Online Training, Learning Management System, Blog. Litmos: 5 Solid Reasons for Franchisors to Deliver Training Online

Thursday, April 23, 2009

5 Solid Reasons for Franchisors to Deliver Training Online

Could there be another industry out there more reliant on training than franchises? From start to finish, it's about ensuring a high-quality, consistent experience every time, to every person, in each location, and that requires a clear strategy, explicit policies and procedures, and an entrenched learning culture.

I read that the worst-case scenario is customers referring to a franchise as 'hit or miss' depending on which outlet they go to. Why? Because it means the franchise is not achieving its goal of creating an experience that should be replicated no matter where you go; a service people can depend on.

The paramount importance of training in franchises is a no-brainer. Now here's 5 solid reasons why franchisors should be using an online format to deliver that training:

SUBWAY® has been voted entrepreneur.com 's #1 Franchise for 16 years and more recently their success has been directly attributed to ongoing eLearning initiatives and follow-up support that ensure brand quality and service consistency. I think that one speaks for itself.
Training Consistency is the Franchise Operation's Key to Success and what better way to achieve consistency than one published eLearning strategy. Especially one that can be linked with overall business objectives, which allow personnel to 'see how their efforts directly relate to the success of the operation' (2007 study by Synapsys).
Geographic Distance can be a Big Expense so why not minimize travel costs by handling all possible training online. Sure, there may be some necessary on-site training which is expected of the franchisor (like being present at the grand opening and during the first week of business) but the rest of the training modules about finding the right real estate, dealing with leases, hiring employees and other how-to's, can be covered off online. Make sure you've got a good reporting suite in your training system and you'll have most legal requirements ticked off too.
Store your Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) Online along with your operations manual, and any other important documents that should never be more than an arm's length away from your franchisees. This way your online training system doubles as a document management tool. Save special offers, approved advertising and any other related materials online so your franchisees always know where to find it - no excuses.
Support your Franchisees and Build a Community Around the Brand through a shared but secure online space. Your franchisees have a wealth of experience amongst them and what better way to connect them up than through a closed online learning eco-system of forums, discussion threads, bulletin boards and internal messaging so that even if you (the franchisor) are not around to provide immediate support to someone, they'll probably find someone who can help. Use it to post up news items, feedback on training, send out sales figures, industry-related news and announcements in one hit.

According to many people franchising defeats mos t who try it because it requires a very specific skill-set beyond a can-do attitude. With the most common complaint among franchisees being the lack of adequate training and on-going support, doesn't implementing an online training system just make sense? Yes, it does.

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SUBWAY® has been voted entrepreneur.com 's #1 Franchise for 16 years and more recently their success has been directly attributed to ongoing eLearning initiatives and follow-up support that ensure brand quality and service consistency. I think that one speaks for itself.
Training Consistency is the Franchise Operation's Key to Success and what better way to achieve consistency than one published eLearning strategy. Especially one that can be linked with overall business objectives, which allow personnel to 'see how their efforts directly relate to the success of the operation' (2007 study by Synapsys).
Geographic Distance can be a Big Expense so why not minimize travel costs by handling all possible training online. Sure, there may be some necessary on-site training which is expected of the franchisor (like being present at the grand opening and during the first week of business) but the rest of the training modules about finding the right real estate, dealing with leases, hiring employees and other how-to's, can be covered off online. Make sure you've got a good reporting suite in your training system and you'll have most legal requirements ticked off too.
Store your Franchise Disclosure Document (FDD) Online along with your operations manual, and any other important documents that should never be more than an arm's length away from your franchisees. This way your online training system doubles as a document management tool. Save special offers, approved advertising and any other related materials online so your franchisees always know where to find it - no excuses.
Support your Franchisees and Build a Community Around the Brand through a shared but secure online space. Your franchisees have a wealth of experience amongst them and what better way to connect them up than through a closed online learning eco-system of forums, discussion threads, bulletin boards and internal messaging so that even if you (the franchisor) are not around to provide immediate support to someone, they'll probably find someone who can help. Use it to post up news items, feedback on training, send out sales figures, industry-related news and announcements in one hit.