Practice Advantage
Making Sense of Buying Groups and Alliances with Derrick Artis, OD, MBA
Episode Summary
Buying Groups and Alliances play a key role in independent eye care professionals' success. In this episode we break them down and how they impact your practice.
Episode Notes
On this episode, Dr. Derrick Artis rejoins the PracticeAdvantage podcast to discuss the value of alliance groups, buying groups, and the roles they play in your business success.
Key Takeaways
- Buying Groups were born in the 80s as a response to retailers entering the eye care space. The broad vendor discounts and consolidated billing allowed independent eye care professionals to compete with the retailers on a different level.
- Alliance Groups were born in the 90s and early 2000s as a response continued change in the market. Not only did independents need volume-based discounts, but business resources, education, and more sophisticated business solutions.
- Now, practices are facing additional challenges from e-commerce and managed vision care. The groups of the future need to address these.
- In order to face the future of independent eye care practices, owners need to leverage the size and strength of a combined buying group and alliance group together.
What Derrick is Reading: