Score Big With Systems

Kirk: Hey, Kirk here and I’m in a bowling alley. You might be wondering why, but there’s some really amazing stuff going on here. There’s 32 lanes in this bowling alley and can you imagine setting up all these pins?

Announcer: Well, think about doing this night and day for dozens of bowlers at once.

Kirk: I can’t.

Announcer: That’s exactly what the famous AMF Automatic Pin Spotter does quickly and accurately.

Kirk: It was unbelievable. The systems set up the pins by themselves.

Announcer: Have you noticed how fast the ball is returned to him and he’s ready to bowl again?

Kirk: This little film is funny because people were amazed that the ball would get sent back on its own and the pins would be set up automatically. Now we take it for granted because it’s a system that happens all the time. And it allows businesses to become productive, profitable, and very predictable, which is ultimately what dentists need more than anything, high levels of predictability. And the only way to do that is through systems design. You know what’s right across the street from this bowling alley? A Chipotle.

Worker: You guys hungry?

Kirk: Nationally Chipotle does 97,000 pounds of avocados per day. You know how many employees ever come to work here and say, “How are we going to make the guacamole today?” Zero. You know why? Because the system drives the business. No matter who does it, it’s done the same way every time. So after I finish my lunch, you know what I’m gonna do? I’m going to walk a few steps over there to one of my favorite Starbucks and grab a post-lunch drink.

You know what I love about this great company? Eighty-seven thousand different possible combinations to how one of these drinks is made. It’s called predictability. Now you might ask yourself, what’s the secret? Well, the secret isn’t so secret. It’s on the back of the cup. It’s called the system. The system creates high levels of predictability. So whatever you do, find the system so that you can ultimately create higher levels of predictability. Whether it be this cup of coffee, that guacamole, your dental practice, or this bowling alley, the system runs the business.