The architecture of franchise software is particularly brought to fruition to fulfill the unique needs that franchisors come up with. Here’s everything you wanted to know about cloud-based franchise software and how it comes to the aid of franchisors and franchisees alike.

Franchise Software

Significance of cloud-based franchise software

Cloud-based franchise software facilitates the smooth running of its various applications on different shared computing devices via the internet. These devices or resources are accommodated in remotely situated data centers.

Franchise software is endowed with underlying cloud computing technology to bring about maximization in efficiency, consistency in security and brand loyalty, simplification of scalability, and enhancement in business growth. Furthermore, it also results in significant cost savings.

• Franchise software helps lower upfront costs.

Cloud-powered franchise software, not like conventional computing infrastructure, is usually put on lease on a monthly payment basis. It’s not purchased straight away. Also, it’s maintained at the premises of the franchise brand. This is more cost-effective on the part of the franchise software provider. This is partly because of the fact that you’re required to pay for exactly what you need. What’s more franchise software permits passing on savings to customers by offering cheaper upfront costs as opposed to those offered by traditional software systems.

Furthermore, franchise software couples the features and functionalities of a number of major software solutions. This in turn helps consolidate the lease fee of your franchise software into a reasonable monthly outlay.

• Franchise software calls for lesser downtime and much-reduced maintenance costs.

The maintenance of and updates for cloud-based franchise software can be remotely carried out in just a few clicks. This helps get rid of the need to frequently do hardware replacements and repairs. In addition, all necessary IT support is directly provided from the remote data center thereby resulting in reduced labor costs as well as faster response time in so far as the whole facility of IT services is concerned. Since the software is more efficiently maintained it results in a diminution of franchise software downtime. Consequently, productivity losses are also minimized.

• Franchise software facilitates a more effective setup.

With franchise software in tow, the need to lug towers, computer monitors, or keyboards from one place to another becomes redundant. You can very easily log into a highly secure server that houses cloud-based franchise software. You can likewise access the server from various devices with uninterrupted internet access.

• Franchise software brings about simplification of franchise expansion.

Franchise software makes it easy to do adjustments in the extent of cloud service you wish to seek. In addition, it provides access to various modules as the computing and storage needs of your franchise keep fluctuating. All these changes can be put into effect through remote handling. What’s more, the software facilitates streamlined access to its system regardless of the location thereby making it easier for companies to expand and scale-up across geographical locations. Since the internet is ubiquitous round the clock software availability is guaranteed even if the hardware is located elsewhere. 

• Franchise software ensures maximum security.

The database lodged by franchise software is 100 percent secure. The backup for the database resides in a remotely connected server with a proper disaster recovery plan put in place. This implies absolute safety of the digital assets of your business is warranted from any form of natural as well as manmade calamities. In case, any disaster strikes, the setup can simply be relocated to a nearby makeshift location for a day or two. At the same time, you can access the system via your smartphone and keep on with your work.

• Franchise software streamlines the aspect of brand consistency.

It can be a real challenging task to keep your franchisees up to date with the activities and developments. However, the tasks can be effortlessly carried out with cloud-based franchise software in tow. In a matter of some simple clicks the synchronization of training materials, brand marketing copy, short runs of promotional campaigns, and several other franchise-specific resources can be done. Furthermore, you can likewise do the upload of all appropriate reference materials as the software comes up with a cloud-based, private, intranet server. It can be availed of by franchisees whenever they need to double-check on facts and figures.

How do franchisors benefit from franchise software?

So far, we have overviewed a few of the primary benefits that any cloud-based franchise software provides. Read on further to gain an understanding of how to franchise software comes to the aid of franchisors in their regular endeavors.

The extent to which franchise software comes of use to franchisors is all-important. This is because of the reason that the majority of standard retail software solutions will be amply suitable for franchisees that operate as single units. It’s the franchisors who are in need of franchise-specific features and tools to lend them a helping hand in managing the business processes and supply chains across nations. Thus when you’re ferreting around for franchise software make sure it has franchisor-specific tools without which it’s to no use.

Franchise software helps franchisors in the optimization of inventory as well as supply chains

With franchise software by their side franchisors are able to derive full visibility of corporate-grade inventory. This suggests they can evaluate their aggregate franchise resources in a single glance and control them in just a few clicks.

In this day and age, trying to find automation opportunities, wherever applicable, is paramount. Owing to this reason franchise software lets franchisors benefit from the option of automating inventory management depending on predefined minimum and maximum settings of the inventory level. The built-in automated tool to manage stock replenishment can be utilized throughout the franchise chain. This, in turn, generates significant historical data per franchisee that helps plan and draw up a budget in the long term. In this manner, the automatic stock replenishment tool also saves more time for franchisors to do a manual evaluation, interpretation, and synthesis of data to produce better management results.

Franchise software facilitates the monitoring of franchisees in real-time and without any conflict

One of the most important functions of the franchisors is to keep track of the performance of individual franchisees. This is crucial to identify likely opportunities, steer clear of threats, and resolve problems that are impacting sales. But, it’s disagreeable that as a franchisor you constantly breathe heavily down the shoulders of your franchisees. As a matter of fact, such an invasive style of management can affect the morale and motivation of your franchisees. It may even reduce productivity levels by bringing in workplace-related conflicts. In addition, you can’t physically monitor individual franchisees by either paying visits to the outlets in person or scrutinizing historical data with a fine-tooth comb as the process is very labor-intensive. Instead of this time-consuming job of micromanaging each franchisee location, franchisors need to focus and devote more time to developing and expanding the brand.

The answer to all these aspects lies with the franchise software. Franchisors can keep track of the performance of individual franchisees in real-time with the help of any interconnected device. It enables an in-depth comparison of sales and supply chains for identifying problems and defining sharp-witted management goals. When you’re fully geared up to execute any action, directly reach out to the franchisee through communication via the internal messaging system. Simultaneously, you can send reports, analytics, and dashboard to corroborate your concerns. Similarly, you can instantly send training resources to all franchise owners and subsequently keep a watch on their progress through access to their respectively assigned modules.

Also, franchise software helps recognize problems early with the help of its massive reserve of historical information. It helps in spacing out person inspections and making them quicker and increasingly efficient as and when needed.