BUYER’S FORUM

Control Center

Blending technology and technique to plan and inventory

getting ready for the New Year and making the most of the holiday season can bring the subject of inventory to the forefront. Did you have enough of the right product this year? If so, a plan for keeping the good times going is in order. If not, it’s time to figure out how to change things up for 2015 to make next year a great year.

For this month’s Buyer’s Forum, Russ Tolar, director of optical operations for Eyecare Centers, a group of North Carolina and South Carolina eyecare clinics, and the current president of the North Carolina Opticians Association, shares his experience and insights on making the most of optical inventory.

YOUR TURN…SEE YOU NEXT YEAR?

We’ve had an amazing year with the new format of Buyer’s Forum, getting practical and thoughtful information on buying and being a buyer from a wide spectrum of industry professionals. Hopefully, you’ve gleaned some useful tips for your day-to-day operations—and helped create some dreams for your future in the practice and as a professional.

Maybe you’ve also thought: Hey, I have something I’d like to share!

Well, now’s the time to reach out and set up a chat…we’d love to hear—and share—your thoughts on buying in an issue of Eyecare Business next year.

Please drop executive editor Amy Spiezio a line at amy.spiezio@pentavisionmedia.com to start a New Year’s resolution of helping your fellow professionals and maybe even tooting your own horn a bit, too!

Q: WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST CHANGES YOU’VE SEEN IN TERMS OF INVENTORY PLANNING OVER THE YEARS?

The biggest changes have to do with better inventory management techniques. We currently barcode each frame and reorder on a weekly basis. This keeps a full selection for the patients.

The best sellers often sell first, and then you are without them unless you reorder on a regular basis. The barcodes also give us data on the performance of an entire line down to a specific SKU.

Q: WHAT’S THE MOST EXCITING PART OF PLANNING INVENTORY EACH SEASON AND YEAR?

To plan an inventory that meets the needs of the patients and keeps the staff excited about the selection that they offer.

It is a delicate balance; you have to think as the customers you serve and not only what you like.

Q: COULD YOU SHARE ADVICE FOR SOMEONE JUST GETTING STARTED AS A FRAME BUYER—IS THERE A MOST IMPORTANT LESSON TO KEEP IN MIND?

More frame units is not necessarily better.

It is important to know your customer base. The mix of men to women, age demographics. You are planning an inventory for your customers and not just product that looks good on you.