The power of free-form

The optical arm of the Japanese watchmaking giant may not be too well known for kicking up a storm in the UK optical market, but it hopes free-form lens technology will signal a wind of change.

Seiko is a familiar name to UK practitioners, but probably more for its parent's pedigree in high-tech timepieces than in optical lenses. The emergence, however, of computer technology and precision manufacturing techniques at the forefront of lens manufacturing places Seiko ahead of the curve, according to the company.

High-tech, high-quality

'Our business is very much bringing in high-technology, high quality lenses,' says director John Conway. 'All our products are anti-reflection coated and 75 per cent of our work is electronic data interchange.'

This is borne out by a whistlestop tour of the Gloucestershire base, which houses exclusively high quality product and employs 21 people. It is very much a logistic operation, supplying stock lenses to lab customers and managing the manufactured work which is carried out in Japan and Germany

While many lens companies are obsessed by volume, Conway is happier talking about quality. What he does not elaborate on is exactly how his operation interacts with Specsavers and the Pentax brand. 'It's complicated,' he says. And then it's back to technology.

'Seiko produced its first free-form products in 1997, explains David Nicoll, head of international sales. 'Internal surface free-form lenses simply didn't exist before then, up to that point progressives had front surface moulds. People knew that putting the active surface on the inside of the lens would offer advantages, so Seiko made its own machine and developed its own software to do it. It was a step change,' he says.

Bringing the power on to the back surface - and therefore closer to the eye - immediately widens the field of view and having a spherical front surface reduces magnification distortion. 'Free-form offers the wearer the opportunity to have lenses that are more suited to that individual's lifestyle needs,' says Nicoll.

However, the benefits are not just reserved for the wearers - there are big advantages for manufacturers. Moving away from a front-surface design means perhaps as few as 10 semi-finished lens specifications are required to make a lens type that would otherwise require over 130, says Nicoll.

Convincing the sceptics

So if the technology is so good and it has been around for 10 years why isn't everyone using it? 'It has taken some time, but slowly people are becoming aware,' says Conway diplomatically. He admits there may be misconceptions in the market that have delayed the take up of free-form but they are being changed.

So what does Seiko say to practitioners who think free-form is too expensive, that it requires new fitting skills, or that it has been hyped-up by the manufacturers?

Business development manager David Miller, who joined Seiko earlier this year after 20 years in the independent prescription industry, explains the philosophy. 'It is a very much more individual product but without being difficult to dispense. It's like wearing a single-vision lens,' he states. The key for Seiko UK is getting in front of opticians who want to dispense the best products to their patients.

Conway says the way Seiko is promoting free-form is through chosen optical outlets. 'We know free-form is very, very good at what it does and we are starting to build that awareness with opticians,' he says

Specialist programme

Conway is referring in particular to the Seiko specialist programme. This is a select band of around 200 opticians who have been the first to dispense Seiko free-form lenses. He sees this very much as a partnership programme.

The feedback is good and more people are talking about free-form, says Conway. He wants that message to spread by building a core of 300 forward-looking practices. The aim is to build the business of these practices, by bringing together the power of two brands - the name of their practice and Seiko.

'We are not trying to take over their business or dictate what they should or shouldn't do,' stresses Nicoll. 'The whole philosophy is to enhance what has made them successful already. This is a great value added product with great optics which their customers will love. Not everyone can offer that.'

Conway says Seiko is taking a business development approach to promotion of the lens and sitting down 'face-to-face' with practitioners to explain its benefits. There is no reason, he says, why free-form should be more expensive than any other latest generation progressive. 'It's not a price-driven thing, it's a knowledge-driven thing,' adds Nicoll. 'When you explain it to people they understand and that gives them the confidence to use it. Once they have used it that is the acid test - peer recommendation.'

'If people are prepared to sit down and listen I don't think there are many that won't try it,' says Miller. 'Once they have dispensed it, there's no looking back.'

Software flexibility

The other story with free-form that Seiko is clearly excited about is the step change it provides for manufacturers.

Free-from technology will increasingly put the emphasis on software design and manufacturing quality and Seiko believes it is uniquely positioned to make its heritage and brand work for it in the market.

'Free-form means that if you want to bring in a new design you just bring in some new software,' says Nicoll. 'It brings in more flexibility, labs will be able to change more readily to new designs, it accelerates the development process.'

Conway continues: 'What we are saying is this is one of the best designs that you can get, we have the best manufacturing quality, and we are offering that through our specialist structure. Our ethos will be continual improvement through the feedback we get,' says Nicoll.

Brand recognition

Having the backing of the Seiko brand also makes selling a high-tech lens easier for practices, says Miller. Consumer research among the public will show recognition rates of 80 per cent with Seiko.

'That's driven by watches, but it's the same sort of message. The brand does help. It makes a technical sell much less complicated.' People also know and trust the brand and have confidence in its technical excellence.

There are big challenges in the market, says Nicoll, and he believes choosing to go with free-form is a strategic choice for some practices.

'Practices have asked themselves "what is the future market going to look like, and am I where I want to be?" That is what some of our specialist practices have done.' Seiko also believes it has a huge advantage in owning the technology and the brand and making the lenses itself. 'We are growing and we want to have serious discussions with them [practices].

'Opticians buy a branded lens because it gives them confidence, but they don't always pass that on.' Patients are brand-aware but practitioners don't always want to 'sell' the product as they feel that might have an impact on their professionalism.

'With more polarisation between the price and value ends of the market, opticians need a proposition for a variety of customers. Value added is the end that the independents are going for and they have to have something to say.'

The Seiko team clearly believes it has the right technology, profile and backing and that free-form's day has come. If lens manufacturers had to start making lenses from scratch today, free-form would be the way they would do it, says Conway.

'One day all lenses will be made this way, it is always best to be in at the beginning of new things. My message to opticians would be to try it and to talk to people who have used it.'