Essilor is constantly searching for better ways to meet the needs expressed by independent eyecare professionals. Anne Guethoff, Marketing Manager at Essilor states “We acknowledge that practice needs range from a complete, clear product offer, consistent service, business and marketing support and education to contemporary practice management tools.”
Essilor is now launching “Essilor Solutions”, the sum of Essilor’s business and support offer integrating the manufacturer’s product, service, business, education and practice management solutions. “With Essilor Solutions independent optometrists gain access to a unique and complete offer which addresses many of their needs – beyond just lenses.” summarises Anne Guethoff. The goal of the lens manufacturer is to be a true partner for independent practices of today – with a solution for every aspect of the daily business challenges.
PRODUCT SOLUTION
The solution to optimum vision centers around choosing and recommending the right lens product, based on the patient’s individual needs. “Ideally a spectacle lens supplier should offer a complete range of
lens designs, materials and coatings to meet all my patients’ needs. This should include single vision, progressive and extended focus lenses with an extensive power range. Also, lenses at different price levels would be beneficial.” says Ray Fortescue Optometrist, Ramsgate, NSW.
To meet this product need, there is a complete portfolio of Essilor lenses available, with a convincing range of brands such as Varilux, Crizal, Nikon and Xperio, in single vision, progressive, extended focus and stock lenses. “At Essilor we provide our customers with the largest branded product portfolio available in the market. This includes the availability of high quality lens designs at different price levels, a wide range of materials and coatings as well as an extensive power range.” summarises Anissa O’Connor, Account Manager at Essilor Victoria.
SERVICE SOLUTION
“I rely on consistent service and support from my supplier to make the experience for my patient as smooth as possible. That includes excellent quality and on-time delivery of products plus the special care taken by a good local customer service team.” underlines Richard Watt Optometrist, Hervey Bay, Qld.
Around the world manufacturing plants, prescription laboratories and professional customer service teams guarantee the manufacturing and delivery of lenses in the shortest possible time, with the best quality execution for each lens. Essilor acknowledges that on-time and quality services as well as communication with the local supplier team are the number one requirements of practices, as stated by customers in Essilor’s yearly customer survey. "Essilor Australia offers local customer service teams within each state. This allows for a more personalised level of service and a direct line of communication with our local laboratories. Our Customer Service Consultants are highly trained, in both product and technical knowledge, and are committed to on-time service delivery.” summarises Jordan Booth, Customer Service Manager at Essilor proudly.
EDUCATION SOLUTION
“Maintaining practice efficiency and improving growth requires keeping myself and my team trained in the latest available technology. To stay on top of my game I look for outside assistance.” Helen Summers Optometrist, Darwin, NT
Continuous education and training are very important for any practice, especially for independent practices as they often don’t have access to an organised training facility. Essilor addresses educational needs regarding product technology, sales skills, practice management and commercial topics. “For a modern practice Essilor covers a lot of the educational needs, from technical to commercial topics. Sessions, created by either Essilor experts or partners who are experts in their field, are designed to be hands-on, relevant and practical.” states Tim Thurn, Director of Professional Services Asia-Pacific at Essilor.
BUSINESS SOLUTION
“Especially in today’s market conditions, everyone needs to think a lot more about how to keep growing and building value in their business.” says Craig Cameron Optometrist, Ulladulla, NSW. Understanding patient demographics, core business drivers and the competitive environment are key to maintaining an agile and effective practice. Essilor can provide independent practices with expertise and experience in the areas of business analysis, KPI benchmarking as well as marketing and promotional initiatives which help drive businesses. “Essilor has a very extensive portfolio to support independent businesses which covers business analysis through to marketing services – a true advantage for practices that want to drive their business forward.” summarises Simon Lewis, National Sales Director at Essilor.
PRACTICE MANAGEMENT SOLUTION
”To run a seamless practice process, I truly rely on technology to manage and run my business efficiently.” summarises Nick Hansen Optometrist, Orange, NSW.
