Practice software fails to win widespread support

Top Q was expected to be installed in 1,500 practices by April this year, 12 months after it went on sale. Tony Hartley, managing director of Top International, the company which helped produce the package, admitted that the sales target has not been achieved 'by any means'. The system was the brainchild of a committee formed from the College of Optometrists, the Association of Optometrists, the Association of British Dispensing Opticians and the Federation of Ophthalmic and Dispensing Opticians. Mr Hartley said the committee promised high take-up and support for the system, which is claimed to enable practitioners to meet the necessary standards to become ISO:9002 registered. Instead, there has been 'interest', but few practices or practice groups have bought Top Q. Among the purchasers is Scrivens, which has 68 outlets. 'We took up the project on the committee's recommendations, so we didn't carry out our own market research,' said Mr Hartley. 'We put three years' work into this. I don't think it will ever pay us back.' Committee chairman Bob Chappell described take-up as 'extremely disappointing'. 'There is clearly an enormous amount of work to be done to convince the profession about the real benefits,' he said. 'There was always a view that it would be hard work to convince practices of its value and the value of ISO:9002.' However, Mr Hartley said Dollond & Aitchison and Specsavers were considering buying the software.