Supplier evaluation
How should a lab evaluate an outsourced dental CAD designer?
A visually attractive sample is useful, but a supplier decision also depends on what your laboratory can open, check and consistently work with. A representative trial turns general promises into an observable workflow. Set the criteria before either designer sees the case.
The short answer
Assess the delivered design against a complete written brief, then record file usability, review effort, clarification quality, revision handling and the agreed delivery target. Use the same criteria for each provider. A trial scorecard supports a purchasing decision; it does not predict every future case or replace the laboratory’s technical review and release process.
Lab workflow templates
Download a blank CSV to adapt for your lab. Use the agreed secure channel for completed case records.
Choose a representative case and hold the brief steady
Use a case that resembles the workload you expect to outsource. A straightforward crown does not demonstrate an entire full-arch workflow, and a deliberately incomplete brief mainly measures how suppliers chase missing information. If your case mix is varied, review more than one relevant workflow before assigning them all to a single route.
- Write the restoration, unit count, software/version, requested files and review owner.
- Share the same design preferences and input package with each candidate; agree trial pricing and timing in advance.
Define the checks before reviewing the proposal
Ask your lab’s reviewer to turn preferences into observable questions. Did the designer follow the written prescription and identify uncertain instructions? Can the reviewer find the intended design version? Are all promised outputs present? Keep design interpretation separate from simple transfer failures so feedback leads to a useful corrective action.
- Record each criterion as accepted, clarification needed or revision needed, with a short reason.
- Judge design details against your approved lab preferences and applicable workflow, without inventing universal numeric settings.
Measure the work left inside your laboratory
The lowest design fee can still leave substantial coordination or review work. Track how long your team spends opening files, explaining the same issue and preparing a usable release package. Separate initial familiarization from repeated avoidable problems. If several reviewers participate, use one consolidated response rather than conflicting instructions sent through different channels.
- Record internal review time, missing-file requests and clarification exchanges for each trial.
- Distinguish a technical correction from a changed brief, added unit or replacement scan.
Test a realistic feedback and revision loop
If a correction is required, send one specific request tied to the case ID, version and relevant view. Check whether the response acknowledges the issue, explains any uncertainty and returns a clearly marked revision. Do not create a needless change just to test responsiveness; an actual question about the proposal can reveal how the designer communicates.
- Use one issue list with an owner and the expected action for each item.
- Compare the corrected version with the original request and record which issues remain open.
Make a routing decision and retain the scorecard
At the end, decide which work the provider is ready to receive: routine crowns, a limited case category, overflow support or further evaluation. A strong result in one workflow does not establish capability in every indication. Record the agreed next step and revisit it when software, case mix or review requirements change.
- Summarize delivered scope, accepted outputs, review effort and outstanding conditions alongside the quote.
- Keep a named internal approver and a backup route before increasing case volume.
Frequently asked questions
Should a trial use the easiest or hardest case?
Choose a complete case representative of the work you plan to send. Additional complex workflows deserve their own review rather than being inferred from one easy or unusually difficult example.
Is fastest delivery the most important score?
Judge timing against the agreed target together with usable files, brief compliance and review effort. Record when inputs became complete so delays caused by missing information are visible.
Does Mocoore offer a free trial?
Discuss a representative case and request a case-based quotation. The trial scope, outputs, price, revision approach and target delivery should be confirmed before design begins; no blanket free-case offer is assumed.
