Why the Traditional Method of Running an Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery Practice is no Longer Effective and Competitive When it Comes to Dental Implant Services

• Be sure the team is willing and able to consistently deliver superior performance
• The team has to have the sense of ownership for the whole process
• The entire team has to have the opportunity and the willingness to identify a problem and show commitment to fix the problem
• Continuous improvement should be part of the mindset of everyone in the practice
• Continuous training and coaching; work smarter, not harder

Operational Excellence based on lean methodology flips the entire traditional hierarchy upside down, with patient at the top of the priority pyramid followed by employees and finally surgeon at the bottom. In other words, traditional hierarchy in the practice will be replaced by a value chain concept.

Fig 6- Traditional hierarchy vs. Operational Excellence hierarchy

While this seems counter-intuitive, but putting employees before doctors means that employees feel valued, and are given more responsibility because they can be trusted with the standardized system which has been put into place. This means that they have much greater involvement in the practice as a

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Volume 22.6