Key Takeaways
- Small, manageable changes build confidence and keep progress moving without overwhelming your staff.
- The right digital tools reduce manual work, improve communication, and make transitions smoother.
- Clear communication and training help your team feel supported and ready for change.
- Resistance is normal – treat it as feedback and adapt your approach.
Change shows up in every veterinary practice, including in the form of new technology, growing client expectations, or the need to work more efficiently. It can feel messy and uncomfortable, but learning to handle change well is what keeps a practice moving forward.
According to Animal Emergency Australia, veterinary practices are facing rapid social, technological, and environmental disruption, and the profession is expanding beyond traditional care into more technology‑driven services. Thriving in the future means embracing change rather than resisting it and developing the skills, mindset, and technology to respond more confidently.
Here are five ways to help you successfully manage change in your practice and some examples of how other clinics have embraced change for the better.
5 rules to successfully navigate change in your veterinary practice
1. Recognise when change is needed
Recognising when change is needed starts with paying attention to subtle signals in your practice. Things like delays in your workflow, repeated staff frustrations, client complaints, or financial inconsistencies can indicate deeper operational issues. Because veterinary teams are so busy, these signs can easily become accepted as normal over time. You can spot patterns that need attention by taking the time to step back and reviewing your processes, technology, and team wellbeing.
When you identify potential problems early, you can plan how to improve or solve them before they escalate. This proactive approach helps to reduce disruption, support a more seamless workflow, and make sure your practice continues to deliver high‑quality care. Acknowledging and accepting the need for change is the first step towards building a more resilient and future‑ready veterinary team.
Further reading: The opportunity = more revenue. The gap = missed charges.
2. Start with manageable changes
Starting with small adjustments makes change less overwhelming for your veterinary team, who are likely already juggling a high workload. Focusing on bite-sized improvements, like refining a single workflow or digitising administrative tasks one at a time, helps build confidence and momentum. These early wins show that progress is possible without disrupting patient care or adding stress.
Incremental changes also give you the space to test ideas, get team feedback, and adjust your approach before scaling up. Over time, these small steps add up to meaningful transformation, which creates a strong foundation for larger initiatives. By keeping change achievable, you support staff engagement and set your practice up for long‑term veterinary practice success.
The right technology can make change easier, faster, and more sustainable in a busy veterinary environment. Digital tools – like practice management software – streamline your workflows, reduce manual tasks, and free up valuable staff time for patient care and client support. Leading cloud‑based practice management systems offer automated reminders, integrated payments, and inventory solutions, which help to remove friction from your daily operations.
When deciding on the right technology, prioritise platforms that are easy to use, scalable, and built for veterinary workflows. Solutions like Covetrus Ascend centralise your practice information, improve internal and client communication, and give you real‑time visibility across your practice. A strong digital foundation will help your team adapt better, measure progress, and maintain improvements over time.
4. Prepare your staff for change
People are at the heart of successful change, so it’s important to prepare your team early and follow developing trends in the veterinary industry. Clearly communicating the reason behind change helps reduce their uncertainty and builds trust. Encourage open conversations where staff can ask questions, share their concerns, and feel like they’re involved in the change process.
Practical training, hands‑on support, and clear documentation will help everyone in your team build confidence. Recognise that individuals adapt at different speeds and adjust your approach with empathy. When staff feel informed, supported, and included, they are far more likely to embrace new systems and workflows. Solid preparation leads to smoother transitions and more sustainable outcomes.
5. Learn from resistance and adapt
Resistance is a natural part of change, especially in practices where routines are well‑established. Instead of viewing pushback as a setback, treat it as valuable feedback. Resistance often highlights gaps in communication, training, or workflow design. So, by listening closely and responding constructively, you can adjust your approach and strengthen the change process.
Adapting doesn’t mean abandoning your goals – it means adjusting the path to make the change journey more workable for your team. When resistance is acknowledged and addressed thoughtfully, it becomes a catalyst for improvement, which helps you build a more resilient and adaptable practice.
Find out more about Covetrus Ascend
Checklist: 5 rules to successfully navigate veterinary change
| Rule |
Actions |
| 1. Recognise when change is needed |
• Look for workflow delays, repeated frustrations, or client complaints. • Review processes, technology, and team wellbeing regularly. • Identify issues early to prevent escalation. • Step back periodically to spot patterns and inefficiencies. |
| 2. Start with manageable changes |
• Begin with small, low-risk improvements • Refine one workflow or digitise one task at a time. • Use early wins to build team confidence. • Test ideas, gather feedback, and adjust before scaling. |
| 3. Leverage the right tools and technology |
• Choose intuitive, scalable, veterinary-specific platforms. • Use digital tools to reduce manual tasks and streamline workflows. • Adopt cloud-based systems for better visibility and communication. • Build a strong digital foundation to support long-term change. |
| 4. Prepare your staff for change |
• Explain the purpose behind the change clearly. • Encourage open discussion and questions. • Provide training, support, and clear documentation. • Adapt your approach to different learning speeds and comfort levels. |
| 5. Learn from resistance and adapt |
• Treat pushback as useful feedback, not failure. • Identify gaps in communication, training, or workflow design. • Adjust your plan to make change more workable. • Use resistance to strengthen processes and build resilience. |
Examples of clinics that have successfully managed change
Indooroopilly Vet Clinic: Streamlined change saves 16 hours per week
Indooroopilly Vet Clinic modernised its operations by transitioning to Covetrus Ascend and replacing an outdated system that hindered workflows and limited communication. The move gave them immediate gains, including 16 hours saved each week, smoother note‑taking, and more reliable inventory management. Integrated SMS tools improved their client communication, while Provet integration removed manual price updates. This case study shows how a well‑managed technology shift can reduce administrative pressure and support a more efficient and confident team.
Stones Corner Veterinary Surgery: Reducing admin load and costs
Stones Corner Veterinary Surgery adopted Covetrus Ascend to streamline their daily operations and reduce administrative burden. The clinic saves five hours a week and around $300 per month, thanks to more reliable workflows and reduced manual processes. Ascend’s intuitive interface helped staff adapt quickly, which supported a smoother transition and improved efficiency. This case study shows how practices of all sizes can successfully manage change and achieve measurable gains using the right technology.
Bondi Junction Veterinary Hospital: Moving to the cloud with confidence
Bondi Junction Veterinary Hospital successfully managed a major systems change by transitioning from an ageing on‑site server to Covetrus Ascend. Motivated by reliability concerns and the need for a future‑proof practice management solution, the team embraced cloud‑based workflows that improved their mobility, communication, and daily efficiency. Strong onboarding support, intuitive training, and quick issue resolution helped the Bondi Junction team adapt smoothly. The clinic now operates with greater flexibility and confidence due to better internal messaging, streamlined task management, and easier access across devices.
See how Covetrus Ascend makes handling change easier in your clinic
Managing change becomes much easier when your practice has the right tools and systems, and Covetrus Ascend can help make a positive difference for your team. Its cloud‑based workflows, intuitive design, and integrated communication tools remove a lot of the friction that can slow down transitions.
Ascend’s automations help cut down time-intensive manual tasks, its real‑time visibility improves decision‑making, and Covetrus’ training and onboarding support help teams adapt to change more quickly. It can give you and your team the stability and confidence you need to turn change from a disruption into an opportunity to work smarter, communicate better, and deliver consistently high‑quality care.
