Closer Look: How a New Website Platform Is Helping Dental Practices Use the Cloud’s Potential

CloudPrep’s 6-point plan is designed to be a step-by-step guide to properly prepare dental practices and employees to be fully ready for the cloud.

Having worked with T2 Consulting, Inc in the past, Kari Kraemer welcomed the chance to implement the company’s new CloudPrep platform into the 2-location, 6-doctor dental practice where she has worked as the practice administrator for more than 25 years.

T2 Consulting’s CEO and founder Ted Takahashi reached out to Kraemer a few months ago to inform her of the introduction of CloudPrep and what the service has to offer to practices. CloudPrep is a website designed to assist dental practices preparing for the cloud.

“We worked with Ted several years ago when we decided to add computers to the operatories. His attention to detail and knowledge saved us a lot of time, money, and frustrations,” says Kraemer, a licensed dental assistant with a bachelor’s degree in business administration. “Ted reached out to me about CloudPrep, and his timing was great [because] I was in the process of starting to look at comparing what we are currently paying for computer, IT [information technology], and patient communication subscription costs to other options. His very detailed plan allowed me to think about things I had not considered prior to seeing them laid out like he has.”

Kraemer, who works at Lakes Dental Care in Baxter, Minnesota, says using T2 Consulting’s shopping list spreadsheet allowed her to take a good inventory of everything the practices are currently using and what it is costing, in addition to offering ideas of items they might want to look into adding.

“From there I was able to take that information and use his bid spreadsheet and have such an organized way to look at the individual vendor bids, the financial impact on the practice, and ultimately be able to make a clear and educated decision on the best decision for the practice,” she says. “With his spreadsheets showing how much those expenses cost over the course of 5 years, it was eye-opening to have it all in one spot and see that actual cost to the practice and then the potential savings with making some changes.”

CloudPrep Benefits
The first benefit was being able to see the practices’ expenses—for all the various items—in one spot, Kraemer says. The second was being able to get bids from vendors and confidently be able to compare apples to apples. A third benefit was having very detailed, well-designed spreadsheets already created at her fingertips to utilize.

Using CloudPrep has increased efficiency and improved workflows at Lakes Dental Care.

“Patient communication has really changed over the years. As systems became available, nobody seemed to be able to do everything you needed in one system,” Kraemer explains. “You would need one vendor for texting patients, another for emailing, one for recall, etc. All of these subscriptions are not only very expensive but also a lot to keep track of.”

Now companies are really becoming more comprehensive with all they offer, according to Kraemer. Because the prep work was completed with CloudPrep, she was able to look at all the costs and the combined total in one spot. Also, she likes being able to compare features and prices with others to make a more educated decision on what to do.

“Knowledge is priceless! Using the 6-step process can really give you the knowledge needed to make good decisions in areas that are so critical to the efficiency of the practice,” Kraemer adds. “Technology is ever changing and is a big investment and ongoing expense to the practice. Utilizing the years of experience and expertise that Ted brings will not only save you a lot of time and headaches, but also money.”