‘Low technology’ sectors have innovated typically by adopting new technological solutions from innovators elsewhere. In markets such as eyesight testing, how far can small, independent providers adopt the same technologies to compete with the national chains? How can they compete more effectively in other ways?
What will be an ideal response?
Eyesight testing relies on sophisticated (and expensive) equipment made by a handful of world-class
optical producers. Scale economies in purchasing equipment are possible for national chains that
use large numbers of them. However, there is a clear limit to the number of tests a qualified optician
can perform in a routine day, so economies in service delivery are hard to achieve unless a quasi
production line approach is implemented, aiming to ensure that each item of equipment is highly
utilised. Since this approach works against a personalised service, the independent optician can
compete by focusing particularly on service in the various ways suggested by Mathur’s
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