{"id":280304,"date":"2017-05-24T01:07:44","date_gmt":"2017-05-24T01:07:44","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.franconnect.com\/?p=280304"},"modified":"2025-04-25T14:48:15","modified_gmt":"2025-04-25T14:48:15","slug":"three-franchise-field-operations-models-for-franchisee-support","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.franconnect.com\/en_au\/three-franchise-field-operations-models-for-franchisee-support\/","title":{"rendered":"Three Franchise Field Operations Models for Franchisee Support"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>The success of your franchise depends on the success of your franchisees. Key to this success is partnering with the right people and focusing on franchisee engagement, but equally important is the support your field operations team provides to your franchisees from day one. As defined in an <a href=\"http:\/\/franchisingworld.com\/franchisee-engagement-and-support-the-keys-to-success\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">article in Franchising World<\/a>, \u201cFranchise support is the mechanism by which the intellectual property of the franchisor is transferred to the franchisee for the purpose of replicating the success of the business model.\u201d<\/p>\n<p><!--more--><\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"width: 550px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" title=\"Franchise support is critical throughout a franchisees entire engagement with a brand.\" src=\"http:\/\/go.franconnect.com\/hubfs\/Stock_Photos\/Stock-together-we-can-support.jpg\" alt=\"Franchise support is critical throughout a franchisees entire engagement with a brand.\" width=\"550\" data-constrained=\"true\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Franchisees need support throughout their entire engagement with a brand:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li data-listid=\"1\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Field support, including site selection, grand opening, and compliance visits<\/li>\n<li data-listid=\"1\" data-aria-posinset=\"2\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Home office support, including training classes and vendor negotiations<\/li>\n<li data-listid=\"1\" data-aria-posinset=\"3\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Financial support, such as transparent royalty reporting and providing a brand standard chart of accounts<\/li>\n<li data-listid=\"1\" data-aria-posinset=\"4\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Marketing and communications, including collateral and public relations consulting<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>Franchisee support must be well thought out and well executed to be effective, as it\u2019s what leads to the three most important KPIs for each unit: growing sales, increasing profits, and operational excellence.\u00a0 There are several models you can follow to allocate your field operations resources: regional, unit maturity, and unit performance. Let\u2019s examine the benefits and challenges to each.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px;\"><strong style=\"background-color: transparent; font-family: radikalregular;\">1) Regionalized support<\/strong><span style=\"background-color: transparent; font-family: radikalregular;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>Benefits<\/strong><br \/>\n<span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Depending on how dispersed your units are<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\"> and how hands-on you want your f<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">ield consultants<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\"> to be<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">, regionalized support may be a good option for your franchise. This<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\"> model allows<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\"> field consultants to visit units<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\"> in their territory<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\"> regularly<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">, lowers travel costs, and <\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">enables field consultants to react more quickly. It <\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">can create a <\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">strong sense of community <\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">amongst the units in one region, as field managers can host regional meetings and encourage collaboration and sharing between franchisees. <\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">If you find that c<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">ertain factors affect <\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">your brand by region<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">,<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\"> this model allows<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\"> each fi<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">eld consultant to<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\"> cater their efforts accordingly. <\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>Challenges<\/strong><\/p>\n<p><center><a class=\"maxbutton-1 maxbutton maxbutton-demo-request\" href=\"https:\/\/www.franconnect.com\/en_au\/request-a-demo\/\"><span class='mb-text'>Request A Demo<\/span><\/a><\/center><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">The challenges to this model are that <\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">each field consultant ha<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">s<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\"> to know how to support <\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">franchisees at all stages of maturity and <\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">performance levels.