Essilor can provide eyecare professionals with multiple tools to run a seamless and efficient practice process. Visioffice, Essilor’s integrated dispensing terminal, combines sales support, prescription measurement and a frame selection interface. With Essilor you also have access to a modern remote edging system and online ordering. These components can be connected to the main practice management software to provide a fully integrated practice process for greater efficiency. Sunix Vision is also part of Essilor Solutions.
Today’s market place will continue to be challenging on multiple levels. Essilor encourages independent practices to express their needs concerning lenses and beyond to Essilor’s team and start a conversation about Essilor Solutions.
]]>Varilux Liberty Short is the latest addition to the Varilux Design Series. Continuing on from the success of Varilux Liberty, Varilux Liberty Short is the ideal progressive lens solution for the price sensitive progressive wearer. Utilising Varilux progressive lens technology, Liberty Short offers wearers a smooth transition from far to near areas, with a soft power profile. The new design is available in 1.5 clear and Transitions.
The Varilux Design Series is a complete range of progressive lenses offering a lens solution for every patient. Varilux is the best selling progressive lens in the world and in fact, there is a new Varilux wearer every four seconds.
]]>There is now a new and exciting Crizal campaign available for practices, with the theme based on the “Crizal, live life in the clear” message. The new visual showing a water skiing experience with and without Crizal lenses, playfully introduces the features and benefits of the lenses. The campaign kit includes new window materials, consumer brochures, a counter stand, direct mailers and a Crizal Guarantee Card, which makes it even easier to recommend Crizal to every patient. Growing the penetration of anti-reflection coated lenses is a main business driver for most practices and this new campaign can support the patient sales process very effectively. Talk to the Essilor Account Managers now about how the new Crizal campaign can help you grow your business.
]]>Xperio polarised lenses bring together the very best designs and materials from Essilor: Xperio will support Essilor's polarised offer and the portfolio of existing and successful brands such as Varilux, Airwear and Crizal. Most importantly, practitioners now have access to strong, contemporary patient communication materials explaining and promoting the wear of polarised lenses, just in time for the summer season.
All Essilor lenses that carry the Xperio name meet or exceed Essilor's rigorous performance standards. The lenses are superior to ordinary tints with benefits including glare reduction, natural colour enhancement, 100 percent UVA/UVB protection, unmatched clarity of vision as well as superior scratch resistance.
"In most developed countries, only 12 percent of patients have a pair of lenses especially for outdoors, and less than 7 percent use polarised lenses," said Anne Guethoff, Marketing Manager at Essilor Australia. "Essilor’s new Xperio lenses provide practitioners with a great opportunity to grow their practices by offering a second pair for outdoor activities to every patient."
Research shows that patients expect to be offered a pair of sun lenses.
Xperio polarised lenses allow patients to experience the beauty of the great outdoors safely by delivering UV protection and glare reduction. A recent clinical study measuring driver reaction times using Xperio polarised versus ordinary tinted lenses, concluded that driver reaction times were reduced by 1/3 of a second with Xperio. Clinical studies also show that Xperio improves contrast sensitivity and visual acuity, allowing wearers exceptional clarity of vision versus ordinary tints. In addition, Xperio grey lenses allow for natural colour enhancement and the ability to see true colours outdoors.
The patient materials including a consumer brochure and a counter stand are available now through your Essilor account manager. Please visit our Xperio Polarised Lenses page for more info on Xperio.
]]>In February, the Varilux 360° Series was launched, offering a clear portfolio of digitally surfaced progressive lenses. A Varilux product earns the name 360° by using two separate areas of Essilor Technology: proven progressive designs and Essilor’s Advanced Digital Surfacing™ Technology, incorporating unique optical calculation algorithms, software and specific manufacturing tools and processes.
