To achieve it, the comparative advantage must be constantly nurtured through a series of top management operations and decisions. For instance, the management board must continually allocate sufficient budgets and time to both the marketing and the research and development departments. The marketing team will prospect the market in order to identify new trends and demands of patients or the environment. They will also pay close attention to the strategies implemented by the competition and will develop and implement new strategic approaches that enhance their comparative advantage. The R&D team will function based on the feedback collected by the marketing team and will improve the technological appliances in accordance with the new demands. Also, the members of the board or delegated physicians must participate to international conferences of the industry as to make sure that they are up-to-date on the latest innovations. The industry is a highly significant determinant of the future success of the ophthalmology clinic, as it is of its maintenance of its core competencies. The most relevant example in support of this statement is given by the rapid pace at which the technological appliances evolve. New and better appliances are developed on daily basis and what was hi-tech yesterday is today too old and inefficient. Considering that the clinic relies on its technological appliances for longer periods, they...

Were then the competitors to purchase newer technologies, the ophthalmologic clinic would find itself loosing its core competency. Patients could be lost in favor of other clinics, research funds could be withdrawn and the list of negative implications is endless. As such, it is of imperative importance that the medical facility keeps an open mind to the changes in the it sector, but also relative to the new demands and needs of patients.
All in all, the rapid dynamics characterizing the it industry make it difficult for the ophthalmologic clinic to maintain its core competency. Then, this means that the success of the medical facility is directly influenced by certain phases in the industry and is as such extremely sensitive to modifications. Its ultimate success depends on the capabilities of the managerial team to successfully administrate the financial and non-financial resources, to analyze the features of the micro and macro environments, to seize the external opportunities and maximize the internal strengths, while also minimizing the negative impact of internal weaknesses and external threats.

References

Galloway, R.L., 1993, Principles of Operations Management, Series in the Principle of Management, Routledge

November 29, 2000, Physician CEOs Should 'Lead the Change' - and Get Paid, Physician Compensation Report