What should I check about a dental lab’s courier pickups and case turnaround?
Ask how cases reach the lab and go back out: who runs the couriers, what routes and cut-off times apply, and how missed pickups are handled. Then compare promised turnaround with real completion dates in the case records. Late cases and clients’ complaints show you where the system strains.
Begin with the logistics. Does the lab employ its own drivers, use a courier firm, or ask dentists to drop off? Ask for any written agreements, and find out whether they transfer to a buyer. A courier arrangement tied to the seller personally may need to be rebuilt.
Then look at the routes. Which offices are far away, and which pickups are the least efficient? Ask what time cases must arrive to be finished by the promised date, and what happens when a pickup is missed. Check turnaround against the case records. Choose a sample of cases and compare the date received, the date finished and the date delivered. Notice where delays collect: waiting for pickup, sitting in a queue, or waiting on a remake.
Ask a few clients how they would describe the lab’s reliability. Listen for any workarounds they have adopted, such as sending cases earlier than needed to be safe. Your accountant can help you see what delivery costs the lab each month. Ask also how the lab tracks cases once they leave the building, and what it does when a case goes missing. A simple tracking habit protects both the lab and its clients. Learn how busy periods, holidays and bad weather are handled, since these stress the system most.
Key takeaways
- Find out who handles couriers and whether the arrangement transfers.
- Compare promised and actual completion dates on a sample of cases.
- Ask clients whether they have built workarounds for late deliveries.
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Sources
This answer is checked against primary sources. Links were last confirmed on the dates shown.
- 01Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentHow to conduct due diligence when buying a business
- 02Business Development Bank of CanadaGovernmentWhat are the steps to buying a business?
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