully what is involved in delivering pet healthcare. Based on data generated from Sparkline, he devised key metrics for specific processes which allow him to calculate averages for each one. This provides a benchmark against which the practice owner can measure performance and identify the areas that are showing the strongest growth and, crucially, those which are lagging behind. As a result, the owner is better placed to take the necessary steps to address the problem. To really understand Sparkline, it is necessary to look under the bonnet. This unveils what might be best described as a series of dashboards, each one presenting results relating to process, people (employees), customers and finance. The motoring analogy continues, as traffic light symbols are used to highlight performance against the previous month, quarter or year: A green dot indicates an increase, with a fall shown in red. And if the KPI hasn’t moved significantly, no dot is shown. It’s simplicity itself. Users can see at a glance the areas of the business that are driving growth and where there’s room for improvement. As Greg explains, clients are in a position to act quickly. ‘The immediate priority is to remove those red dots and often this can be done by eliminating missed charges. This is the low-hanging fruit I mentioned last time - the solution is within everyone’s grasp. By configuring the software correctly and using RoboVet’s POS-Action groups, all charges within the process are accounted for, invoicing is accurate and owners see an immediate increase in average transaction values and revenue figures.’
Vetsolutions Insight
Sparkline focuses on the business as a whole and delivering patient care consistently Sparkline clients have a wealth of information at their fingertips, but it is the quality of analytics and the level of detail provided that sets it apart. For example, the Scorecard presents an overview of performance across four key areas of the business on a year-by-year basis and with a simple click on the coloured header panels at the top of each dashboard, users can access data specific to their customers, processes, people and finances. The calibre of the reporting is exemplified by the fact that over 40 KPIs are tracked monthly, allowing practice owners to monitor areas including revenue growth, customer numbers and average transaction values. Sparkline’s analysis of process activity is no less impressive. A detailed breakdown of each process provides results for every fee and cost incurred undertaking the treatment. This is linked directly to Sparkline’s ability to pinpoint missed charges - if revenue generated does not reflect the number of transactions completed then clearly there’s a problem that needs fixing.
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Dashboards provide detailed comparisons of activity and revenue across process areas, including results for individual vets and other practice employees. But as Greg points out, this is not aimed at establishing a pecking order. ‘Far from it. Yes, we have data relating to each vet and can track the number of transactions they have completed in, say, a month. We can also see at a glance how much revenue each surgeon has generated for the business over that period. However, this is not about bragging rights and awarding prizes to the top performers. Sparkline focuses on the business as a whole and delivering patient care consistently. The data tells us if this is being achieved. Take a look at the Colleague Comparison chart below. We can see that Stephen and Grace completed roughly the same number of Primary visits, but their
figures for Revisit cases show a great disparity and this should raise alarm bells. Not only do they confirm a drop in numbers against the previous period, but we need to find out why there’s such a vast discrepancy between the two vets. We’re looking for consistency - it’s not called a Balanced Scorecard for nothing.’ While Sparkline is installed in just a few days, Greg recommends a phased introduction over a longer period to make sure clients understand the software and the data it provides. ‘When we work with new clients, our priority is to identify shortfalls and correct missed charges. Also, it’s really important that clients are fully au fait with the software before sharing it with their team. There’s a lot to take in, so we usually do this over three training sessions. Next, we work with them to align standards of patient care within the practice and eliminate the inconsistencies that Sparkline has revealed. This is where things get interesting.
By doing so, we encourage practice owners and their teams to face up to reality and focus on the problem: If Sparkline is telling you that something is wrong, what are you going to do to put it right?’
Sparkline strips away the padding to provide clients with clear, accurate data. Greg and his colleague Steph Bryan work closely with their clients to find positive outcomes. And as Steph observes, often the first step is for the business to recognise that its greatest asset is its people. ‘We focus on responsibility, potential and attainment - delivering profit through people. There’s a lot of highly skilled people in the veterinary industry and tools like Sparkline help owners to recognise this and utilise to a greater degree the strengths that exist within their team. Also, we believe that Sparkline is a catalyst for wider change and business improvement. By correcting missed charges, owners see an immediate increase in revenue and profits - and success breeds confidence. There’s a culture change. They become galvanised and are inspired to seek further efficiencies throughout the business. In every respect, it has a domino effect.’
