Flexible and forward-focused
O P T I N E T U P D AT E
Chris Smith outlines some of the latest developments to the Optinet FLEX practice management system When it comes to practice management, not all businesses and business owners are the same; the needs of a traditional bricks and mortar practice are different to those of a hybrid practice where the owner may not work in the business. They may operate at different times and from different locations, from home in the evening or from a mobile office as needs demand. Optinet FLEX can help no matter what the needs are. FLEX can send financial reports by email at the end of the day or automatically copy a staff task to a co-worker’s inbox when they are not in the practice. For businesses that need access from more than one site, or just prefer to have the flexibility of being able to access the system from anywhere, FLEX can be centralised and hosted in the Cloud. Benefits of centralising your business include: Frequently performed tasks can be handled centrally Software configuration remains consistent across the group An ‘always on’ system that can be accessed from anywhere Location restrictions are removed, e.g. access diaries from other branches
DEVELOPMENT MATTERS At Optinet we believe in development; software needs to evolve to keep pace with the digital transformations that are taking place all around us. We always have an eye to the future and close discussions with our Early Access Group let us check ideas in the ‘real world’ before starting any development work and automatic updates ensure the software is always up to date. Our next release is arriving in practices right now and some of the latest developments are outlined below. Integrated card payment system. Optinet has partnered with Windcave, a world leading payment provider, to bring an integrated payment solution to FLEX (see page 23). The benefits of this new integration are: Improved speed of transaction Eradicate keying errors by no longer having to manually enter the transaction amount Highest level of encryption (P2PE) Latest mobile terminal Competitive transaction rates eGOS England. The next release brings the addition of eGOS6 claims and Pre-Visit Notifications to FLEX, meaning all GOS claims can be created and submitted using FLEX. Patient signatures can be captured using a signature pad, on-screen or on a mobile device using our free to use companion apps.
Supporting all your IT needs
Corporate Schemes. FLEX Corporate sees some enhancements when the next update arrives in practice. The update builds on the existing functionality of allowing practices to create corporate records, assign patients to a corporate record and build entitlements for each company. The entitlement list can be accessed from the till system to reduce the patient balance. New functionality. This allows you to allocate a purchase order number to a till item, and print corporate invoices. Further enhancements are planned for next year’s release – so watch this space.
SERVICE AND SUPPORT Whilst we are committed to ongoing software development, we are fiercely proud of the service and support that we offer, starting with the initial software demonstration which, where possible, takes place in the practice or online if the customer prefers. By visiting the practice, we get a feel for the business, get to meet the owner and staff, and start to plan delivery of the software and the training. We are able to convert data from other systems to ensure continuity of the business and we offer on-site training at the point of installation, helping new users to get the most out of the software. Post-installation, we offer remote telephone support, management away-days and training courses at our Worcestershire offices. Our online customer portal is available 24/7 where practices can look up answers to FAQs and open new support tickets. For almost 35 years, Optinet has developed software for independent opticians. We understand practice needs and have the valuable experience that makes Optinet a name you can trust. To find out more about the FLEX system or the exclusive NEG member free 12-month software trial, email chris.smith@optinetuk.com
Chris Smith is operations and business development manager at Optinet. Vision Now November 2021 19