"The progressive design is critical regardless of how the lens is surfaced" states Tim Thurn, Director of Professional Services at Essilor Australia. On this basis, the proven designs Varilux Comfort and Varilux Ellipse were enhanced with Essilor’s Advanced Digital Surfacing™ Technology, to create Varilux Comfort 360°, Varilux Ellipse 360° and Varilux Physio Short 360°, introduced in February 2009.
"Adding the most trusted progressives in Australia, Varilux Comfort and Varilux Ellipse, to the 360° Series has been a great success. Combining the benefits of a trusted design with the latest in digital surfacing, has proven to be very popular with practices that were looking for a digitally surfaced progressive lens offer in the medium price segment." states Anne Guethoff, Marketing Manager at Essilor Australia.
The Varilux 360° Series was extended again in July 2009, with the launch of Varilux Physio f-360°, a customised elite design that takes into account individual wearing parameters; and Varilux Physio Azio 360°, a progressive lens customised to the Asian ergonomics, facial and eye anatomy.
“Now, there is a Varilux 360° design for everyone, no matter what the need or expectation of the practitioner and patient is!" says Anne Guethoff. The easy and modern progressive portfolio now includes a core level with Varilux Comfort 360° and Varilux Ellipse 360°, a performance level with Varilux Physio 360° and Varilux Physio Short 360°, as well as an elite level with Varilux Physio f-360° and Varilux Ipseo 360°. The three levels directly refer to the level of customisation and the increasing patient benefits from the core level over to performance and elite.
Varilux is the best selling progressive lens in the world and in fact, there is a new Varilux wearer every four seconds. "The launch of the Varilux 360° Series has helped a lot to clarify and strengthen Essilor’s progressive lens offer – this is the very positive feedback we are receiving. Mission accomplished!" concludes Emily O'Loughlin, Product Manager for Varilux.
]]>The Queensland team chose to celebrate their roots with customers and suppliers who were described by Essilor’s State Manager, Tim McCann, as an "integral part of the journey and history that have made us who we are today". 1920’s Jazz was the theme for the birthday party, which was held on site at the laboratory’s current Windsor location. There was a second birthday to be celebrated at the same time: The invention of the first Varilux progressive lens, 50 year ago. Longest servicing employee, Maintenance Manager Robert Walker, who has been with the company for 40 years, had particular reason to celebrate and spoke of high hopes for a strong future and another successful 85 years!
]]>Essilor Interview lenses offer performance beyond near vision, by answering to your patient’s unmet needs. Few patients truly realise the severe limitations of “reading glasses” until after they pick them up. Essilor Interview is a modern and natural way to replace reading glasses as it is engineered like no other extended focus lens:
Contact your Essilor Account Manager or view the Essilor Interview Lenses page for more information.
]]>Essilor Transitions lenses with Crizal A2 provide clear sight and healthy sight in any light. The combination of being sunglass dark outdoors, protecting eyes from harmful UV and glare, and being clear indoors, providing the best resistance against scratches, dust and smudges, makes this lens solution the perfect choice for all patients that look for a clear lens with more benefits.
Australian eyecare professionals who love Essilor Transitions lenses with Crizal are now invited to scratch and win a share of $50,000 during the Essilor Transitions Scratchie Promotion running throughout October.
Pratices that order a pair of Essilor Transitions lenses for their patients will receive a scratchie with a chance to instantly win a $25 Eftpos card. If Crizal A2 is added to the order, the chance of winning is tripled by receiving three scratchies. At the end of the promotion any non-winning but returned scratchies will go into a second prize draw.
Communication materials that can support practices in recommending Essilor Transitions lenses with Crizal A2, are available through Essilor account managers.
