Technology In Franchising
Bob KerrCIO Curves International Inc.
Leveraging the Internet
Leveraging the Internet
• Communication …
• Communication …
• Communication …
Leveraging the Internet
• Who needs to communicate?
Corporate to Corporate
Future Franchisee to Corporate
Corporate to Franchisee
Franchise to Customer
Customer to Corporate
Your Network
Technology Internationalization
Technology Internationalization
• Open Architecture
• Scalability
• Reusability
• Component
• Data
• Document control
• Translation
• Workforce
Open Architecture• Not closed
• Not proprietary
• Add-ons are welcome
• Best of Breed
• Sometimes Free
• Global Partnering/Relationships
Scalability• Graceful Growth• Exponential Growth• Spikes• Add components• Throughput – Transactions
– Applications– Hardware
Reusability• Build it once:
– Requirements– Code– Test cases– Manuals– Templates– Design decisions
Componentize• Standard processors
– Tax Calculations– Currency conversions– Location Identifiers:
• Zip codes• Provence codes• Postal codes
– Plug and Play
Data• Consider relationships early:
– 1-1– 1-many– Many-1– Many-many– Umbrella ownership
• Strict Field Formatting• Allow for International variables
Document Management• Franchise Agreements• Operations Manuals• Forms• Simultaneous Update• Independent Update• Version Control• Serve to Web• Translation
Translation
• Localize, Localize ,Localize• No direct Translation• Slang• Colloquialisms• Look and Feel by Country
“Big Door”
“Huge Hole”
“Grand Opening”
Supplies
Supplies• Paper clips• Clips
• Markers• Stapler• Pencils
Workforce• Regional Offices• Field Staff
– Sales– Franchisee Support– Localized Training
• These are your Translators• This is your help desk
Internationalization – Tech Recap• If your systems are open to others, other systems are open to you. No
need to reinvent the wheel.
• Design your systems and applications for growth and expansion
• Don’t pay over and over for Technology
• Develop or purchase components that serve multiple purposes
• Guard the integrity of your data
• Take control of your paper
• Who needs to do your translations?
• Utilize a global and cross-functional workforce.
Technology is Information
Technology Tools
Who Needs to Connect?
Disparate Technology
Linking the Tools
What do we need to share?
Centralized Data• Real time/Near Real Time• Pull technology vs. Push Technology• Measurable Metrics:
– Royalties– Sales– Attendance– Revenue shares
Standardization is the name of the game
• Get everyone using the same tools:– Economies of scale– Simplify support– Simplify maintenance– Shorten response times– Be agile
Technology Tools Recap• Communication devices at your fingertips
• Who is communicating?
• What do they need? DATA
• Set yourself up to “PULL”
• Streamline delivery mechanisms
Bringing it together
• Build your network as big as you can imagine it
• Build everything with growth in mind– Build it once– Remember for whom you are building
• It’s all about the data