Month in and month out, you’ve got the dreaded invoice run. There’s the endless amounts of paper, the huge cost of stamps, and then so much time wasted folding invoices and stuffing envelopes. Believe me, you’re not alone. So  many veterinary practices face the same challenges.

When I worked in a vet practice, we had the same problem. Once a month, we had the invoice run. It took so long to print the invoices that you could easily nip out for lunch and maybe get some shopping done in the meantime. As long as you remembered to fill up the printer with paper first. Best case scenario: the invoices were printed and ready when you got back. Worst case: the toner had run out, there was a paper jam or some other problem had come up. You can imagine how frustrating it was.

340 euros a month for stamps alone!

But that wasn’t all: the invoices still had to be folded, stuffed in their envelopes and stamped. 400 invoices! Over time, I got the hang of it and got much faster, but it was still a waste of time. And let’s not even talk about the cost. 400 invoices were the norm in our practice. Veterinary practices tht do a lot of field work in particular can’t avoid sending invoices, and they have a lot more than usual.

Take us for example: 400 invoices at 85 cents each. That’s 340 euros in one month, just for stamps. And that doesn’t even include the cost of paper, toner and hourly wages.

The Solution: a Communication Subscription

Eventually, I decided I was done with all the hassle. We needed a solution.

I did some research, and found easyVET’s communication subscription. For a flat rate of 1 euro per day, we could send unlimited emails directly from easyVET. I was sold. I talked it over with the team, and we decided to give it a try. The nice thing is that you can set it up yourself, on your own timeline, and it has flexible scheduling. I have to admit, there were a few things to consider when setting it up, so I got out the instructions to be safe. In the end, we started successfully sending emails straight from easyVET.

Invoices weren’t the only thing we sent digitally; we also used it for reports, lab results and reminders.

And out of curiosity, I even tried moving the invoice run up a few days. It worked better than I expected. Not only did I send invoices, I also sent certificates, reports, lab results, reminders, and more to pet owners.

Once it was activated and correctly configured, we just had to make sure we had the current email addresses on file for clients who preferred email invoices. And just like that, the mountain of paper became smaller and easier to work through.

We Saved So Much Paper

Our processes were simplified and we avoided unnecessary workflows. Instead of printing out reports, getting the vet’s signature on them and then scanning them back in and sending them off, we could now write the full report in easyVET, attach a digital signature and send it directly to the client, without wasting any paper.

We used to send lab results via email, but now they go directly from our easyVET account. No more searching for lab results in a crowded inbox. They are already assigned to the corresponding treatment, and can be sent directly from the file.

An Unexpected Perk: More Fun at Work

I was relieved, and honestly quite thrilled, to see that we could streamline several of our processes so quickly. My work is more productive, and my job more fun.

Based on my own experience, I have one piece of advice: take a good look at your internal processes. Ask questions and try new things. It might be difficult at first to get the hang of the new processes, but the benefits are worth it.