What should a dental laboratory software tool respect?
It should start from the team’s folder structure, the sources actually used and the reception checks required before production. It should not force a generic workflow onto the bench.
Which seven criteria matter most?
Folder structure, real case sources, readable reception steps, file location, exception handling, setup effort and the people behind the tool are practical starting points.
How should a lab compare workstation and cloud approaches?
Ask where files are stored, what transits through a server, how folders are recovered and who handles exceptions. The answer matters more than a generic feature list.
| Step | Manual or remote approach | Laboratory workstation approach |
|---|---|---|
| Where do files go? | Local or network folders chosen by the lab | Remote workspace defined by the service |
| What transits? | Platform exchanges; some connections use a server without case storage | Files and operations can be centralised remotely |
| Who handles exceptions? | The laboratory team | According to the remote service configuration |
According to your laboratory
Small laboratory
Start with one workstation, one source and a simple destination folder. The goal is to make the first reception step predictable, not to change every production habit.
Growing laboratory
Agree on naming, destination folders and how incomplete cases are treated. Automation serves those rules; it does not replace them.
Several sites
Use a designated reception workstation. The team can access the folders through the laboratory network according to its own infrastructure and permissions.