<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\"> Each field consultant needs to be trained and prepared to work with franchisees who just opened a unit, as well as to those who have been in operation for many years. Similarly, they must provide catered support to <\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">franchisees who are high-performers, while simultaneously working with franchisees who ar<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">e under-performing and at risk. It creates a heavy lift in terms of hiring the right field consultants and training them for all aspects of the support they will be providing. <\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px;\"><strong style=\"background-color: transparent; font-family: radikalregular;\">2) Unit M<\/strong><strong style=\"background-color: transparent; font-family: radikalregular;\">aturity<\/strong><span style=\"background-color: transparent; font-family: radikalregular;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Benefits<\/strong><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Matching your field consultants based on the maturity of each franchise unit <\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">allows you to cater your field <\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">consultants<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\"> expertise to the needs of a specific type of franchise unit.<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\"> Your <\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">early-stage franchisees <\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">\u2013<\/span> <span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">those who have been in business for less than five years \u2013 have very different needs than those who have been in business five years or longer. They <\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">have a learning curve<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\"> and dedicating someone specialized in that stage of a franchise c<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">an avoid potential pitfalls by anticipating common challenges. These field consultants are going to be very aware of trends for<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\"> new franchisees that determine<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\"> success and can act accordingly. Once a franchisee hits the five year mark, they can transition to a new field consultant that specializes in franchisees with established units.<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\"> You may decide on<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\"> another landmark down the road in which they will transition to a third field consultant, perhaps at the 10 or 15-year mark.<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\"> Keep in mind your field consultant to unit ratio could be<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\"> different for early-stage franchises versus mature franchises.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>Challenges<\/strong><br \/>\n<span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Because field consultants need to be hired and trained according to the maturity of the units they will be working with, it may make them less transient in working with other stages. For example, <\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">the number of units in each stage could drastically change over just a few years. If you have a year of high growth (yay for you!), your early-stage field consultants may bear the burden, or you may even hire a few extra field consultants to offset that burden. Then, in five years, that entire set of units will transition to your field consultants managing your more mature units. Are there enough of those field consultants? Are your early-stage field consultants left with enough units to manage?<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\"> Another challenge is this model requires more travel for each consultant, as their units may be vastly spread out.\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><span style=\"font-size: 20px;\"><strong style=\"background-color: transparent; font-family: radikalregular;\">3) Unit <\/strong><strong style=\"background-color: transparent; font-family: radikalregular;\">Performance<\/strong> <\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent; font-family: radikalregular;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong style=\"background-color: transparent; font-family: radikalregular;\">Benefits<\/strong><span style=\"background-color: transparent; font-family: radikalregular;\"><br \/>\n<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">At the 2017 IFA annual convention, a newer <\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">franchise support <\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">model<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">seems to be <\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">emerging<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">, particularly amongst more progressive franchisors: matching field management to unit performance. In other words, underperforming units work with different field consultants than those that are hitting their targets or even overperforming. <\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">Performance can be separated into three tiers:\u00a0<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 90px;\"><strong>Tier 1:<\/strong> Over-performing units, exceeding revenue goals, 100% compliant, brand advocates. These are the franchisees you want to speak on behalf of your brand, mentor new franchisees, and share best practices amongst their peers. Your field consultants should encourage these franchisees to engage with other franchisees on behalf of the company. These are the franchisees you want others to look up to. These could also be franchisees you target to become multi-unit owners.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 90px;\"><strong>Tier 2: <\/strong>Average units, more or less meeting goals. Franchisees in Tier 2 typically meet their revenue goals, are compliant, and are generally meeting goals. This is where you may set your benchmark for success, and your field consultants should keep them focused on meeting their goals and continue to provide support and best practices.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 90px;\"><strong>Tier 3:<\/strong> Under-performing units, falling short of revenue goals. These are your at-risk franchisees who need dedicated attention to the challenges they are facing. They may\u00a0 be disengaged from the brand, and field consultants in this tier may need to be more involved, following up on non-compliance issues more often, and make more field visits. They need to create a clear action plan to get these franchisees into Tier 2 as soon as possible.