The calibre of the reporting is exemplified by the fact that over 40 KPIs are tracked monthly. It is clear that by refining the processes within a veterinary practice, other areas of the business improve in parallel. Greg believes this is certainly the experience of Sparkline clients. ‘It’s very gratifying to see a business grow and enjoy its success. For our clients, the pledges made in their mission statements are at last being realised - they are now living up to the promise. How many businesses can say that? It’s great to know that we are making a difference and helping to change a profession.’
Vetsolutions Insight
Always looking to the future. with Alan Robertson
Product Development Project Manager
Changing our approach to product development was not a decision to be taken lightly, but it has brought significant benefits to our clients. In this issue of Insight, Alan Robertson reflects on the transition to Agile working and an increased focus on customer success across the business. 14
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We are overseeing a major change in the way we administer our software upgrades.
maintaining the Product Roadmap - a highlevel, constantly evolving document which provides a strategic overview of what we aim to deliver to our customers in the coming year. It allows Alan to respond to changing priorities, while maintaining a watchful eye over the entire work programme. It’s an indispensable tool, which helps to fulfil our vision and holistic objectives with regard to product development and address the practicalities of meeting demanding deadlines. Feedback from our customers is a crucial element in shaping the Roadmap. We take their comments on board and ensure they are aware of our plans to introduce product improvements.
We look forward to the day when all our customers have the latest and best software available to them.
Adopting Agile principles in relation to product development represented a major shift away from an approach that had served us well for many years. Previously, we had followed the traditional ‘waterfall’ model, a sequential process that requires one phase of a project to be completed before the next one can begin. Working in this way is fine, but one major drawback is that projects take longer to complete. And for a business whose reputation depends on the quality of its products and an ability to deliver software upgrades to customers on a regular basis, this was an area that had to improve. The term Agile was first coined back in 2001 to describe a method of software development that divides tasks into short phases of work and accepts that the reassessment and changing of plans is an inevitability - it’s going to happen, so get used to the idea. This ‘fast delivery’ manifesto represented a transformational change away from a traditional manufacturing-based approach to an iterative process that develops software incrementally, working in short bursts of
activity known as sprints. This might be commonplace now, but back in the day it was indeed revolutionary, as software professionals questioned proven methodologies and looked for smarter ways to work. While Agile is anchored in software development, its influence now can be felt throughout business. The defining principles are based around close collaboration and frequent interaction - and the capacity to respond quickly to change. There is a much greater focus on user needs; problem solving becomes more rapid and faults can be fixed promptly without compromising the delivery date. And crucially, a better end product is produced. At Vetsolutions, Agile is the vehicle from which we deliver innovation, added value and customer success. RoboVet is the UK’s leading practice management system and over 1,000 customers enjoy regular software updates free of charge as part of our Feature Pack Upgrades programme. Alan is the man responsible for managing this work and
RoboVet is extremely popular with our customers - in fact, many of them have used the system since its launch. It’s been delivered in many different formats over the years and is subject to regular review through our recently revamped Upgrades programme. This ensures that customers benefit from the latest software and improved functionality. Looking ahead, RoboVet customers will receive software updates twice a year - in Spring and Autumn. On the basis that the latest releases incorporate improvements and represent best value, we are working towards a scenario in which all our clients are using the same software. As Alan explains, we are setting the bar high and deliberately so. ‘Behind the scenes in product development, it’s business as usual. We are still working to our eight week software release cycle, so the process remains the same. However, we are overseeing a major change in the way in which we administer our software upgrades and also looking at more innovative ways to ensure our customers are using the latest software modules. Given the size of our client base, it will take time but we are working towards this goal.’
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Vetsolutions Insight Alan joined the Product Development department three years ago and readily admits the company he joined in 2014 has changed greatly since then. In the last edition of Insight, Managing Director Nick Young talked about ‘customer success’ becoming an important measure of business performance and Alan believes this ethos is central to the company as it moves forward. ‘We are no longer just a software provider. Yes, we build innovative products, but now offer much more than that. We have become a solutions-driven business. That’s our motivation. Nick talks about delivering added value to our customers and we do this by ensuring that the Feature Pack Upgrades programme gives them what they need to run their clinics efficiently. Increasingly, I meet our customers on their home patch and we talk about the problems they encounter and the outcomes they are looking for. The approach is much more consultative than ever and because there is greater dialogue and collaboration our understanding of their business improves. Also, clients have a big say in our software development process, for example in testing and prototyping, and their feedback is reflected in the finished product. If you think about it, this is a classic case of putting Agile theory into practice.’ Delivering the Feature Pack Upgrades programme is just one part of the team’s role. Alan combines this core activity with account management and, more specifically, he focuses on the outcomes individual customers have identified, as he explains.
