Eyewear Frames: It's a Material World

DR.T.NIRMAL FREDRICK,ASST. PROF. OF OPHTHALMOLOGY,

REGIONAL INSTITUTE OF OPHTHALMOLOGY, CHENNAI.

What do the patient want in their frames….

Survey …….

What are you looking for in eyeglass frames?

A wide range of available colors? 256 col?

Durability? –last forever….

What do the patient want in their frames….

Bright and Light on the face? ..Gold favourite

Hypoallergenic materials?

A good price? Uniqueness?

What their favourite star dons in the serial or movies…..

Eyewear materials ShellShell PolycarbonatePolycarbonate PolyamidePolyamide CarbonCarbon MetalMetal

TitaniumTitanium GoldGold AlloysAlloys WoodWood leatherleather

Plastic eye wear frames

cellulose acetate or Zyl - cost-effective & extremely lightweight.

popular - laminated zyl frames that have layered colors.

propionate — a nylon-based plastic that is hypoallergenic..

Metal eye wear frames…..

Stainless steel –

alternative to titanium

. light weight, low

toxicity and strength

nickel-free and thus hypoallergenic.

Metal eye wear frames…..

Ticral is an alloy of titanium, copper and chrome.

nickel-free and hypoallergenic.

lightweight and durable and available in a variety of colors.

Titanium – exquisite / lasting

silver-gray metal - lightweight, durable, strong and corrosion-resistant.

Titanium eyewear - variety of colors for a clean, modern look

titanium combo with nickel and copper.

Aluminum frames

lightweight and highly corrosion-resistant. Aluminum - primarily by high-end eyewear designers

because of the unique look it creates. Aluminum - most widely used, nonferrous material. commercial aluminum with small amounts of silicon and

iron is hard and strong.

curious Frame Materials

Solid silver or sterling silver - often used as a jewelry-like accent on plastic frames.

gold eyewear, typically gold plating rather than solid gold.

Semi-precious or precious stones - Popular choices are onyx and turquoise, but even diamonds can be used

Rhinestones - less expensive, used to create a flashy or retro look, especially in upturned cateye frames

curious Frame Materials

Wood and bone frames - handmade, one-of-a-kind pieces that satisfy a specialty niche.

unique look and beauty.

leather – not as durable or practical as other materials ...used for accenting,

Inventory management & marketing..

The real bugbear& rec.. headache…

Inventory management

Keep your optical shop’s bottom line from looking like a rollercoaster.

system should be in place to restock the shelves with similarly priced products

COMPUTERIZATION

Computerized control

inventory management software NECESSARY -It doesn’t have to be elaborate

Modules that go along with your practice management system can cost up to Rs.20,000

If your practice has several locations, manage under one program.

Frameboard and vendors management

Limit your vendors to 5 to 10

smaller number of vendors - build a stronger relationship

Negotiate good terms and pricing

Can get fast moving frames easily

How to get the best deal…

Buying groups.

buying a large quantity from one supplier – good deal – consider group buying

best price while buying directly from the manufacturer.

Shop,compare, ask for discounts for bulk purchase.

Bulk purchase more than 150 frames in one type you can get your logo and brand name

Inventory management

Inventory investment must remain stable.

easily accomplished with a frame -for-frame reordering system.

Implementing a reorder system

will stabilize the initial investment, eliminate stock overages, and provide an accurate cost-of-goods

percentage.

Inventory management

two additional factors –

space allocation and patient demographics –

Do not inventory “back stock” or overstock.

Overstock is wasted capital.

inventory should have supply for display only….

Practice-specific demographic ranges

age appropriate frame styles

Benchmarking..

Identify minimum number of jobs to be sold

BENCHMARK: Recommended old frames and

refixing = 2 to 3 times (25%)

BENCHMARK: Complete Jobs ( Orders including both frame and lenses) = 75%

Inventory levels - based on the recommended turn ratio of annual frame units sold.

Magic number

to project an appropriate inventory level determine necessary staff requirements

- estimate associated operating expenses & estimate projected annual revenue.

No of eye glass prescriptions per month – ‘magic number”

60 to 75% capture rate

Business standards…

Benchmark for profit in optical dispensing

Cost of goods = frames + lenses + fitting + staff remuneration

1. BENCHMARK: No On-site Lab = 38-40% COG

2. BENCHMARK: On-site Finishing = 28-30% COG

3. BENCHMARK: On-site Finishing & Surfacing = 23-25% COG