Curve’s "Start Right" Blueprint for DSOs and Group Practices
Moving to new software is often described with a familiar joke: "Everyone wants a new house, but no one wants to move." For Dental Service Organizations (DSOs) and large group practices, the transition is massive—it's a high-stakes move that can feel paralyzing.
At Curve Dental®, we recognized that the key to a successful transition isn't just great software; it’s a proven, structured methodology. That’s why we developed Implementation 360, our 5-step "start right blueprint" designed specifically to reduce risk, increase ease, and ensure your entire team feels confident every step of the way.
This guide is designed for growth-stage DSOs and group practices evaluating Curve and looking for a clear picture of what implementation actually looks like—from planning to go-live and beyond. Here is a closer look at the five phases that support a smooth start with Curve.
1. Stakeholder Alignment: Building the Custom Map
Before moving the first line of code, we meet with key stakeholders remotely to gain a deep understanding of your current practice workflows.
- The Goal: Stakeholders will share their current workflows and help us make crucial decisions about their future workflows within Curve.
- The Outcome: We use this detailed information to build a completely customized training program. Because your business is unique, your implementation plan should be, too.
2. Preliminary Data Conversion: Train with Your Own Data
The fear of data conversion is one of the biggest sources of anxiety during any software migration. We eliminate this fear by doing something unique: we perform a preliminary conversion of your data and place it into a dedicated Curve training database.
- The Advantage: Your staff members train using their own, familiar patient data. This allows them to learn the new system with context, demystifies the entire conversion process, and allows us to get the data "cleaned up, ready to go" for the final migration.
- The Difference: This approach is far superior to older methods of reviewing data in abstract spreadsheets—it builds immediate comfort and confidence.
3. Customized, Role-Based Training
With a custom workflow map and a training database in hand, we move to training. Our approach is hierarchical and role-specific:
- Train the Trainers: For large organizations, we provide the option of training your core stakeholders first so that they can be the in-house "go-to people" for their teams.
- Role-Based Deep Dive: We provide tailored training for each team member on their specific tasks and workflows within Curve.
4. The Structured "Go Live" Experience
The day you switch systems doesn't have to be chaos. Our structured two-day Go-Live process is managed carefully to build confidence gradually:
Day One – Setup and Training Verification
- Morning (No Patients): Dedicate the first half of the day to final system setup, intensive team practice on essential data entry, and completion of the "Passport" verification checklist to ensure every team member demonstrates proficiency in their specific go-live workflows.
- Afternoon (50% Patient Load): Begin seeing patients at half of your usual volume.
Day Two: Full-Volume Proficiency
- Resume seeing your typical patient load. Team members will focus on executing and refining their new workflows throughout the day to achieve full operational proficiency.
Our experience has been that all the offices that have gone through this 'Go Live' process have felt comfortable by day two, and by the end of day two, they felt confident in all essential workflows.
5. The 90-Day Success Program: We Don't Leave You
Our commitment doesn't end when the switch is flipped. The first 90 days post-launch are critical, and our Success Program ensures we have your back.
- Dedicated Account Manager: Your practice is assigned an account manager who understands your business and has tracked your implementation journey from day one.
- Proactive Data Monitoring: We review your data daily. We proactively monitor it for potential issues, such as claims not going out or recare not working, so we can reach out to you immediately to resolve them.
The intent of the entire 90-Day Success Program is to reduce risk, increase ease, and ensure nothing falls through the cracks, giving owners and business drivers the assurance that their practice is running smoothly on its new foundation.
Curve Provides Ongoing Support
After the 90-Day Success Program, Curve Dental provides robust ongoing customer support, anchored by 24/7/365 availability for critical emergencies such as login or imaging failures.
Users are also given web based access to self-service resources, including user guides and video tutorials, as well as Ask CurveAI, an intelligent assistant that provides instant, accurate responses to customer inquiries about Curve Dental's platform.
We provide structured online training modules, including the Boot Camp Training Program and Go Live Advanced Training, designed for continuous learning, new-hire development, and skill reinforcement.
Curve’s “Start Right Philosophy”
Making the move is the hardest part, but with the right guidance, it can be the smoothest.
Curve Dental’s Implementation 360 is built on the philosophy that taking the time to "start right" sets your entire organization up for sustained confidence and operational excellence. We look forward to guiding your team through all five steps, doing what we can to make your move successful, stress-free, and, most importantly, right for your business.
Ready to start right? Talk with our team about what a “start right” implementation would look like for your organization.
Kristen Smith
Kristen manages the training, implementation and customer care initiatives of Curve Dental. Her team focuses on full product adoption, ongoing customer success, and delivering world-class customer care. Kristen has over 20 years of hands-on dental experience building market-leading customer service departments, including 12 years with Curve Dental.