LMT Articles

Faster, Smarter, Better: 36 Strategies to Boost Your Business

In this economy, working faster, smarter, better is the key to riding out the storm. Here are 36 ways to streamline production, reduce remakes, lower costs, maximize marketing, improve client relationships, boost employee morale and create a leaner, meaner, more efficient laboratory operation. Have...

From Crown Art to Wall Art

Since she learned the technique 10 years ago, former technician Michelle Rial has created more than 650 pieces of glass fusion art—a relatively unknown art form in which layers of colored glass are cut, stacked and fused in a kiln.

Faster, Smarter, Better: 36 Strategies to Boost Your Business

Have an ingenious marketing strategy? Innovative cost-cutting idea? New way to streamline production? Share your best business boosting strategies with over 3,000 of your peers on THE BRIDGE!

Five International Laboratories Combine Efforts to Create Powerhouse

The Aurum Group, headquartered in Calgary, Alberta, forms a strategic partnership with four labs from around the globe.

From the Series: Faster, Smarter, Better: 36 Strategies to Boost Your Business

Faster, Smarter, Better Technical Strategies to Boost Your Business: What Technical Strategies Do You Use to Boost Your Business?

#### Problem: It's hard to achieve consistency in our work even with a final Q/C check. Strategy: While a final case inspection is important, it shouldn't be the only quality control system in place. Building a system of checks and balances into the entire production process allows you to find and...

From the Series: Faster, Smarter, Better: 36 Strategies to Boost Your Business

Faster, Smarter, Better: 6 Financial Strategies to Boost Your Business. Share Your Money Saving Tips Here!

February 2012-- ###Problem: My lab is tight on cash and I'm looking to better control my inventory costs. Strategy: Keeping a tight reign on your inventory and not stocking a lot of extra materials can be a great idea--especially when it comes to high-priced metals and implant components. On the...

From the Series: Faster, Smarter, Better: 36 Strategies to Boost Your Business

Faster, Smarter, Better: 6 Personnel Strategies to Boost Your Business

>In this economy, working faster, smarter, better is the key to riding out the storm. Here are 6 easy-to-implement tips that can lead to a leaner, meaner, more efficient laboratory operation. ###Problem: I feel like my staff is very fragmented, especially between departments. I need some strategies...

FullContour.com Expands CAD Design Services

Fullcontour.com, a CAD design-dedicated center, has recently expanded its services.

Federal Reclassification of Technicians Could Change As Early As 2013

The NADL has been successful in identifying a different regulatory avenue to expedite the U.S. Department of Labor's reclassification for dental technicians, moving the original timeline for such a ch

Five Tips to Perk Up Your Packaging

They say you can't judge a book by its cover, but the fact is that we often do. So what does your laboratory's packaging say about the work that's inside?

First Impressions: 5 Ways to Roll Out the Red Carpet For New Customers

You know what they say: you never get a second chance to make a first impression. Here are five ways to cultivate loyalty and make sure first-time customers become long-term clients.

Face to Face: the In-Person Sales Call

If you’re looking for new business, it’s time to get personal. An in-person sales call presents an ideal opportunity to customize your message for each dentist-client, but if those words strike fear in your heart, don’t miss this coverage.

Family-owned Company Retools For the Future

LMT Associate Publishers Kelly Carr and Laurie Freddino traveled to Louisville, Kentucky for some Southern hospitality and to learn how third- and fourth-generation members of the Steinbock family...

Feng Shui Maximizes Energy in Boutique Washington Laboratory

From the moment you step into LeBeau Precision Aesthetics, the energy is palpable. While it's largely due to the passion and interest of Owner Dene LeBeau and his talented 11-person staff, the lab has another secret weapon: feng shui.

Florida Laboratory in 'harmony' With Employees

On track to hit $11 million in sales this year, Harmony Laboratory, Jacksonville, Florida, attributes much of its success to its 140 employees and strives to keep them happy and productive.

From Broker to Overseas Facility Owner

In the latest installment in our coverage of the global market, LMT talks to Roy Shu, Shu Dental Lab, Morrisville, Pennsylvania, about his decision to open a facility in Zhu Hai, China.

FutureLAB

LMT kicks off a new series looking at trends that will shape the lab of the future. The topic this time: the top three digital technologies that will have the greatest impact in the next five years.

FutureLAB: Part 2

In the second segment of our FutureLAB series, LMT takes a look at the fate of the small lab and trends that will shape the laboratory of the future ...

Federal Employment Laws: How They Apply to You

There are more than 180 federal employment laws designed to protect the rights of the employee that are administered and enforced by the U.S. Department of Labor and the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.

Five Surefire Ways to Boost Your Bottom Line

Over one-third of respondents to LMT’s 2008 Fee Survey say their profitability has increased in the last two years. Here are the top five strategies they’re using to boost their bottom lines:

Focus On Client Relations and Education Leads Laboratory's Growth

PDA Dental Laboratory has experienced a 500% growth in five years; Owner Troy Gasser shares his strategies for success.

Four-day Workweek Boosts Morale and Bottom Line

Thanks to the implementation of W. E. Deming’s manufacturing principles, the staff at Unique Dental Group has successfully switched to a four-day workweek and is enjoying more leisure time.

From a 'Cave' to a Castle

For 35 years, the staff at Flud Dental Lab in Tulsa, Oklahoma, affectionately dubbed their building “The Cave.”

Financial Strategies: Depreciation Demystified

In this new series, CPA Linda Bates simplifies basic tax and accounting concepts. She starts with depreciation, an often misunderstood concept that can lead to poor decisions & disastrous tax effects.