CAD/CAM - international magazine of digital dentistry

_Price pressure and competition are on the riseinthedentalindustry.Inordertomaintaintheir successinthefuture,manufacturersofdentalprod- ucts and services will have to rethink their current approaches and structures in sales and marketing, for instance. Influenced by significant changes in the mar- ket, business expectations for the dental industry in Europe, for example, are cautiously positive, as leading dental manufacturers there anticipate single-digit revenue and profit growth for the next two years. Under these conditions, rising customer demandandhighlyinnovativemanufacturers,which will in turn drive growth from the supply side, are considered to be two main factors for growth. Demand-driven industry growth has resulted primarily from stronger customer interest in cos- metic treatments and dental implants owing to higher patient awareness and the availability of treatments that are more affordable. The increas- ing number of qualified and specialised dentists who perform these types of treatments has further driven this growth. Moreover, manufacturers are experiencing higher demand for services and inte- grated solutions. The reason for this is the shifting service spectrum and higher demand for process optimisation in dental practices and laboratories. An increasing number of manufacturers are there- fore seeking to differentiate themselves from com- petitors by extending their existing portfolio and offering integrated solutions to meet the changing demands of their customers. I business _ digital dentistry market Table I_Examples of important growth areas. 32 I CAD/CAM 1_2014 Table I Facing new challenges in sales and marketing How the dental industry can maintain economic success Author_Karin Laupheimer & Jan Bordon, Germany Photo:FerGregory CAD0114_32-34_Laupheiner 14.04.14 11:50 Seite 1