WHAT INNOVATION MEANS TO OPTOMETRY

WHAT INNOVATION MEANS TO OPTOMETRY 

 

As the largest eyewear retailer in Australia, we've seen a myriad of innovations in prescription glass and frames over many years. Looking ahead, some of the innovations optical developers predict include technology enabling people to read emails from inside the lenses in their glasses, progressive lenses that are incorporated within the eye as people grow older, recyclable lenses and, on the customer relationship front, courier delivery of digitally customised premium lenses.

With this future in mind, Luxottica's own goal is to provide a retail experience that will cater for our customers' needs 10 to 20 years in the future. To ensure all employees share this goal, we are implementing, over a five-year period, a business alignment program devised with management and change specialists The Meikle Files. Twelve months into this program, we not only understand our business better but can recognise there is still much more to learn.

While it is possible to focus on a multitude of areas within the business, our approach to deploying innovation is to concentrate on no more than two or three processes at any one time. Employees are encouraged to think strategically in identifying these two or three areas for priority, and avoid trying to do too many things.

Decision-making related to this program is decentralised, and the corporate vision carried by the senior team throughout the enterprise. All information and ideas are reported on spreadsheets via our intranet, ensuring they receive full exposure. Successful innovation/improvement initiatives are also reviewed in a monthly staff newsletter, complemented by regular meetings.

Employees also have direct access to me through monthly phone conferences, which are often the most valuable source of new ideas and creative thinking.

Chris Beer, chief operating officer,
Luxottica Asia Pacific Group

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