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