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‘Our customers range from large corporate groups to small, rural clinics and everything in between. As you’ll imagine, their requirements vary hugely but they are equally important to us. We cannot produce bespoke software solutions for every client - that would be impossible. However, what we can do is use our experience to take on board client feedback and then develop upgrades that solve specific problems, yet are sufficiently holistic to reflect our long-term vision for the product. It’s my job to achieve this balance.’ While all this is going on, there is another facet of software development which underpins the day-to-day service offered to customers. We invest in the future by focusing on the ‘bigger picture’ and creating an infrastructure that incorporates the latest technologies and helps us to deliver the most efficient service possible. This is the very essence of Agile thinking.
Because there is greater dialogue and collaboration, we are better placed to respond to what the client’s business really needs. One such initiative is known in the corridors of Vetsolutions as Project Smart. While still in its infancy, this is an exciting proposition as Smart will help us to anticipate where and when problems are likely to occur on customer sites. It’s future-proofing with a specific purpose.
The project is tasked with taking the Feature Pack Upgrades programme from a manual process of installation to semi-automation and, ultimately, a fully automated system. We are designing software that will allow us to monitor all our installations more closely and identify faults before our clients are aware there’s a problem that needs to be solved. Also, we want to be in a position where the software is telling us that a module upgrade is required in a customer’s practice. And the end goal? We look forward to the day when all our customers have the latest and best software available to them. This is now within our grasp. It is clear that the product development function has embraced change and is in a better place for the experience. As Alan reflects, it’s been a valuable learning experience. ‘We have certainly geared up and, yes, the shift to Agile software development is a significant factor in our ability to work in collaboration with our clients to a much greater degree. But this is not simply about our processes. Our business culture is focused on outcomes and this has seen us deliver solutions rather than products. The way I see it is that we are customer-focused, but not customer-lead. We’ll not simply deliver what we’re asked to; we’ll go a step further and make recommendations that really get to the heart of the problem.’ In the world of software development, maintaining the status quo is never an option. We’re always looking to the future.
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The power of three Spotlight on Bush House Veterinary Group
Collaborative working is a regular theme in the pages of Insight. Effective dialogue with our customers not only enables us to get to the root of a problem more quickly and provide the right solution, but is a catalyst for business growth and improvement. So, it pays to talk and not just with our clients.
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Vetsolutions Insight This applies in equal measure to our colleagues across the Group and in this article for Insight we discover how Vetsolutions and Henry Schein Animal Health joined forces to help Bush House Veterinary Group achieve results that far exceeded their expectations. It is said that two heads are better than one and there’s no denying that this idiom is indeed true in relation to Bush House. Well, it is in part. In the interests of accuracy, our story revolves around three individuals working together towards a common goal. It’s great to be in a position to share success stories, so let’s introduce the key players in this inspiring tale from Carmarthenshire. Fran Wynne is Practice Manager at Bush House Veterinary Group. Operating from four branches in South West Wales, the practice can trace its origins back to the 1920s and has been trading under its current name since 1975. Fran joined the business, which now has 30 employees, in 1991. Bush House has been a client of Henry Schein Animal Health (HSAH) for many years and in 2015 selected Thrive, the company’s management consultancy programme developed for the veterinary industry, to help the team introduce improvements across the practice. Fran is supported by Emma Latham from HSAH, who works closely with her to ensure the insights generated by Thrive are converted into new business opportunities, a process which has been accelerated by their decision to install Rapport, Vetsolutions’ client communications solution. Step forward Rapport Feature Utilisation Specialist Daisy McNally to complete our trio. As Fran recalls, the decision to invest in Thrive was triggered by a number of factors. ‘Time management was a major issue for me and I know it’s the same for many Practice Managers - there’s not enough hours in the day. Looking back, important areas of our business, such as marketing and business development, fell off the radar as we focused on more immediate priorities. We always seemed to be playing catch up. Also, the potential to increase practice revenue was an exciting proposition. We were busy constantly, but our financial performance often fell short of our expectations.’
Bush House saw a 206% increase in dental sales over the same period the previous year.
