10 questions to ask when choosing veterinary practice management software

Clinic software gets used for years, and switching later is a hassle: records have to be moved and staff have to get used to a new system. That's why asking the right questions before you decide matters more than how good the demo looks. The ten questions below help you compare different programs by the same yardstick.

1. Who handles installation and maintenance?

With programs installed on a computer, backups, updates and server maintenance are usually left to the clinic. With a cloud-based system, the provider takes care of all that, and you simply log in from your browser. Ask: "What happens to my records if my computer breaks down?" If the answer isn't clear, be careful.

2. How is my data kept separate and protected?

In cloud systems, many clinics share the same infrastructure. Ask the provider how your clinic's data is kept separate from everyone else's, who can access it and how sessions are protected. Locking idle screens and logging who did what are small but important details.

3. Are reminders really automatic?

"We can send SMS" is not the same as "a reminder is queued automatically when a vaccine is entered". Ask which events create automatic reminders, which channels are supported and how messages that couldn't be sent are shown.

4. Are exams, sales and inventory connected?

Deducting the medicine used in an exam from inventory, putting the exam fee on the same receipt and posting the payment to the till are three separate entries in separate programs, but a single entry in an integrated system. Numbers kept in different places never add up at the end of the day.

5. What happens to a receipt issued by mistake?

A receipt that can be deleted leaves unexplained gaps in the books. In a good system, a receipt is cancelled but never deleted, and returns and corrections show up as separate movements. This matters both for your accountant and for internal controls.

6. Who can see what?

Reception may not need to see revenue, and a trainee may not need to be able to delete things. Ask whether permissions can be set per screen and per action (view, add, edit, delete). Being able to define your own roles is just as important as having ready-made ones.

7. What happens when I open a second branch?

You might only have one branch today. Find out whether the till, inventory and staff are separated by branch when you add one, and whether head office can pull a combined report. Otherwise, you'll be forced to switch programs just as you grow.

8. Do the screens I don't use disappear from the menu?

Seeing boarding in the menu of a clinic without boarding, or prescriptions in the menu of a pet shop that doesn't do exams, is confusing. Being able to switch modules on and off helps your team get to grips with the system faster.

9. What determines the price?

The number of users, vets and branches and the patient record limit are priced differently by different programs. Also ask whether extra costs such as SMS are included in the plan. Knowing whether your records are kept at the end of the trial matters if you want to make your decision with peace of mind.

10. Support and data migration

Know in advance how your old records will be moved over and who to contact when you run into a problem. A team you can reach by phone makes a big difference in the first few weeks.