Practice Success Depends on Scheduling
Course Number: 704
Power Cell Scheduling
Power cells are based on production and built into the schedule. Certain procedures are more productive than others and some procedures take more time or have multiple appointments. By throwing out the current schedule, rather than attempting to simply amend it, the practice can build daily blocks for where different procedures go based on production. Although the schedule should be created to reach the annual production goal, this particular process is not simply about production. It is about grouping or categorizing different services at production levels, which often reflects the complexity of the service. (Different services, new patient appointments, hygiene appointments, follow-up and postoperative visits, etc.) As these services are grouped, they can then be entered into the schedule based on the amount of time identified from the procedural time studies.
Power cell scheduling is about proactively building the schedule with the intent of meeting production goals. Power cells are reserved for specific procedures and procedures are placed into the schedule in the manner that most benefits the practice and its goals. We see far too many schedules that have complex and non-complex procedures randomly intermingled in the schedule. This is guaranteed to create a lower level of efficiency and a higher level of fatigue. By blocking the schedule in the best interest of the practice, production will go up as well as energy and a better scheduling flow. This often means performing the most complex procedures in the morning when the team is least fatigued. That leaves the least complex procedures, such as postoperative appointments, for the later afternoon.
One final benefit of procedural time studies and time blocking is that you are much more likely to run on time. We are in an era where running late is annoying to patients and often leads to negative reviews. Furthermore, running late is indicative of an inefficient schedule that will continue to deteriorate further overtime.