<\/p>\n<p style=\"padding-left: 30px;\"><strong>Challenges<\/strong><br \/>\n<span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">The challenge with the performance-based model come with movement between the tiers. The hope is most of your franchisees fall into Tier 2, with a solid group in Tier 1, and a few outliers in Tier 3. The trouble comes when you have too many fluctuating between tiers. It\u2019s important to set time frames to prevent this from happening. <\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">And as with the unit maturity model, travel for field consultants can also be a challenge.<\/span><span style=\"background-color: transparent;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<p><center><a class=\"maxbutton-5 maxbutton maxbutton-open-locations-faster\" href=\"https:\/\/www.franconnect.com\/en_au\/solutions\/open-locations-faster\/\"><span class='mb-text'>Open Locations Faster<\/span><\/a><\/center>Keep in mind that the type of franchise system\u00a0you operate is a key factor in what model you choose. Some require a more hands-on approach, while others may be suitable for more virtual interactions. Also keep in mind the unit to field consultant ratio that works for your business. It\u2019s not a one-size-fits-all answer. The model you choose factors into the ratio, as well as the maturation of your franchise, the level on hands-on support needed, your budget, the competency of your team, and more. Testing is the only way to be sure what works for you. Talk to other franchisors to learn how they reached the right ratio for their business.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"font-family: radikallight; width: 550px; display: block; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;\" title=\"Franchise field operations is a key component to improving franchisee engagement.\" src=\"http:\/\/go.franconnect.com\/hubfs\/Stock_Photos\/Stock-warehouse-handshake.jpg\" alt=\"Franchise field operations is a key component to improving franchisee engagement.\" width=\"550\" data-constrained=\"true\" \/><\/p>\n<p><span style=\"font-family: radikallight; background-color: transparent;\">For whichever model you choose for your franchise field operations, there are three other keys to success:<\/span><span style=\"font-family: radikallight; background-color: transparent;\">\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n<ol>\n<li data-listid=\"3\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Remember your franchise field operations team should be focused on driving results, not simply \u201cchecking boxes.\u201d They are consultants, not compliance managers.<\/li>\n<li data-listid=\"3\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Leverage technology to enable remote evaluation by providing a system that both the field manager and the franchisee can see and update. This provides more accountability and transparency, while providing the opportunity to cut down on unnecessary field visits. If you can do self-auditing with a field operations tool, your field consultant to unit ratios can go up.<\/li>\n<li data-listid=\"3\" data-aria-posinset=\"1\" data-aria-level=\"1\">Field operations information should be easily accessible, trackable, and understandable from a dashboard that provides real-time data. A <a href=\"https:\/\/www.franconnect.com\/en_au\/platform-overview\/sales\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\">business intelligence tool<\/a> can tie your field operations tool with every other aspect of your business. The Chief Operating Officer for Tropical Smoothie Caf\u00e9 says, \u201cIt is next to impossible to drive results without having the numbers at your fingertips. Everyone needs to be in touch with the numbers and facts constantly.\u201d<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n<p><strong>What kind of franchisee support model do you use to enhance franchisee engagement?<\/strong><\/p>\n<p>&nbsp;<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" style=\"background-color: transparent; width: 210px; margin: 0px 30px 10px 10px; float: left;\" title=\"5 Field Operations Secrets from 600 Franchise Brands\" src=\"http:\/\/go.franconnect.com\/hubfs\/social-suggested-images\/FC-ebook-5field-operations-secrets.png\" alt=\"5 Field Operations Secrets from 600 Franchise Brands\" width=\"210\" data-constrained=\"true\" \/><\/p>\n<p>Improve your franchise field operations and franchisee engagement practices with of &#8220;5 Field Operations Secrets from 600 Brands.&#8221; <strong>Download your free copy today<\/strong> and benchmark your operational practices against the most successful brands in the market.<\/p>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Here&#8217;s a list of 3 franchise field operations models that you can utilize for franchisee support: Unit Maturity, Regionalized Support, &#038; Unit Performance.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":17,"featured_media":283119,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"inline_featured_image":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[99,108],"tags":[56,69],"class_list":["post-280304","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-improve-performance","category-operate","tag-best-practices","tag-franchisee-engagement"],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.franconnect.com\/en_au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/280304","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.franconnect.com\/en_au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.franconnect.com\/en_au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.franconnect.com\/en_au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/17"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.franconnect.com\/en_au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=280304"}],"version-history":[{"count":6,"href":"https:\/\/www.franconnect.com\/en_au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/280304\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":286465,"href":"https:\/\/www.franconnect.com\/en_au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/280304\/revisions\/286465"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.franconnect.com\/en_au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/283119"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.franconnect.com\/en_au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=280304"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.franconnect.com\/en_au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=280304"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.franconnect.com\/en_au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=280304"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}