Optical Sector PEST Analysis Essay Example

1. Political factors affecting business

Government – Legislation

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Previously, the government had issued restraining orders against the supply of contact lenses from other countries. This made it hard for the optical sector to have access to contact lenses until mid last year when the restraining orders were withdrawn and the supply of contact lenses was legislated. The legislation has had several effects both on the patients and the practice. Patients are highly demanding for prices of the contact lenses to be reduced, or they are sold on discount. If not, many have vowed to incur costs and go for cheaply sold contact lenses from other countries. This remains a drawback to the optical sector as the price they charge for the contact lenses is sometimes accounted by high transport costs and damage costs. The practice, therefore, has to develop ways in which it can convince the patients about the costs that it incurs when receiving new contact lenses from other countries.

2. Technological factors affecting business

Computer Technology – Stock control

Over the past two years, the optical sector was faced with a technological problem which was poor computer technology. This problem brought the maintenance of stock records to a halt as there was no sufficient way of storing the records of the stock. Currently, the problem has been solved and there is a continuous availability of advanced computer technology. With the input of the advanced computerized equipment in place, ways of storing information about the relevant stocks have been improved in the optical sector. Despite the existence of the latter, there is still a problem of lack of personnel to manage the computer systems. Few people who have basic knowledge of the operations of the computer systems are available and whenever one is found and employed and later leaves the firm; the firm always suffers the risk of losing relevant information that ought to be computerized. Patients too want to have their information computerized and whenever there is nobody to compute the data or make access to the patients’ data, then, the patients’ health records history will not be accessed making it hard for any diagnosis to be conducted on them. Emphasis needs to be put on enlightening the society about the importance in the acquisition of knowledge about computer technology (Liefner and Hennemann, 2011).

Eye health services

Appendix a

NHS England: A call to action – Reducing loss of sight and improving eye health

In England, eye health services have been observed to be under an increasing strain. The expenditure on eye health care services (primary and secondary care) between 2003/04 and 2013/14 has drastically increased by 90%, that is, from 1.2 billion Euros to 2.3 billion Euros. The step taken by NHS England in reducing sight loss and improving eye health realized some challenges which included a population that was growing and aging at a fast rate, a lot of health inequalities, and a financial outlook that was constrained due to the augmenting demand on resources offered by NHS (Angrahad 2014, p.11).

Appendix b

Wales’ health care delivery plan

The Government of Wales launched a strategic plan that was supposed to run for five years in September 2013 whose main objective was to improve eye health. Statistics show that currently around 90% of optometrists have been accredited in Wales mainly through the Welsh Eye Care Services which has provided clinical freedom for optometrists in Wales to offer services in improving eye health in Wales (Angrahad 2014, p.12).

References

Angharad, J. (2014). Report on optical sector developments and trends. [Online] (Updated 2014) Available at: https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwjUgYavtpjSAhUqDMAKHfycAIEQFggeMAA&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.optical.org%2Fdownload.cfm%3Fdocid%3D18762265-99A0-4CB3-81845CDCFC8D4E09&usg=AFQjCNFJm-9vc9vX4jK0ML0hlvHggOjU3Q&sig2=BMm6bj9DkSzoYBvDflUOeg&bvm=bv.147448319,d.d24

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Liefner, I. and Hennemann, S., 2011. Structural holes and new dimensions of distance: The spatial configuration of the scientific knowledge network of China's optical technology sector. Environment and Planning A, 43(4), pp.810-829.

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