Increase Clinical Profitability by £5+ Million for a Leading UK Eyecare Provider

The organisation faced a challenge: how to run more profitable clinics, without simply increasing the number of clinics. Senior leaders believed they could grow, but they didn’t know where, when, or how much.

Key issues included:

SolvedBy.Ai introduced an AI-driven clinic forecasting and optimisation solution that redefined how the optician schedules clinicians and clinics.

Here’s how it works:

Forecasting Demand at Micro Level:
Using historical appointment data, booking behaviours, and appointment types, the model predicts demand at a granular level — daily, hourly, and by site.

Smarter Scheduling, Hour by Hour:
The system adjusts optometrist shifts based on when appointments are most likely to be needed. In areas with older populations, for instance, morning slots are prioritised.

Profit-First Decision Logic:
Every potential clinic is assessed against a profitability threshold. If a session is expected to generate enough revenue to justify the clinician’s cost, it runs. If not, it doesn’t.

Enriched by Context:
Promotional calendars, public holidays, and religious festivals are layered into the forecast, providing the nuanced view needed for accurate planning.

What began as a belief that smarter allocation could unlock more value became measurable reality.

The business now:

This is more than a scheduling tool. It’s a strategic engine for profitable growth.

The project began within operations but quickly attracted attention from marketing, who own the forecasting and resource planning processes. Champions from marketing and finance drove internal adoption, supported by board-level sponsorship from the CMO and CFO.

Key decision factors included:

In addition to optimising clinical schedules, SolvedBy.Ai also supports the business in increasing in-store revenue through intelligent product matching.

By leveraging internal sales and customer loyalty data, the solution forecasts likely customer needs ahead of appointments — such as lens coatings, designer frames, or contact lens options — and ensures the right products are available and recommended during each visit.

This personalised approach helps clinicians and store teams match the right product to the right customer at the right time, improving sales revenue, enhancing customer experience, and increasing overall basket size. It also enables smarter decisions around stock placement and promotional targeting.

The results speak for themselves:

A leading UK optician with more than 500 practices across the country, including both company-owned and franchise locations. The organisation has built a reputation for eye health expertise, accessible pricing, and choice for customers of all ages.

The business provides a full suite of eyecare services, from NHS and private eye tests to advanced imaging (OCT and optomap®), contact lens fittings, and designer eyewear. With an average 4.8-star customer rating, the brand remains one of the UK’s most trusted optical providers.