A multi-location dental and orthodontic practice group wanted to know whether its IT function could actually support the growth the business was planning. The answer required looking well beyond the server room, at strategy, staffing, budget, and the day-to-day technology every location depended on. 

Amplix conducted a full IT assessment using the COBIT framework, evaluating the organization’s IT assets, processes, personnel, and strategy across every practice location. One of the clearest findings: IT spend sat at 3.2% of gross revenue, with IT staffing at 2.5% of total employees, benchmarks that gave leadership a concrete starting point for planning ahead. 

Quick Answer: A COBIT-based IT assessment evaluates an organization’s IT function across five dimensions: strategy, personnel, processes, budget and finance, and technology spend. Amplix’s assessment of a multi-location dental practice group found IT spend at 3.2% of gross revenue and staffing at 2.5% of total employees, alongside significant day-to-day technology friction affecting every practice location.

The Challenge 

Technology Friction at Every Location 

Daily operations across the practice group were slowed by technology issues that compounded across dozens of locations and thousands of patient interactions. 

• The core practice management system regularly lagged 15 seconds or more per access, with the screen freezing daily and utilities taking up to two hours to run 
• Network performance degraded constantly, delaying image transfers by as much as a full day 
• Staff couldn’t perform basic IT tasks (plugging in a mouse, changing batteries) without submitting a ticket, and IT support response times were slow 
• A single Wi-Fi network served every location with no separation between staff and guest traffic 
• No formal IT policies and procedures existed, and billing utilities routinely ran long enough to delay financial reconciliation into the following week 

The Approach 

A COBIT-Based Assessment Across Five Dimensions 

Amplix used the COBIT (Control Objectives for Information and Related Technologies) framework to evaluate the organization’s IT capabilities across five areas: strategy, personnel, processes, budget and finance, and technology spend and resources. The assessment combined stakeholder interviews at multiple sites, documented observations from site visits, and a review of major concerns raised across the organization. 

The result was a structured picture of where the IT function stood today, benchmarked against what a practice group of this size and growth trajectory typically requires. 

The Solution 

A Roadmap Spanning Strategy, Staffing, and Systems 

Amplix’s recommendations addressed the organization’s IT function at every level, not just its day-to-day technical friction: 

• Conduct a companywide user requirements assessment and build a strategy around what staff actually need from their technology 
• Launch a search for a senior IT leadership role to own strategy and execution going forward 
• Consider region-focused IT staff to reduce response times across a distributed footprint 
• Develop, implement, and formally adopt IT policies and procedures, with training for all users 
• Build a proper IT budget and approval process to eliminate reconciliation delays 
• Evaluate replacing the core practice management system to resolve performance and reporting issues at the source 

The Outcome 

Benchmarked Spend, Staffing, and a Clear Path Forward 

The assessment gave leadership a concrete picture of where the organization’s IT investment stood: 3.2% of gross revenue in IT spend and 2.5% of total employees in IT staffing, benchmarks leadership could use to plan future investment with confidence. Beyond the numbers, the organization came away with a prioritized roadmap connecting day-to-day technology friction to the strategic and staffing decisions needed to fix it, rather than treating each complaint as an isolated IT ticket. 

Why Amplix 

Slow systems and frustrated staff are usually symptoms of a deeper strategy and staffing gap, not just a technology problem. Amplix’s COBIT-based assessments look at the whole picture, from the server room to the org chart, so recommendations address root causes. Learn more about Amplix’s cloud and infrastructure capabilities, or talk with an Amplix advisor about assessing your own IT function. 

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Frequently Asked Questions

What is the COBIT framework? 

COBIT (Control Objectives for Information and Related Technologies) is a framework for evaluating and governing an organization’s IT function, covering strategy, processes, personnel, and resources.

What is an IT assessment?

An IT assessment is a structured evaluation of an organization’s technology assets, processes, personnel, and strategy, typically used to identify gaps and build a roadmap for improvement.

What percentage of revenue should a company spend on IT? 

Benchmarks vary by industry and size, but many healthcare and practice-based organizations target IT spend in the low single digits of gross revenue, with staffing benchmarks following a similar pattern relative to total headcount. 

When should an organization consider replacing its practice management system? 

When performance issues (slow load times, frequent freezes, unreliable reporting) start affecting daily operations and patient experience across multiple locations, rather than being isolated to one site or one workstation. 

How does an IT assessment help with company growth planning? 

It identifies whether the current IT strategy, staffing, and infrastructure can support planned growth, surfacing gaps in budget, personnel, and systems before they become bottlenecks.