47383blu_Members Handbook 2015 AW 23/12/2015 15:58 Page 2 2016 Members Handbook www.xlvets.co.uk 47383blu_Members Handbook 2015 AW 23/12/2015 15:58 Page 3 47383blu_Members Handbook 2015 AW 23/12/2015 15:58 Page 4 It’s All About Getting Involved As XLVet members we believe that independent veterinary practices are the powerhouses to achieve XLVets the highest quality of service to our clients. And by working together, sharing experience, knowledge Page 04 Five Pillars for Excellence and skills, we will deliver excellence in veterinary Page 06 XLVets Members’ Mandate practice so that we are seen as experts in animal Page 08 XLVets Values health all over the world. Page 10 XLVets Strategic Plan Page 12 XLVets Business Team XLVets is an organisation of its members, for its members. Page 46 IT Services The Board of XLVets expects all of its members to actively Page 47 Email, Web Forums and Website participate within the group and to share ideas, knowledge Page 50 XLVets Member Services A - Z Guide and experience with other group members. The Board requires members to work in collaboration with other members to achieve positive outcomes. Business Management This booklet is designed to provide a summary of useful information so that you can get involved and take part with Page 14 Business Management Executive XLVets initiatives and also in order to allow you to include Page 15 Business Management Activity Plan these activities in your own practice plans for 2016. Page 17 Marketing Page 18 The Rationale for Preferred Products and Services Page 19 Using the XLVets Brandmark Page 21 Calendar 2015 XLVets members An up to date list of all XLVets member practices including an interactive google map of their locations can be found Farm on the XLVets website www.xlvets.co.uk Page 24 Farm Calendar Farm Activity Plan For further informationon any aspect of your Page 26 Farm Regional Groups XLVets membership contact the XLVets team Page 27 Farm Articles Page 29 Broomhall Buying Services Ltd on 01228 711788. Small Animal Page 30 Our vision for the future Page 31 Lifetime Care Club Graduate Development Programme Page 32 Marketing Page 33 Small Animal Activity Plan Page 34 Small Talk Articles Page 35 Using the Small Animal Brandmark Equine Page 37 Vision Page 38 Equine Activity Plan Page 39 XLEquine Skills Page 40 Better Together! Page 41 Using the XLEquine Brandmark XLVets Training Services Page 43 VetSkills, FarmSkills and EquineSkills 03 47383blu_Members Handbook 2015 AW 23/12/2015 15:58 Page 5 In order to deliver Excellence in Practice, the XLVets Board has committed to working with five key strategic pillars. Clinical Excellence People This is the glue that binds us all together. Through working as an It is the people of a practice that make it what it is. By delivering extended national team, sharing ideas and experience, all XLVets opportunities for training and development, every member of the members can benefit from the resource contained within the group. practice team can develop their own skills. Moreover, by looking Furthermore, through identifying common requirements, externally to the future, XLVets seek to encourage the best new applicants for sourced CPD can be arranged and delivered. This means that in a career with member practices. We want to be practices that 2016 all XLVets member practices will be able to provide a case people aspire to work for: We will measure this through two way study that shows the client benefits from this knowledge sharing. feedback with our practice teams and a veterinary student survey. XLVets members: XLVets members: ● Contribute to clinical discussions using the web ● Make their practice team aware of the principles forum; to share their experiences and knowledge and objectives of XLVets. with other members. ● Hold an ‘all hands’ meeting at least once a year, ● Support the regionally organised CPD meetings where the activities of XLVets can be discussed with wherever possible; to ensure that all staff members all practice members, and the opportunity given to are made aware of the CPD events and to all staff members to provide feedback and ideas. encourage staff members to attend. ● Support the participation of all practice team ● Produce best practice articles and contribute members in XLVets training opportunities. to features such as the Farmers Weekly Column, Appoint a named person to be a local ‘brand as requested. ● champion’ for XLVets who can help co-ordinate ● Use the best practice articles in their local press activities within the practice. wherever possible. ● Encourage their colleagues to proactively engage ● Visit at least one other member practice each with their neighbouring XLVets practices to achieve year and audit and review three clinical aspects collaborative output. of practice. ● Ensure that at least two members of the practice ● Take up membership of the RCVS Practice team attend the yearly main XLVets meetings Standards Scheme (PSS). and AGM. Growth