Chronos Dental - Digitalizing the Dental Lab Network

Client Context

Chronos Dental is a French buy-and-build platform aggregating local dental prosthesis laboratories, combining proximity to dental practices with centralized support and digital manufacturing capabilities. Founded around 2022, it entered a fast roll-up phase in 2023–2024, completing multiple acquisitions (c. 6 in late 2023 / early 2024) and scaling to 20+ labs within a few years, supported by acquisition financing.

Challenge

The network faced operational bottlenecks due to disjointed tools and manual processes. Key challenges included:

• Lack of Centralization: Data was scattered, making it difficult to maintain a unified view of orders, materials, and production stages.
• Manual Workflows: Critical procedures for order tracking and payments were largely traditional and non-automated, slowing down delivery times.
• Complex Invoicing: Generating invoices for multiple legal entities (individual dentists vs. dental centers) from delivery notes was a manual pain point prone to errors.
• Communication Silos: There was no dedicated, secure channel for labs and practitioners to clarify technical details or share prescription updates.

"The new platform has transformed how we interact with our partners. By centralizing orders and automating our complex invoicing, we have not only gained efficiency but also offered a seamless, modern experience to our dentists"

Mathieu Carton CEO

Approach

To address these challenges, a comprehensive digital transformation plan was executed, focusing on two strategic pillars:

Custom Ecosystem Development:

Mobile & Tablet App: Development of a bespoke application designed for both dentists and lab operators. The app features digital prescription management, real-time order tracking via QR code scanning, and integrated instant messaging for seamless collaboration.

Back-Office Administration: Implementation of a robust web interface for administrators to manage user access, define pricing grids, and generate statistical reporting on lab activity.

Modern Tech Stack: Utilization of scalable technologies (React Native for mobile, Node.js for backend) to ensure high performance and offline capabilities.

Invoicing & CRM Automation:

Process Industrialization: Structuring of a "Best of Breed" architecture bridging Salesforce (CRM) and Pennylane (Finance).

Automated Flows: The solution automatically aggregates delivery notes from the operational platform, applies complex multi-entity logic (grouping by practitioner or cabinet), and pushes draft invoices directly into the financial tool.

Bi-Directional Sync: Implementation of a feedback loop to update the CRM with invoice statuses, payments, and PDF documents, ensuring total alignment between sales and finance.