Are you a Problem Solver or an Innovator?

When it comes to classifying the services that eye care providers deliver to patients opinions diverge. For some by the services we provide, what we provide is classified as problems solving for others it is innovation. But what is the difference anyway? In a previous post, we emphasized three types of business models that need to be separated in Optometry: the value-adding, the solution shop, and the subscription-based business models as defined by Professor Øystein D Fjeldstad at BI Norwegian Business School. After posting this I received many emails commenting that Optometrists by nature are consultants and consultants are problem solvers and innovators at the same time. How can we separate those into two different business models? Well, the answer is as long as you are using different resources and different processes and as long as you are providing different value proposition you cannot mix those into one business model because you will never be able to calculate your profit formula and you will never be able to determine the overheads of every transaction.

But for all of that, one thing is true that we as Optometrists are consultants and we perform both problem-solving and innovation. We should agree that problem-solving restores performance to past levels. That is if your vision decreased due to an increase in myopia we can restore your past level of visual acuity by providing you with a new prescription. Over time problem-solving becomes routine, and by orienting your practice to performing problem-solving procedures the best you can do is catch up with the competition. Whereas innovation provides a higher value than problem-solving or restoring your past levels, therefore opens new untapped opportunities. Myopia control management is an innovation that helps you no just catch up with the competition but it creates an important gap between you and the next closest competitor. Innovation improves your performance in a way that changes your patient’s perspective and increasing his trust in you. One last very important point is that problem-solving is based on the decline of the patient’s performance or the problems that the patient is looking for solution whereas innovation is based on the eye care provider’s initiative.