XLVets members: Growth through understanding and meeting customer needs. Turnover is one of the best barometers of how well a practice is ● Are prepared to participate with and proactively meeting the needs of its clients. The success of a practice is carry out market research that helps to determine determined by how well it understands and meets these needs, client needs. and also by how well it communicates with its clients. ● Share ideas that will help member practices to ‘It is the customer who determines what a business is. It is the grow their turnover by better meeting their customer alone whose willingness to pay for goods or for a clients’ needs. service determines a business. What a customer buys and ● Grow their practices using strategies and tactics considers value is never just a product. It is always a utility, that that seek collaboration, and not simply is, what a product or service does for him or her.’ Peter Drucker competition, with other member practices. The campaigns of activity published for XLVets members, seek to ● Work with XLVets campaigns, including training provide tools to assist the practice to efficiently and effectively programmes, wherever possible. promote its services to its clients. By understanding the needs of our Provide feedback to the group on the campaigns. clients, and effectively communicating the benefits of our products ● and services to them, our objective in 2016 is to ‘outgrow the ● Support and provide materials for the XLVets market’ and perform ‘better than the rest’. We want to be practices PrintWorks tool. that clients aspire to recommend as ‘their veterinary practice’. 04 47383blu_Members Handbook 2015 AW 23/12/2015 15:58 Page 6 Business Process Efficiencies Communication and Branding Top-line growth is eroded if the costs incurred by the practice If you don’t tell them, they will never know’. Great emphasis is increase as well. By working as a team, XLVets members seek to placed on the work undertaken by all member practices to drive down the costs of practice and improve the efficiencies of enhance the value of the XLVets brand and high quality business operations through benchmarking and the sharing of communication between all member practices. We will achieve ideas, initiatives and resource. An increase in net return to the high levels of positive, unprompted brand awareness amongst business provides opportunity for investment for the future to the our members, our clients, veterinary and agricultural students benefit of clients, staff and owners. We want to be practices and the overall animal health marketplace. where processes run smoothly and don’t get in the way of us being able to focus on our clients. The strength of the national XLVets brand is heavily determined by its association with its XLVets members: member practices. ● Take a proactive approach in looking for business XLVets members: synergies by working with other XLVets members. Use the XLVets logo in accordance with the ● Will engage with the KPI project and are open and honest in sharing with other XLVets members data Brandmark guidelines on: about their own practice business as long as it ● Practice stationery, promotional materials could be reasonably expected that such data would and websites. be shared. ● Practice clothing and cars. ● Maintain absolute confidentiality of all members’ ● Recruitment advertisements. data and XLVets terms and restrict its availability to only those members of the practice who need to Members are asked to ensure that they highlight know this information in the course of the job. their membership of XLVets when writing articles and attending meetings and shows. Members are expected ● Take suitable steps to ensure that individuals to raise directly any issue or concern that they have working within the practice maintain this that diminishes their sense of value of XLVets. confidentiality even if they leave the employment of the member practice. ● Communicate the concept of the three star system of product and service procurement within the practice and ensure that it is implemented. ● Respond in a timely manner to reasonable requests for information from XLVets staff. ● Support the activities of Broomhall Buying Services Ltd and the other central buying functions. Excellence 05 47383blu_Members Handbook 2015 AW 23/12/2015 15:58 Page 7 XLVet UK Ltd Members’ Mandate The mandate that the members of ● To develop and manage the XLVet brand and provide XLVets expect the board to work leadership for the group to deliver has three elements: ● To provide services and support that facilitate the delivery of excellence by the members ● To uphold and maintain membership standards Brand and Leadership This includes: To develop and manage the XLVet ● Being accountable for the provision, maintenance and brand and provide leadership for development of a strong and well respected brand, the group. which attracts the best people, clients and suppliers to member practices.