Though transitioning to a new software for eye clinics may seem daunting at first, the right approach, care, and guidance can result in major improvements for your practice. Changing your patient management system can strengthen processes, patient care, and overall practice management. 

This blog aims to guide practice owners and eyecare professionals through the ‘need to know’ details of what changing or upgrading your optical software entails.

First and foremost, know that when switching to new optical software, it’s essential to do your research. Take your time to study the options and even learn from the experience of other businesses before making a decision that best suits you and your eyecare practice.

Timeline of the Software Transition Process

The timeline of the transition largely depends on the specific features and modules you choose for your new optical software. While the data migration process will also have an impact, the duration can vary significantly—from as short as a day to as long as 12 weeks.

So, what happens during this timeline? 

Meeting your Team

A handover meeting involves your account manager, an implementation manager, and, most importantly, you. This meeting will be the first time you will meet your implementation manager. He or she will guide you through the delivery process. You may also meet your training lead during this time and gain some guidance on how to approach configuring your new software for immediate adoption.

Testing the System

Before switching over completely, your data will first be migrated into a test system. You’ll be able to access this test environment with your training lead who will guide you through it to validate your data and ensure you’re comfortable with how everything is set up.

It’s important to test your data extensively during this stage to avoid any possible issues that may arise due to a problem with data migration.

Training Day and Go-Live Day

After confirming you’re comfortable with your data in its test environment, a ‘Training Day’ and ‘Go Live Day’ will be scheduled for the eyecare professionals in your optical practice.

Getting Your Staff Up to Speed

Ensuring your staff is comfortable with this new system is critical to success. Finding an optical software provider who will proactively plan and work with your practice’s nuances is important. You should be provided with a detailed plan about how setup and training will be executed with the practice’s staff.

Communication

A simple but vital part of the transition process. Naturally, your staff may initially be resistant to this new change. It’s important to handle this effectively from the top down within management by clearly communicating what the change is, when it’s happening, and how it’s happening. Receiving project updates about the purchasing and decision-making process can make your staff feel included during this time and more receptive to the change.

Training

Keep in mind that staff will experience a learning curve as they switch to the new system. These changes can be difficult because they may not be as familiar with technology, particularly when system complexity increases. Eyecare professionals may even try to cut down on their training as they believe they’ll be up and running relatively quickly. In reality, they may experience more problems than they would generally encounter if they had dedicated more time to learning the new system.

E-learning materials can be beneficial as they allow your staff to learn this new system in their own time. Employees could already be familiar with the new system before your implementation team comes on-site for your optical practice’s training day.

Support

It’s essential to ask for help because you’ll need it! A ‘hyper-care’ period may occur after the “Go-Live” day. During this time, your implementation manager and training leads stay in contact with your team for several weeks until they are fully settled with the new software.

Final Thoughts

Implementing new optician software in your practice requires careful planning, research, and an organised process to ensure success. It’s normal to face challenges during this transition period, but by following the guidelines in this blog, this process can prove to be much smoother and more efficient. Keep in mind that the end goal is to enhance your practice’s productivity and efficiency, and embracing this change with confidence can make for a seamless and successful transition.