Strategy: Rethink Workflow, Upgrade Technology

When our lab experienced rapid growth, I realized that having all-around technicians handling multiple fabrication steps was no longer efficient, so we revamped our workflow and switched to step production. The result has been a substantial increase in productivity.

For example, in the CAD department, each technician used to scan and design his own crowns. Now, we have one technician who does all the scanning for five dedicated CAD designers and it has increased our average per-day, per-technician production from 19 to 25 crowns.

Similarly, in the model department, rather than having one technician handling all models from start to finish, we now have six technicians working at three separate stations. Two technicians pour up the models, two handle trimming and two add the barcode stickers and mount models on articulators. These changes have eliminated downtime and boosted department productivity by 30%.

We’ve also recently made some technology...