Equipment Appraisal Blog | Understanding Machinery Appraisals

How Medical Equipment Appraisal Helps Support Your Bottom Line

Posted by Equipment Appraisal Services on Tue, May 09, 2017 @ 11:14 AM

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When your medical practice is doing well, it can be tempting to upgrade your machinery or open a new location. But how do you know if that move will be a good investment or a bad risk? Medical equipment appraisal can provide you with the information you need about some of your practice's most expensive assets to help you make an educated decision on these types of issues. Here's more information on how it does this.

How Medical Equipment Appraisal Helps Support Your Bottom Line

How much is your medical equipment worth? You might be surprised just how far that number can vary. When you've got an equipment sales rep in the office, they may say that it's worth very little, especially compared to their latest model. On the other hand, they may say it's worth a great deal, especially when they're willing to accept it as a trade in on the same latest model. Neither number is necessarily an accurate assessment of the machinery's worth.

Looking at what similar models have sold for may not give you a good picture either. How well were those machines cared for? Was the industry in a strong or weak cycle when they were sold? Is there demand for that equipment in the industry because of new techniques or practices? There are a number of different factors that can impact your equipment's value. Working with someone who understands these different factors can make all the difference in determining your equipment's actual value.

Imagine if you had a piece of equipment that had been ill maintained over the years or had been damaged in a flood or fire. It still operates, but not as well as it should, or it's probably going to have a shorter useable lifespan than expected. What happens when you use a standard depreciation table in a tax document to depreciate value? The depreciated value will be stretched out over a longer period of time than the machinery will remain in usable condition. This means it remains on your books as an asset even when it actually has no reasonable value.

Another piece of equipment could be very well maintained. It's always had proper maintenance and has been used within its specified parameters, ensuring that it's in excellent conditions. It can deliver productive results for your practice years after it's been fully depreciated. That means it has no value in your balance sheet, but provides real value to your practice on a daily basis. The first machine creates false value, while the second isn't recognized for the value it delivers. This can create inaccuracies in your balance sheet and make it difficult to make smart financial decisions based on your practice's asset worth.

By getting a medical equipment appraisal, you can ensure that you have a much better idea of where your practice sits financially. With this information in hand, you can make smarter decisions on new investments, whether it's to open up a new location or upgrade your assets to allow for further services for your patients. However, if you're not working with a certified equipment appraiser, you may be getting bad information. Certified appraisers follow accepted practices to ensure they provide you with accurate values for your medical equipment.

Tags: equipment appraisers, medical equipment appraisal