Implementing new technology across a franchise system is one of the hardest things a franchisor can do. People resist change — but they also don’t like losing money. If your operations aren’t improving, they’re falling behind.
From years of experience working with franchise brands, we’ve refined a four-step framework for optimizing operations when you’re evaluating and rolling out new tools.
Step 1: Identify Hurdles
Before you start shopping for solutions, you need to fully understand the source of your challenges.
Ask yourself: is this an internal issue or external? Does it affect the client experience, the daily workflow, or both? Once you’ve located the problem, figure out who it impacts — franchisors, franchisees, prospects, customers, or the entire brand.
These answers will determine severity and focus your search. There are a lot of technology options out there. Taking time to clearly define the problem means you won’t waste time on demos that aren’t relevant to your brand’s actual needs.
Step 2: Explore Solutions
When evaluating vendors, work smarter — not harder. Look for suppliers who are consistent and clear about their services across every touchpoint, from their website to their conference presence.
If you discover them outside of franchise-focused events like IFA, make sure they have franchise experience and understand the franchisor-franchisee model. Otherwise, you’ll spend more time explaining your business than getting results.
Once you’ve met with potential vendors, keep these questions in mind:
- Do they make you excited about their solution?
- Do they show genuine interest in your brand?
- Will your team feel comfortable working with them?
Trust your gut — just like you would when hiring an employee. A positive working relationship matters, especially when it comes to the hardest part: training and implementation.
Ask how they’ve trained other brands and how their support works before you sign. That will help you set realistic timelines and expectations.
Step 3: Implement New Tools
Before launching a new tool across your brand, both franchisors and franchisees need to understand how it works — especially if it’s something they’ll interact with daily.
Training can be the most painful part of any implementation. It often suffers from a lack of leadership buy-in, miscommunication, or simple resistance to change. Clear communication between franchisors and franchisees about how the tool solves current challenges is essential.
Everyone needs to act as both teacher and student — open to learning, and willing to help each other get up to speed.
Before going live, pull your baseline metrics from the previous solution. You’ll want these to compare against future performance and measure whether the change is actually making an impact.
Step 4: Utilize and Measure
Once the tool is live and your team is trained, keep the momentum going.
For the first year, we recommend hosting at least monthly calls where franchisees can ask questions and surface issues. This keeps small problems from becoming brand-wide headaches, and gives you a clear picture of what’s working and what needs attention.
Invite your vendor to your brand’s annual meeting. Give franchisees direct access to the people behind the tool so they can ask questions and get hands-on support.
And track everything. Give the solution at least a full year of data before making any decisions about continuing or switching. The numbers will tell you what’s working — and what isn’t.
Ready to Eliminate Hurdles for Your Brand?
Book a Demo and let’s talk about how ServiceMinder can help streamline your franchise operations.
