{"id":2754,"date":"2025-05-14T13:54:55","date_gmt":"2025-05-14T03:54:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/software.covetrus.com\/apac\/?post_type=case_studies&p=2754"},"modified":"2026-08-13T10:36:31","modified_gmt":"2026-08-13T00:36:31","slug":"stones-corner-veterinary-surgery","status":"publish","type":"case_studies","link":"https:\/\/software.covetrus.com\/apac\/veterinary-insights\/case-studies\/stones-corner-veterinary-surgery","title":{"rendered":"Stones Corner Veterinary Surgery saves five hours a week and $300 a month with Covetrus Ascend"},"content":{"rendered":"

Stones Corner Veterinary Surgery<\/a> has been a trusted part of the Stones Corner, Woolloongabba, and Greenslopes community for over 40 years. The clinic is well-known throughout the community for its bespoke care. The team deliver personalised service that stands out amongst the competition. \"\"<\/p>\n

Under the leadership of Jodie Swan, who became the surgery\u2019s owner early in 2024 after seven years as a vet nurse and practice manager, the clinic continues its tradition of compassionate care while embracing modern tools to improve efficiency.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe are a small but very busy clinic,\u201d Jodie says. \u201cWe are pretty much at clinical capacity at the moment. So, we\u2019re making sure we\u2019re using all our resources wisely so that as many clients and patients as possible can visit us and still feel special.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Stones Corner Veterinary Surgery chose Covetrus Ascend<\/a>, a cloud-based practice management solution, to make sure they could continue to operate at peak efficiency while maintaining their personalised approach. The decision to move to Ascend was driven by a need to modernise the practice\u2019s workflows and reduce administrative burden.<\/p>\n

As Jodie explains, \u201cAscend has been a positive experience for us. It has pushed us to approach veterinary medicine in a modern way that customers are expecting, and we have the support of the Covetrus team to help us grow through the experience.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Reliability and accessibility were key PMS requirements<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

Before adopting Covetrus Ascend<\/a>, the clinic had used RxWorks<\/a> for nearly a decade. Jodie recalls her early days in veterinary practice, working with \u201cthe old KISS system, writing cards and having filing cabinets,\u201d before transitioning to RxWorks.<\/p>\n

When it came time to consider introducing a new practice management system, loyalty to Covetrus and the ease of transitioning from one of their products to another played a big role. \u201cWhen we were looking to change to Ascend, I didn\u2019t consider anyone else,\u201d Jodie says.<\/p>\n

When considering the switch to a new PMS, reliability was a top priority for Stones Corner Veterinary Surgery.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe wanted to make sure that if we swapped to a new system \u2013 especially if it was a cloud-based service \u2013 that we could maintain access to it. We also wanted to be sure it was as good, if not better, as RxWorks.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Covetrus Ascend offered peace of mind, with its 24\/7 support<\/a> coverage. Fast fortnightly release updates also meant that Jodie and her team could be confident the software was kept up-to-date and constantly improving.<\/p>\n

Cost-effectiveness was another critical factor for the Stones Corner Veterinary Surgery staff. The clinic\u2019s previous server was assessed during the ownership change, and its replacement was estimated at a significant sum. This made Ascend\u2019s subscription-based model even more attractive.<\/p>\n

\u201cThat was a big, big drawcard,\u201d Jodie says. \u201cThe monthly Ascend costs are really reasonable. It\u2019s also a lot easier to manage our cash flow versus the yearly license fee that we used to have. Plus, it\u2019s actually worked out cheaper than I expected, which I love!\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Onboarding and training with Covetrus Ascend<\/strong><\/span><\/h3>\n

Stones Corner Veterinary Surgery benefited from a hands-on onboarding experience, which Jodie describes as both comprehensive and well-supported. \u201cWe had the support of Ascend techs that came on-site,\u201d she says. \u201cThey helped us convert our document files, get our stock under control, and do a full tidy-up.\u201d<\/p>\n

On the day of the transition, Covetrus provided onsite assistance.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had someone live in the clinic working alongside us,\u201d Jodie says. \u201cOf course, like all IT things, we had some hiccups on that day, but they were minimal. Ascend was getting up and running in the background and we didn\u2019t have to stop anything. Everything just kept running as normal.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n

Training was another key part of the onboarding process, and Jodie devised a creative approach to make sure her team were prepared. \u201cWe made it fun and competitive within our team,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had the online learning portal and all the short training sessions available through it. The staff member who finished them first won a prize. We wanted our staff to know how to<\/p>\n

 use all the main features beforehand, so they weren\u2019t stressed on the day. It\u2019s quite a simple program, so once you know where to go, you can follow the steps and figure it out.\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n