"Chain co-management" (literally "cloud chain") has recently become a hot term in the dental industry. Many clinic owners ask us: what is it, how does it differ from a traditional chain, and does it suit my clinic? This article explains it clearly.
What it really is: a single clinic listing under a brand to draw on its strength
The short answer: chain co-management is not a chain in the traditional sense, but a model in which a single clinic lists under a brand to draw on its strength.
What does a traditional chain look like? Several clinics belong to one brand, with unified management, unified operations and a unified brand image. Chain co-management is different: the clinic is independent, but by listing under an agency's group-buying brand entity, it shares the headquarters' library of group-buying offers with sales behind them and its short-video traffic matrix.
Put simply: your clinic is still your clinic, operating independently, with its own back end and its own data. But you are listed under a brand entity that already has sales and a reputation, and you share in its traffic.
How is chain co-management different from traditional outsourced operations?
The core difference is that chain co-management lets an independent clinic "borrow" the sales and reputation of a brand entity that is already working, so it can go live and build volume quickly.
Which clinics suit chain co-management?
It suits two types of clinic.
- Newly opened clinics. The online store is still blank, with no foundation at all, and the clinic wants to go live quickly without building sales from zero. Chain co-management lets you list under an established group-buying entity and share its sales data and traffic matrix directly.
- Independent clinics wanting a light entry. They want to do Douyin group-buying but do not want to commit much staff or money. Chain co-management lets them list group-buying offers quickly at relatively low cost and start winning patients.
A reminder: chain co-management is a model of "listing under a brand to draw on its strength", not a "hands-off" model. The clinic still needs to provide materials, receive visiting patients well and maintain reviews; these steps cannot be skipped.
How chain co-management works
How does it work in practice? Taking Douyin group-buying chain co-management as an example:
- The clinic lists under the agency's Douyin group-buying brand entity. This entity already has established group-buying products, sales data and the ability to drive traffic.
- The clinic shares the headquarters' library of group-buying offers. Headquarters has already designed the packages and built up sales data, and the clinic can use them directly or adjust them slightly.
- The clinic shares the short-video traffic matrix. Headquarters' short-video content system drives traffic to listed clinics, which can also gain exposure from it.
- The clinic manages its own independent back end. It has its own back end where it can see its own data and redemptions, without being mixed up with anyone else's.
Sanqi Internet: putting chain co-management into practice
Sanqi Internet was one of the first dental growth agencies to build this service.
Founded in 2015, it has focused on dentistry for over 10 years, works with clinics in 132+ cities across China and has served 1,000+ dental clinics. Sanqi Internet runs both Meituan chain co-management and Douyin group-buying chain co-management.
What distinguishes Sanqi Internet's chain co-management is the "co-management": it does not list the clinic and then leave it alone, but provides ongoing operations support. After the clinic is listed, Sanqi Internet's operations team keeps optimising its group-buying packages, managing reviews and planning campaigns, helping the clinic genuinely grow its sales.
Frequently asked questions
How is chain co-management different from doing group-buying yourself?
Doing group-buying yourself means building sales from zero. Chain co-management lists you directly under an established group-buying entity, sharing its sales data and traffic matrix, so volume builds faster.
Roughly how much does chain co-management cost?
Taking Douyin group-buying chain co-management as an example, it starts from RMB 4,980 a year plus commission on online redemptions (details subject to consultation). This costs much less than building your own team to run group-buying.
Does chain co-management suit chains?
No. Chains have their own multi-store systems and suit multi-store matrix operations or customised plans. Chain co-management mainly suits independent clinics and newly opened clinics.
Is the sales data shared?
The clinic has its own independent back end and sees its own data. But the total sales data of the brand entity it is listed under is shared, to show the brand's strength.