practice tips

success file

The difference between

efficiency and effectiveness A clean way to
catch the stream
Without both characteristics, your veterinary practice in the past, we’ve struggled to
will struggle to remain profitable. collect urine from small or low-
There are two different ap- Veterinarians focused to-the-ground dogs. to solve
proaches to maximizing on efficiency often look for that, we used Velcro to attach
your veterinary practice’s ways to maximize profit- a metal lid to the handle of a
productivity and profitabil- ability by working faster, duster (the kind with disposable
ity during tough times. One delegating as many tasks cloths). it doesn’t touch the
is to focus on efficiency; as possible, skimping on dogs so they don’t get scared,
the other is to focus on ef- Bob Levoy payroll expenses, and cut-
and it works great for collecting
fectiveness. Both are important, but ting corners to save time or money.
the urine. the lid also detaches
which should you focus on? And to a certain degree, these are
easily for cleaning.
An efficient practice focuses on sound management strategies.
— Catarina Brunner, office manager
maximizing productivity and profit- But the point of diminishing Potwin Pet Clinic
ability. An effective practice, on the returns occurs when such cost- Tecumseh, Kan.
other hand, focuses on maximizing containment measures impinge on
client satisfaction and referrals. The a veterinarian’s effectiveness and Bundles save
former is an “inward” view of veteri- ability to satisfy clients. For example, bucks for clients
nary medicine; the latter is an “out- does the emphasis on delegating Woodland Veterinary Hospital
ward” view. Here are four permuta- tasks and working faster require in Woodland, calif., recently
tions of these philosophies: you to spend less time with clients
bundled its boarding services
1. Inefficient and ineffective. In explaining findings and recom-
to offer two levels of overnight
this veterinary practice, nothing’s mendations and answering impor-
stays. Basic boarding, known as
going right, and the result is often tant questions? Does skimping on
the Pampered Pet package, in-
high turnover numbers for both cli- payroll expenses mean that you’re
ents and team members. understaffed during busy times or, cludes a standard kennel, three
2. Effective but inefficient. Team worse, employing team members daily walks, and regular bed-
members at this practice are do- who aren’t as knowledgeable or ex- ding changes and cleaning, says
ing the right things, they’re just not perienced as the job requires? Does offlce manager Jessica reyes.
doing them very well. For example, belt-tightening require a cutback on top-tier boarding, called the
they’re sending client reminders— continuing education for your team Pampered Pet Plus package, in-
but using costly and time-consuming or necessary equipment updates? cludes an individual play session,
snail mail instead of e-mail. Effectiveness, says management a treadmill or cuddle session,
3. Efficient but ineffective. Things expert Peter Drucker, is the foun- a fiuff and brush time, and a
at this practice are running smooth- dation of success. Efficiency is a
Kong playtime treat each day.
ly, but the appointment books aren’t minimum for survival after you’ve
When clients purchase one
exactly filled to the margins. That’s achieved success. But you’ve never
of these packages, they save
because team members aren’t using settled for just the minimum at your
money in comparison with
smart strategies to educate and re- veterinary practice, right?
tain clients—or find new ones. individually priced services.
4. Efficient and effective. In this Veterinary Economics editorial advisory However, the practice brought
Board member Bob Levoy is the author in more revenue because more
practice, team members are doing
of 222 Secrets of Hiring, Managing, and
the right things in a timely way, and Retaining Great Employees in Healthcare clients opt for the packages.
clients love the service. Practices (Jones and Bartlett, 2007).

dvm360.com ❘ March 2011 ❘ Veterinary economics 11

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