Sunbit — Implementation Playbook (DSO)

Executive Summary

Sunbit is a membership-based patient financing platform that enables dental practices to offer in-house, interest-free payment plans without third-party lending or credit checks. For DSOs, Sunbit simplifies case acceptance, reduces administrative overhead, and creates recurring membership revenue while improving patient affordability. DSO networks benefit disproportionately because Sunbit scales across locations, standardizes patient financial workflows, and integrates with existing practice management systems.

Expected Timeline: 16 weeks from kickoff to full multi-location deployment, with revenue contribution beginning Week 8.

Pre-Implementation Checklist (Weeks 1-2)

Technical Requirements

System Compatibility

• Confirm PMS integration availability (Dentrix, Eaglesoft, Open Dental, Dexis, Curve—prioritize your primary systems)
• Audit current patient portal infrastructure; Sunbit dashboard integrates via API or standalone web access
• Verify internet bandwidth at each location (minimum 2 Mbps; 5+ Mbps recommended for digital intake)
• Test single sign-on (SSO) capability if applicable

Hardware & Workflow

• Designate intake touchpoint: front desk tablet, waiting room kiosk, or pre-visit digital link
• Confirm card reader compatibility (Sunbit supports major terminals; ensure POS integration if bundled)
• Document current payment processing stack to identify redundancies post-implementation

Stakeholder Alignment

Executive Buy-In

• Clarify financial expectations with CFO: Sunbit membership fees (typically 1.5–2% monthly) are operational costs that drive case acceptance lift
• Secure commitment from Clinical Director on clinical governance (who approves membership tier terms)
• Establish DSO-level governance: single point of contact, weekly steering calls for first 12 weeks

Practice-Level Leads

• Identify "Sunbit Champion" at each pilot location—usually Office Manager or Patient Coordinator, not clinical staff
• Conduct 1:1 alignment with each pilot Practice Owner/Clinical Director on membership pricing and promotional calendar
• Brief scheduling team on member vs. non-member pathways

Baseline Metrics Capture

Establish Week 1 snapshot:

• Monthly case acceptance rate (by procedure category: restorative, ortho, implants, perio)
• Average patient acquisition cost (marketing spend ÷ new active patients)
• Revenue per patient visit
• Percentage of patients choosing payment plans vs. cash/insurance
• Third-party financing volume (if applicable)
• Patient satisfaction NPS (pre-Sunbit baseline)

Pilot Wave (Weeks 3-6)

Location Selection Criteria

Choose 2 pilot sites from your DSO network using this matrix:

Avoid: recently acquired practices, locations mid-remodel, or offices with pending PMS migrations.

Configuration and Setup (Weeks 3-4)

Week 3: Technical Onboarding

• Sunbit solutions team activates PMS connector (live data sync testing required)
• Deploy intake hardware: tablet stand at reception or digital link for pre-visit emails
• Configure membership tiers in Sunbit dashboard—typically 3 tiers (e.g., Essential $19/mo, Plus $39/mo, Premium $79/mo) mirroring your clinical service ladder
• Create promotional assets: posters, patient handouts, staff one-pagers
• Set up practice staff dashboard access (segmented by role: front desk view-only, doctors can modify plans)

Week 4: Workflow Hardening

• Run 3–5 mock patient scenarios per office with staff executing full intake-to-treatment journey
• Stress-test PMS integration: verify treatment plan pulls accurately, payment posting doesn't duplicate
• Document exception workflows (patient declines, membership pause/cancel, upgrade mid-treatment)
• Brief clinical team: scripting for presenting membership at exam (e.g., "We offer membership plans that make comprehensive care more affordable—no interest, no credit check. Can I walk you through options?")

Training Approach (Weeks 3-6)

Cohort 1: Front Desk / Patient Coordinators (4 hours, hands-on)

• Sunbit platform tour: member enrollment, payment dashboard, pause/cancel functions
• Scenario-based role play: objection handling, upgrade conversation, membership communication
• Certification: each staff member completes 2 successful mock enrollments

Cohort 2: Clinical Staff (1.5 hours, case-focused)

• Membership impact on case acceptance and clinical planning
• How member status appears in clinical notes and treatment planning
• Handling patient questions about membership during appointments

Cohort 3: Practice Leadership (2 hours, strategic)

• DSO-level reporting dashboard walkthrough
• Weekly/monthly KPI review cadence
• Promotional strategy for Weeks 5–6 soft launch

Ongoing: Weekly 30-min DSO-wide huddles reviewing pilot metrics, troubleshooting, celebrating wins.

Scaled Rollout (Weeks 7-16)

Wave Planning

Wave 2 (Weeks 7–10): 3–4 next-best locations; pilot success criteria must include:

• ≥40% of new patients offered membership
• ≥25% adoption rate among eligible patients
• Zero critical PMS integration issues
• Staff confidence score ≥4/5

Wave 3 (Weeks 11–14): Remaining half of network (~5–8 locations), parallel with Wave 2 close-out

Wave 4 (Weeks 15–16): Final locations and optimization phase (promotion schedule refinement, competitive positioning)

Change Management

Stakeholder Communication

• Weekly practice owner calls (rotating Q&A with Sunbit + DSO team)
• Monthly all-staff webinar highlighting peer-location success stories
• Office-level posters celebrating membership milestones ("500 members in our network!")

Resistance Mitigation

• Proactively address skepticism: share comparable DSO data on case acceptance lift (typically 8–15%)
• Troubleshoot adoption barriers within 48 hours (workflow friction, system delays)
• Offer incentive trials: practices receiving 2–3 month performance bonus if membership adoption hits 30%+ within 60 days

Support Infrastructure

• Dedicated Sunbit onboarding specialist embedded with DSO through Week 12
• Weekly tier-2 escalation calls for live PMS/integration issues
• DSO Slack/Teams channel for real-time peer troubleshooting
• Month 4 & Month 5 in-person visit to each practice by DSO leadership to assess progress and reinforce cultural alignment

ROI Tracking

Key Metrics to Measure

30/60/90 Day Benchmarks

Day 30 (Post-Pilot Launch)

• ≥2 of 2 pilot locations operational, zero critical bugs
• ≥50 active members across pilots
• Staff confidence stable (≥3.5/5)

Day 60 (Wave 2 Launch Complete)

• ≥