]]>January 2010, as announced at the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting in May. Hubert Sagnières, Chief Operating Officer, will be appointed Chief Executive Officer of Essilor as of that date. Xavier Fontanet, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Essilor since 1996, will continue as Chairman of the Board of Directors. Mr. Sagnières has been Chief Operating Officer of Essilor International since August 2008. Two years prior to that, he was appointed President, North America and Europe. Between 1998 and August 2006, he was President of Essilor of America. In 1997, he served as President of Essilor Laboratories of America, and before that, beginning in 1991, he was President of Essilor Canada. Mr. Sagnières was appointed by Essilor in 1989 to fill the newly created position of Vice President, International Lens Marketing. A Director of Essilor International since the Annual Shareholders’ Meeting on May 14, 2008, Mr. Sagnières is one of the founders of the Essilor Vision Foundation. Mr. Sagnières is a dual national of France and Canada. He graduated from the Ecole Centrale de Lille, holds an economics degree and an MBA from INSEAD.-----------------------
Essilor International is the world leader in ophthalmic optical products, offering a wide range of lenses under the flagship Varilux, Crizal, Essilorand Definitybrands to correct myopia, hyperopia, presbyopia and astigmatism. Essilor operates worldwide through 15 production sites, 293 lens finishing laboratories and local distribution networks.
]]>Varilux is celebrating its 50th birthday this year, continuing the invention of the first progressive lens by Bernard Maitenaz in 1959 with the launch of its new design, Varilux® Physio f-360º™.
To mark the occasion, we asked practices to tell us about their most memorable Varilux experience. One lucky practice that submitted the most memorable experience, has won 50 pairs of complimentary Varilux lenses with a value of $50,000! The lucky practice is: Eyeopener, NSW.
The competition was carried out around ODMAfair 2009 and has proven to be very popular among practices. Essilor received an overwhelming number of responses with entries from all across Australia. We set out to find the most memorable Varilux experience and our customers told us hundreds of memorable stories, proofing the amazing impact Varilux has on millions of consumers. In fact, there is a new wearer every 4 seconds!
]]>After successfully launching the concept of the Varilux 360° Series including three new designs in the beginning of the year, Essilor has once again broken new ground in terms of progressive lens design.
The new elite design of the 360° Series, Varilux Physio f-360°, continues the success of Varilux Physio and Physio 360º, as all products have been designed with Essilor’s exclusive W.A.V.E. Technology™. W.A.V.E. is responsible for higher order aberration control and the benefit of High Resolution Vision™.
Varilux Physio f-360° enhances High Resolution Vision™ with the introduction of flexible wearing parameters. Taking into account pupillary distance, vertex distance, pantoscopic angle, wrap angle and fitting height, Physio f360º can be designed perfectly to each wearer’s exact requirements.
Specific measuring devices are required to obtain the additional parameters. These five measurements can be taken using either Essilor’s Visioffice dispensing unit or by using the comprehensive hand held measuring tool specifically designed to assist the ordering of Physio f-360°.
Compared to a standard progressive lens, Varilux Physio f-360° improves visual performance by 30%. The patient can benefits from 30% better contrast in far vision, 30% wider fields of vision in mid distance and 30% easier access to near vision thanks to a custom-located near vision area.
Varilux Physio f-360° is available from July in the materials 1.5; 1.59; 1.6; 1.67 in clear and Transitions VI.
Anne Guethoff, Marketing Manger at Essilor summarises: “Varilux Physio f360º once again shows why Varilux is the leading progressive lens brand. Practices and patients world wide are confirming this every day, with a new Varilux wearer every four seconds.”
Varilux is celebrating its 50th birthday this year, continuing the invention of the first progressive lens by Bernard Maitenaz in 1959.
]]>Throughout its years of presence in the Asian market, Essilor’s research and development centres have conducted extensive research regarding the physiological and behavioural differences between Asians and other ethnic groups. This research has proven that Asians are not only anatomically different from other ethnic groups, but are also unique in the way they are wearing their spectacles.
With recent developments in lens technology, lenses can now be designed digitally and with greater precision which leads to improved clarity and performance. However, the performance of a lens design still requires the spectacles to be worn with its required parameters to obtain optimal performance. Asian anatomical differences and their related wearing conditions have been addressed by Essilor’s latest customised lens design - Essilor® Azio360°™.
