Wouldn't it be helpful to know now what your costs might be like 5 years or more down the line? We can help you do this. Forecasting is not an exact science by any means, but with our experience in the market and with IT systems generally, we have a good idea of when a refresh might be necessary and how much this might cost.
Does this mean we will be changing our computers every 3 or 5 years? We might not want to do that?
Far from it. At Dental IT we know the value of a good investment in your IT, and depending on how much you spend initially, and how it is specified, good IT systems can easily last up to ten years productively! On the other hand, more budget equipment might only give you 3 years. Hardware at the cheaper end of the spectrum only offers a mere 1 year warranty.
Costs and refresh forecasting
So how do we work
this out?
Calculating refresh intervals is not as simple as projecting a change every, say, 5 years. In fact, there are many factors involved in the calculation, including:
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How will the demands on the system change?
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Is the site and group expected to grow and expand?
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What is the nature of the users' expectations? Are these simple demands, or "power users".
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What digital imaging needs are there now and in the future? Is CBCT storage likely?
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What other technologies are coming along that could influence requirements?
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What failure rates could the practice tolerate?
There is no "one size fits all"
Practices have very different demands, and even within the practice, often have different demands by user or room. A forensic analysis is required to understand and project which machines and systems will serve your requirements now and into the future. We have practices running the same servers for 10 years or more, whereas others might need a modest upgrade every few years to cope with the rate of data and usage growth.
Have a project in mind?
Dental IT offer a free of charge, no commitment, remote audit to any dental practice. To contact us about this, or get a quote for support, or for any other enquiry, please complete this form and we will contact you back.