Approaching our silver anniversary, we visited the place where, for 24 years, smiles have been created, bringing life to new faces and new forms of expression. Amidst the hustle and bustle of the workbenches, Francisco Castro shared with us the present and future reality of a laboratory that is striding towards digital emancipation.
This year marks your 24th anniversary. What milestones can be highlighted in these last couple of years?
We have seen some significant developments in the company over the last two to three years. A large investment has been made in new equipment, including milling machines, 3D printers and laser welding machines, among others. We now have dry and wet milling machines, which allow us to mill, let’s say, all types of materials currently used in dentistry. We have also invested in renewable energy to help with energy production and reduce operating costs. In addition, we have made some changes to the internal structure of the company, precisely because of the installation of new equipment. Since then, our challenge has been to meet the certification requirements, which is when we began the process of obtaining ISO 9001 certification.
Is ISO certification recognition reflected in your laboratory’s work? Additionally, is it possible to measure its impact on customer relations?
Not directly. Unfortunately, in Portugal, in our sector, this type of certification is not yet a very relevant factor. In fact, the greatest impact was internal, on the organisation and the processes that were created, which helped us to become more organised and productive. I don’t believe it is directly related to an increase in our customer base, but rather to an increase in productivity, because I realised that with a different organisation, using the same means and the same resources, we were able to achieve more.
The full interview is available in DentalPro magazine 183.