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By analysing data from RoboVet, Thrive provides owners with insightful information on their business. It focuses on performance, identifying what a veterinary practice is doing well and where improvements need to be made. Not only that, clients have access to industry specialists such as Emma, who help them make sense of the data and implement strategies designed to deliver improved financial and operational performance. As she explains, her objective is to achieve rapid results. ‘We work to an eight-week consultation cycle based around an Action Plan developed in conjunction with the practice. With new clients we begin with a thorough analysis of their business and, using data from Thrive, can pinpoint process areas where performance is below par. We prioritise our recommendations and establish immediate goals and targets which are mapped out in a Marketing Strategy and then implemented, before reviewing the results and planning subsequent campaigns. By working in short bursts of activity, we act quickly on the data reports from Thrive, using Rapport to target different customer groups with specific campaigns.’
Thrive identifies what a business is doing well and where improvements need to be made. It is clear that the dynamic combination of Thrive and Rapport exemplifies the great potential for collaboration between Henry Schein companies, one which ultimately benefits our customers. This is certainly the experience of Bush House, with the outstanding results from a recent marketing campaign illustrating what can be achieved. Daisy takes up the story. ‘Emma identified that lapsed dental checks was an area that had been overlooked and, as such, presented an opportunity to generate new business. I ran the relevant reports from RoboVet and compiled a list of clients whose pets had no dental check in the last year. It’s fair to say that the number of pets in this category took us all by surprise, so we opted
to stagger the campaign over several phases from November 2016 to January 2017, starting with felines between the age of four and six - in total 1,300 animals. The campaign offer was tempting: a full dental check-up for just £99.00, which represented a significant discount on the usual price. Clients were contacted via email, text message and direct mail. We then repeated the campaign, this time to around 2,000 canines in the same age bracket who needed a dental check. From this activity alone, Bush House saw a 206% increase in dental sales over the same period the previous year. We are delighted with the results and are now building on this success.’
Our campaigns are now focused on target groups where we know for sure there’s potential to generate business. Fran and her team plan to repeat the dental campaign later this year, this time targeting felines and canines over the age of six years. Not only that, they have now added customer details to RoboVet and using Rapport will send out automated check-up reminders.
This represents good practice in all respects: Recall effectiveness rates are improved significantly, the bond with the client is strengthened and, above all, the health of the animal improves through regular treatments. For now, their focus is fixed on treating un-neutered animals. Based on the successful results from the previous campaigns, the team has agreed a marketing plan for the rest of the year, focusing on lapsed vaccination patients and revisiting those clients requiring dental treatments. Fran acknowledges that a change of approach was necessary. ‘Thanks to Emma and Daisy, we now understand that marketing is a year-round activity and the results speak for themselves. Thrive has provided the focus and direction to our business that was lacking previously and injected some much needed discipline. Our campaigns are now more regular and focused on target groups where we know for sure there is potential to generate revenue.’ One of the most important outcomes for businesses that use Thrive and Rapport in tandem is they can see a speedy return on investment through increased sales. For small clinics, this resource gives them the clout of much larger veterinary groups and as a result they are better equipped to compete on a level playing field. As Emma explains, Thrive helps veterinary practices identify the growth potential that exists within all businesses.
‘We recently worked with a successful veterinary business - its revenue was growing by around 15% year-on-year. However, by digging below the surface we discovered that communication with existing clients in the practice’s direct postcode area had lapsed to the extent that sales from this important group had fallen by 8% over the same period. The practice was so focused on finding new customers it had neglected its core clients. There’s a lesson there. However, we were able to quickly rectify this situation, launching a local postcode campaign which targeted existing customers. This addressed the problem and succeeded in getting more patients back in the door - an impressive swing that resulted in a 7% increase in sales to this group within six months.’ The results achieved by Bush House demonstrate that with the right advice and direction, a veterinary practice can be both highly profitable and remain focused on providing the highest standards of animal care. There’s no compromise required.
Time management was a major issue for me and I know it’s the same for many other Practice Managers.
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Vetsolutions Insight
Upgrading your hardware has been shown to increase productivity by up to 15%.
Waiting too long can increase the risk of complete failure
Deciding when to replace your hardware is not easy. How do you know when the time is right? And there’s also the small matter of the costs involved to consider. There is an answer, however. Upgrading your hardware as part of an asset lifecycle plan can help to minimise risk, avoid unwelcome downtime and ensure your practice benefits from the latest technology and product features.
Don’t let your hardware hold you back. Take control and plan for the future with Vetsolutions. Get in touch with us on 0131 556 0555 or by email sales@vetsolutions.co.uk