Essilor Azio360° now provides Asians with a lens that is designed and engineered specifically for Asian eyes. This breakthrough lens design takes into account the three key areas of visual experience that are unique to Asian spectacle wearers: Eye Anatomy, Facial Anatomy and Ergonomics.
The eye length of Asian eyes is generally longer. The centre of rotation is further away from the eye lens and the optical axis of an Asian eye tends to sweep over a broader area. Asians also have a less pronounced face profile and nose bridge and their visual experience is impacted by how the frame sits on the face.
]]>Today a lot of practices have made AR a standard for all patients they see, no matter if they are older patients, children or people that work outdoors or in dusty environments. Nevertheless there is still a great potential for most practices to re-think their approach to AR, both from a patient care and business point of view.
Essilor’s research reveals that clarity of vision is the most important feature for patients when purchasing glasses. There are four genuine reasons why AR is of great benefit to patients: Improved clarity and performance, safer and more comfortable night driving, enhanced visual appearance, easier cleaning.
The University of Indiana conducted a clinical study on driver reaction times and found that myopes gain 5 seconds and hyperopes 2 seconds on driver reaction times when wearing an anti-reflective coating on their glasses. This can prevent a lot of accidents and issues on the road. They also concluded that drivers should wear AR coated spectacle lenses at night because of the better contrast sensitivity. This means clearer vision and therefore quicker reaction times when it is critical.
While previous generations of AR coatings were harder to clean, Essilor’s latest generation, Crizal A2, is found to be as easy, if not easier to clean than hard coated lenses. Wearer studies proof that Crizal A2 smudges less than HC lenses and more wearers find Crizal A2 very easy to clean compared to HC lenses. Crizal A2 was voted the most transparent lens on the market due to it’s anti-smudge and dust repellant properties (wearer study, Sensory Analysis, conducted among 160 spectacle wearers).
The Essilor training program “Total AR” consists of 3 learning modules including Why AR for my patient and my business, Crizal – My AR! and Manufacturing AR. Essilor account managers are rolling out this training now.
Tanya Lane, Product Manager at Essilor states: “The best possible vision solution for our patients is crucial and this always includes an anti-reflection coating.”
]]>Today, this same pioneering spirit – born of boldness, patience, determination and a passion for research, all solid Varilux characteristics – drives over 30,000 employees at today's Essilor, a multinational that leads the ophthalmic optical market worldwide.
Essilor Australia is celebrating Varilux’ 50th Birthday with its presence at Odmafair 2009 and a birthday party on the Saturday night. Practices will be asked for their most memorable Varilux experience and one lucky practice will win 50 pairs of complimentary Varilux lenses (including Crizal A2 & Transitions VI ) with a retail value of up to $50,000!*
Focusing on Varilux this year, the theme at the stand will evolve around the recently launched Varilux product range, the Varilux 360º Series. Essilor will also use the platform of Odmafair to introduce an additional new and exciting design.
The much talked about Essilor Visioffice dispensing machine will be presented at Odmafair, allowing visitors to trial the innovation hands on. It incorporates measurement capabilities as well as education and demonstration elements, the practice can benefit from.
The team at Essilor is looking forward to welcoming visitors at stand number 141.
]]>Looking at the packaging of its lenses, Essilor has made the decision that the current plastic cup and lens box will be gradually phased out. Instead the company will introduce a new ‘cupless’ packaging world wide.
With the plastic cup removed, the packaging becomes 100% recyclable and environmentally friendly. By removing the plastic cup, 230 tons of plastic will be saved per year, and the number of packaging types is reduced to three from the previous 30.
The new ‘cupless’ packaging will be introduced between now and January 2010, starting with the packaging of the material Airwear on single vision, bifocal and progressive lenses.
Essilor’s new Cupless Box packaging was nominated for the packaging world’s Oscars last November in the Environment category. Other prize winners in this category included Evian, Volvic and Valvert bottles. The new new cupless packaging will be colour coded and easy to identify.
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