Part 1: Preparing for 2026 – The Essential Technology & Operations Checklist for Veterinary Practices
As we move towards 2026, one thing is clear: the practices performing well next year won’t necessarily be the ones who add the most technology – they’ll be the ones who make their systems work together.
Across LVS this year, we heard the same questions repeated again and again from delegates. Different practices, different contexts, but the same themes:
- “How do we reduce the admin strain on our team?”
- “How do we get systems talking to each other?”
- “How do we know what to prioritise when everything feels urgent?”
- “How do we choose tech that actually works rather than creates more work?”
These aren’t “nice to solve someday” problems.
These are the real gaps 2025 exposed – and the areas practices need to align before stepping into 2026.
This week, we’re starting the series with a practical, no-nonsense audit: the essential technology and operational checks every practice should complete before January.
1. Are Your Systems Reducing Work – or Just Digitising It?
Many practices have digital tools, but not enough have digital workflows.
Ask yourself:
- Are your systems automating tasks or simply letting you enter data faster?
- Do they stop errors early, or do problems surface at the end of the day?
- Are your teams working in the system, or around it?
A 2026-ready system should reduce recurring friction, not just move it into a new interface.
2. Is Your Practice Management System Future-Fit?
Your PMS should now be:
- cloud-based or cloud-capable
- integrated with key tools (labs, imaging, payments, comms)
- capable of two-way data flow
- stable with minimal downtime
- supported by a provider who communicates transparently
If your PMS can’t support growth, AI tools, or integration plans, upgrading or re-evaluating may be essential before mid-2026.
3. Do You Have the Right Visibility Across Your Operation
2026 will demand clearer data, simpler reporting, and more proactive decision-making.
Review whether your current system gives you:
- real-time appointment flow visibility
- simple, usable metrics (not hundreds of spreadsheets)
- forecasting tools
- inventory insights
- staffing & utilisation trends
- client behaviour patterns
If data takes hours to compile, it’s not supporting your team — it’s draining it.
4. Are You Prepared for AI-Enabled Workflows?
AI is not optional anymore – but it is scalable and manageable when done well.
Check whether you have:
- a secure data environment
- clear protocols for human oversight
- tools that enhance clinical reasoning, not replace it
- staff training to ensure confidence, not fear
- clear boundaries around what AI is and isn’t used for
Practices with foundational systems in place will adopt AI smoothly.
Those without will struggle.
5. Is Your Communication Fit for 2026 Clients?
Clients now expect:
- proactive updates
- digital convenience
- clarity on pricing
- personalised messaging
- continuity across channels
Your communication tools should reduce inbound calls, not add noise.
If clients are chasing you for updates, medication reminders, or clarifications, it’s a sign the system isn’t supporting you properly.
6. Are Your Teams Digitally Confident?
This is the most overlooked part of practice operations.
Your people should:
- understand the tools they use
- feel confident navigating new features
- know who to go to for support
- be protected from tool-overload
- be involved in shaping workflows, not excluded from decision-making
2026-ready practices treat digital confidence the same way they treat clinical CPD — essential, ongoing, and part of the team’s evolution.
In Closing: Start With Clarity, Not Complexity
Preparing for 2026 doesn’t require buying dozens of tools or chasing trends.
It requires stepping back and asking:
“Do our systems help us deliver great care – or do they slow us down?”
By addressing the gaps exposed throughout 2025, practices can enter 2026 with stronger workflows, clearer communication, more confident teams, and technology that genuinely earns its place.
