If you want data transparency in your dental practice, you need to comprehensively identify your dental practice’s strengths and weaknesses. But how? By using a SWOT analysis (strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats). This is a proven, comprehensive tool that, when used along with data analytics, gives you clear visibility into your data.
The“magic”of a SWOT analysis
Framing your business strategies in the categories of strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats is the essence or “magic” of this analytical technique.
A SWOT analysis is a simple, organized way to uncover what’s working or not working and determine what you can do to create change. And it can be applied to any department, process, system or team initiative in your dental practice.
The SWOT template relies on quadrant thinking. Start by creating a quadrant chart with questions like the ones below.
| What do you see as our strengths? | What weaknesses are you aware of? |
| What opportunities do we have? | What threats stand in the way? |
External
You’ll achieve the best results when you go through each quadrant with your team members one on one, or by discussing them with a select group (depending on your analysis goals).
Measure and improve results with analysis
It’s been said many times: “What’s measured is improved.” So simply measuring how you’re doing in the different areas of the
SWOT analysis could be the most strategic initiative you take toward dental practice growth and profitability.
You gain transparency by facing and learning from reality in your dental practice. The more transparent you and your team are, the more effective and efficient you’ll be. To achieve the transparency you’re seeking, conduct SWOT analyses on developing trends and your strategies for growth initiatives.
1-Trends
A SWOT analysis provides clarity about the developing trends in your dental practice.
You and your team need to distinguish between what’s a trend and what’s merely an event. This is an important distinction because if you give unnecessary attention and energy to isolated occurrences, circumstances or incidents in your daily operations, you could erode your dental practice’s culture. SWOT helps keep trends and events in their proper (and useful) perspective. For example, with a SWOT analysis:
- You can make technology investment decisions based on needed outcomes rather than having to constantly buy the latest or greatest new thing.
- You can make staffing and workflow decisions according to individual role functions instead of an across-the-board demand.
Your SWOT analysis will prompt useful discussion points to help you clarify trends, which you can choose to build on or work to eliminate in your dental practice. Your team will appreciate these changes and your practice will benefit from them.
2-Strategies
A SWOT analysis has the potential to uncover areas of weakness around ideas that lack focus or energy. It also challenges any routine complacency that can affect the planning and implementation of new ideas.
Use SWOT to analyze core growth initiatives in your dental practice. For example:
- Improve your dental marketing. As you review your dental practice website, social media, content creation and patient engagement initiatives with a SWOT analysis, you can decrease marketing costs and improve the results of your efforts.
- Improve your patient experience. With a SWOT analysis, you can discover where patients feel comfortable or empowered. This allows you to determine where and how you can upgrade patient interactions, case presentations, case acceptance, scheduling, financials and more, so your patients have a better experience with your practice.
No idea is off limits
Remember that when you do a SWOT analysis, nothing is off limits in your discussions. If you find that you are shutting down ideas in yourself or others, check yourself. Otherwise, you’re limiting your practice’s potential. Having a full picture of your data helps you use SWOT and other tools to help you achieve clarity and transparency in your business.
To learn more about using data analysis to evaluate trends and drive new strategies in your dental practice, look at these articles:
You’re in This Together, So Why Not Share Dental Practice Analytics With Your Team?
How Data-Driven Goals and Strategies Align With Dental Practice Operational Success
Achieve transparent data using a proven data analytics solution
The Jarvis Analytics platform helps ensure that you’re tracking the important metrics and staying on track with your goals as your dental practice grows and expands.
Experience Jarvis Analytics in action. Request a demo today!
Or…
Contact us for more information about data tracking that leads to stand-out patient care and organizational profitability.
LIKE WHAT YOU SEE & READ?
Join thousands of other people, subscribe to our newsletter, and get valuable business tips delivered right to your inbox.
