Change is inevitable, but in the year 2020, disruption is the name of the game. In today’s world, we see significant shifts in society that are driven by many factors. Seven sources of disruption impacting us this year include:
- Economy
- Public Health
- Government
- Demographics
- Environment
- Media
- Technology
These factors are responsible for massive shifts in our society, and I believe we can all acknowledge that most of these sources are disrupting our world this year. We are in the midst of a public health issue that has tipped the scale on several areas of our lives and impacting our orthodontic practice. How have you seen these disruptions affect you? We all have our story and levels of impact. In my community, there has been a tremendous economic change, and we see it every day. Businesses are adapting and how they adapt is changing the landscape.
The story of two car washes
Right down one of the busiest streets in my city, there is an incredibly successful car wash. It is a multigeneration business that had cars lined up the thoroughfare every day. It was a bustling business with many employees vacuuming and maneuvering cars around to be cleaned by hand. People loved their hands-on approach. Over a year ago, a new car wash business opened next to them. They advertised automation, touchless car wash, and operated with three to four employees. Pre-pandemic, the hands-on business had the lion’s share of customers, while the touchless company took the leftovers. Fast forward to today, and the tables have turned. Cars lined up waiting to enter the touchless car wash that offers technology and a minimum impact experience for its customers who used to favor its competitor just a few months ago.
An orthodontic practice
As orthodontists, we don’t run a car wash business, but we serve the same people who make this disruptive consumer shift to how they want to have their care delivered. There is a change in consumer culture towards businesses implementing new technology to decrease the amount of time people get out of their comfort zone. Take a look at opportunities within your practice to minimize the impact of office visits, waiting rooms, and shorter appointments. Today’s orthodontic patient is favoring many of these changes today.
