Teleos and Brexit

With the continued uncertainty surrounding the UK’s exit from the EU on 29th March 2019 we have been planning, so far as any business can, to mitigate the effects of all possible outcomes. Our clear objective is to maintain a high level of customer care with minimum disruption, irrespective of the exit scenario.

There are a number of products and services that we supply to our clients that have been subject to review:-

1. Software Support
We do not foresee any issues with our ability to continue to provide support services, irrespective of your location. Obviously this is of greatest concern to our Irish and Norwegian clients, but it is extremely unlikely that there will be any interruption to broadband services across the globe.

2. Cloud Servers
A number of Teleos users run on cloud servers. The servers that we use are physically based in France, so there is no issue for our Irish practices. Whilst we do not believe that there will be a post Brexit issue for UK practices, we are continuing to monitor the situation and will move UK based practices to UK based cloud servers should the need arise. It should be noted that there may be a cost in doing so in higher rental and setup charges.

3. Hardware Supply
In the event of a no deal Brexit, it is envisaged that there may be significant delays shipping physical goods in and out of the UK. If we revert to WTO tariffs then it is likely that additional costs will be incurred. In fact, we have already seen quite sizeable increases in the cost of Dell hardware in particular, and other suppliers will inevitably follow suit. Whilst we will try and absorb some of these additional costs, it is inevitable that prices may rise by up to 10%.

We are in the process of increasing our stock holdings in case of supply issues. However, it is obviously recommended that, if you know that you are likely to need additional hardware, you let us know well in advance of March 29th.

Clients based in Ireland will be most affected, particularly if the border issue is not resolved. In the worst case scenario, clients can always source hardware locally and Teleos staff can configure it remotely.

4. Dispensing Label Supply
We recognise the need to keep a constant supply of dispensing labels available. We have been using the same manufacturer for the best part of twenty years and many of their raw materials come from within the EU. They have already had assurances on supply and are holding larger stocks of raw materials themselves.

We have never had a supply issue in the past 20 years as the manufacturer keeps a rolling 3 month stock at their warehouse for monthly call-off. However, as a precautionary measure, we are now having a further batch of labels manufactured and will keep a 6 month rolling supply. We have not been advised of any increases in raw material costs but again, WTO tariffs may well come into play at some point.

If you are in the Republic Of Ireland, it is highly recommended that you order dispensing labels well in advance of when you need them. It might be an idea to keep some spare rolls of labels as a contingency.

We are continuing to monitor and review the situation and will make further announcements as and when required. Please do not hesitate to contact us if you have any immediate concerns.

SAVSNET

Teleos are working in partnership with The Small Animal Veterinary Surveillance Network (SAVSNET) based at the University of Liverpool to support research using veterinary big data collected from consultations.  We would like to encourage Teleos practices to consider joining SAVSNET which collects data through a window that appears at the end of each consultation – just one click is required to indicate the main reason why the animal came to the practice.  In 10% of consults, a short multiple choice questionnaire is asked which is typically five questions. Practices who join can claim 40 points towards the RCVS Practice Standards Scheme and will all receive an online secure bench marking site called the SAVSNET portal.  CLICK HERE FOR INFO is an overview of SAVSNET and some slides showing the current SAVSNET portal

It is not compulsory to join SAVSNET and if you would prefer not to be contacted by the SAVSNET team, please let us know. Otherwise, the SAVSNET team will start making contact soon.

We hope that you will support this initiative which has just celebrated it’s 10th birthday and is producing some useful research for the veterinary profession.

Get up to date with Teleos at the System Manager course in December

A limited number of places are still available on the next System Manager course being held in Fort Dunlop on 11th/12th December.

The course is designed to enhance your knowledge of the system and use it to greater effect in your practice. Topics covered on this two day course include:-

  • Terminal Server Administration; Local and Cloud based
  • System and Cyber Security
  • Program setup options
  • Teleos New Modules
  • Client communication techniques
  • Customising work entry scripts
  • New Features and things you might have missed
  • KPI Dashboard & Management Reporting
  • GDPR
  • Stock Control & Ordering
  • Pet Health Plans

So, if you are a new user of Teleos or would like a refresher and update on new features, book your place now!

For further details please contact Louisa on +44 (0)1480 393604 or email louisa-hewitt@teleosvet.co.uk

 

GDPR Webinar

As you will know, Teleos has implemented a number of features to help you become GDPR compliant. We have published a number of handout sheets explaining our implementation of these new regulations, which become law on 25th May 2018 (see previous posts).

We have heard and seen all sorts of incorrect advice being offered to the Veterinary profession, some of which blatantly flies in the face of what GDPR sets out to achieve.

If you have not yet done anything then don’t panic!  There are no issues with continuing to send treatment and appointment reminders as you do now, as you have a ‘legitimate interest’ in doing so.

If you haven’t started your GDPR journey then you may want to sign up to the Connected Vet Academy Webinars CLICK HERE

If you have any Teleos specific queries then please email GDPR@teleosvet.co.uk

 

**Recent Windows Update – PLEASE READ**

Due to a recent Windows update pushed automatically by Microsoft we’re getting a high volume of calls with clients unable to login to their servers, the error is to do with missing login credentials. This is a bug since the update and as a result the login details need to be re-set or re-added.

With over 4000 computers using Teleos our support lines are currently being overwhelmed with calls, if you can’t get through please leave us a message with the details of the computer and we’ll get to you as soon as possible.

GDPR and Teleos IMPORTANT INFORMATION

The new General Data Protection Regulations come into force on 25 May 2018. Your practice is probably already looking at what you need to do to ensure compliance. These changes affect every business in the EU so it is important that you get your business up to speed.

We are currently reviewing all of our data protection policies and support contracts and you will receive these in due course. You will need them for your own compliance.

We have already made some changes to the Teleos program which will assist in your own compliance. Further details are available in this document GDPR and Teleos

Subject to Teleos support staff having access to your system on Saturday 17th February 2018, we will upgrade all practices to the new program build. However, if your Teleos financial account is not in good order then we reserve the right to withhold the update.

If you have any queries regarding GDPR then please email GDPR@teleosvet.co.uk in the first instance.

Changes to Teleos support

We’d like to inform you of some exciting changes being made to the Teleos support desk. Our support is an integral part of the Teleos system and we understand how important it is to our users. Over the past few months we acknowledge our support hasn’t been at our usual high standard. We are addressing this and want you to know this is going to change.

How will we achieve this?

On February 19th we are moving to a new call logging system. This will give you, our users, a more streamlined and easier system to use. We’ll be able to give you a quicker response than previously, due to its full and seamless integration at our end. You will also have the ability to track your support tickets online and update them with your own notes when needed. Each ticket resolved will give you the option to rate the service you received and we’d encourage you to do this on as many tickets as you can so we know how we’re doing.

What changes for you?

Currently you can either tmail support through the Teleos programme or call the support desk. You will still be able to call us but from February 19th when you click ‘tmail support’ you’ll be taken to our online support portal. The first time you access the portal you will be required to sign up – which involves entering your email address and your name. Once you’ve set up an account you’re done. To raise a ticket you login to the support portal with your email and password and then send your request. We appreciate this gives you one extra step but it will make a big difference our end when it comes to dealing with the query.

 

What do you gain?
1. The ability to track your raised tickets, and add to them whenever you need to.
2. We are building a knowledge base for our users within this area. This will be a searchable area available through a  “Solutions” tab.

We would like to thank you in advance for your cooperation and understanding. Once the new system is fully up and running, we do expect our level of service to be better than it has ever been before.