Cost of one cancelled appointment due to no lab work

It's Friday. The patient is scheduled for 2:00 PM. The laboratory was supposed to send their crown on Wednesday. It didn't. The assistant calls the laboratory — where is my crown? Reply: we started work yesterday, but there was a problem, it will be on Monday.

The appointment is cancelled. The patient is disappointed. The practice loses revenue. The Friday schedule collapses.

This is a cost. And even if the laboratory sends the crown on Monday, the appointment must be moved to Monday or Tuesday. The domino effect begins.

Scenario: Friday, work didn't reach the practice

The patient booked an appointment for Friday at 2:00 PM. The appointment is scheduled for 30 minutes (crown try-in, possible grinding, cementation). Revenue from this appointment: ~300 PLN (standard prosthetic procedure).

When the work doesn't arrive, the appointment doesn't happen. The patient is informed last minute (sometimes on the same day at 1:00 PM). They are disappointed, and you lose revenue from that day.

Breaking down the cost of one cancelled appointment

Lost revenue from the appointment: 300 PLN.

Preparation costs (already incurred): assistant prepared the practice, materials — ~50 PLN.

Follow-up appointment (if patient requires confirmation): second appointment ~50 PLN in costs (dentist's time + assistant).

Stress and image: patient disappointed by laboratory delays. If it's not the first time — they might change dentists.

Total: ~400–500 PLN in costs + potential loss of image.

Causes of laboratory delays

Why doesn't the laboratory send on time?

1. Inability to produce (overload). The laboratory has too much work, operating at full capacity. Every additional project is pushed to the back of the queue. Lack of buffer time.

2. Documentation errors. Poor quality scan, missing guidelines, assistant had to call — work waits for information. Meanwhile, other jobs move forward.

3. Technical problems. CAD didn't look good, had to be redone. Milling machine broke down. Printer jammed. Firing failed — had to be repeated.

4. Prioritization (incorrect). The laboratory works on a "who calls faster" basis instead of FIFO. Large clients can jump the queue. You are in the middle.

5. Lack of tracking system. The laboratory doesn't communicate work status in real-time. You find out that something won't be on time a day before shipping — too late to change the patient's schedule.

Domino effect: Chain of schedule shifts

Friday 2:00 PM: appointment cancelled. Patient wants to come on Monday, but Monday is full. They are booked for Tuesday. But on Tuesday you have another procedure planned — you move it to Wednesday. Wednesday was planned for a cleaning — the patient has to wait until the next week.

One delayed project = destabilization of the schedule for 2–3 days of practice work.

If a laboratory has an average of 1–2 delays per week (which is normal for a laboratory without an on-time guarantee system), then annually between 50–100 appointments can be delayed. This is potentially 15,000–30,000 PLN in lost revenue ONLY from shifts, without considering stress and loss of image.

On-time guarantee — what to expect from a laboratory

A laboratory should have an on-time guarantee: if the work is not ready by the agreed-upon day — the laboratory bears the costs (either a discount on the next job, or expedited service).

deltalabs. operates on a guarantee: deadline = deadline. If a delay occurs (exceptional situations, emergency patient orders), the laboratory proactively informs the dentist 2–3 days in advance and offers a solution (expedited service, discount, different date).

This changes relationships. The laboratory ceases to be a "black box" and becomes a partner — with an on-time guarantee.

In a practice where delays occur 1–2 times a week, an on-time guarantee can mean savings of around 15,000–30,000 PLN annually — on a more stable schedule and appointments that don't have to be cancelled.