Automate your franchise audits
Franchise models have grown rapidly in popularity in recent years. The franchisor licenses its proven business model to franchisees. But how do you make sure that all partners adhere to the agreed standards? Franchise audits or store checks can help.
If the criteria defined in the franchise agreement, such as operational standards, advertising, supplier guidelines and financial agreements, are adhered to, the franchisor can present its brand and company standards to its customers with consistent quality.
ex:plore helps you to regularly check the contents of your license agreement and to react to deviations in your franchise network in time. Test ex:plore with our experts in a free online demo.
Advantages of ex:plore for your franchise audit
Boost performance
Save time and money with efficient processes, bill fees digitally, and stay in control of key KPIs.
Quality control
Franchisee quality and consistency can be monitored at all times through clear documentation mechanisms.
Network mapping
Map your international franchise network and store data in multiple languages for optimal collaboration.
5 reasons for franchise audits with ex:plore
01
Automated franchise fee billing
With ex:plore, you can collect sales figures from your franchisees using user-friendly online queries, including document uploads for validation, or via an interface to existing accounting systems. Use clear dashboards to compare the sales development of different franchisees over time and make decisions about the further development of your business.
02
Standards and information transfer
With a document library integrated into ex:plore, documents can be made available to franchisees. For example, the standards of the franchise system as defined in the franchise agreement can be made available and updated via a manual. Important information such as operational standards, marketing guidelines and campaigns, products or services are clearly defined and accessible.
03
Continuous improvement through results-based follow-up
Knowledge transfer between franchisor and franchisee plays an important role. The franchisor is often required to provide initial training and ongoing support and guidance. In addition to making training materials available online, ex:plore can automatically assign additional in-depth training to a franchisee if the audit identifies a need.
04
Documenting and controlling branding
Participation in joint advertising campaigns or contributions to an advertising fund are not uncommon. With ex:plore and the associated self-check app, you can monitor the implementation of marketing measures in a user-friendly and transparent way directly in our cloud solution. Let your franchisees document the implementation of advertising measures in a tamper-proof manner with an easy-to-use app that is available for all common Android and iOS smartphones.
05
Quality and cost control
The franchisor may make certain stipulations regarding the supply chain and related suppliers. For example, they can specify where goods or services can be purchased. With ex:plore, you can monitor compliance with these supplier contracts through online document management. The franchisees store digital receipts of deliveries or delivery quantities for documentation purposes.
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What are the next steps after sending the form?
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After submitting the contact form, we usually get back to you the same day on business days.
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Next, we will schedule an online appointment together. We will clarify any open questions so that we can customize your demo.
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The demo will take place digitally with our experts on the agreed date.
Why are franchise audits conducted?
Effectively managing a franchise system requires not only good communication and trust, but also regular audits and reviews. These ensure that problems can be identified and corrected early on and that the entire system is operating successfully. In an ever-changing marketplace, tools such as franchise audits and store checks provide franchisors with the assurance that their brand and business model are in good hands and that a consistent presence is maintained across all locations. Visit our Store Checks and Store Audits page to learn more about using ex:plore to audit an extensive store network.
Additional service: Europe-wide store checks
In addition to our audit software solution, EXCON, as a long-standing partner in the audit sector, has a Europe-wide network of auditors at its disposal to carry out transparent and efficient branch checks on site. The results of the physical checks are then displayed directly in ex:plore and combined with the results of your franchise audit. This means that you always have full control over your franchise management on a single platform.
The store check is an instrumental approach to check compliance with standards on site. It can cover physical aspects such as cleanliness, product placement, customer service and many other factors. This check gives the franchisor insight into the actual operation and customer experience of each store.
Best practice: How does ex:plore support franchise audits?
A franchise audit is a systematic review of the performance and compliance of franchisees within the franchise system. It is designed to ensure that franchisees comply with the franchisor's standards, policies and contractual terms.
Preparing the franchise audit
Thorough preparation must take place before the actual audit. This includes defining the audit objectives, developing an audit plan and collecting all relevant documents and information. This is where ex:plore comes in. Collect important documents in the integrated document library and create tasks in the audit software. Based on your organizational structure, a lot of data can already be analyzed and used as a basis for the franchise audit.
Conduct the audit
The actual audit typically involves a combination of on-site visits, interviews, review of records and data, and observation of processes in the franchise units. ex:plore also helps you to conduct the franchise audit. For example, you can automatically ask your franchisees to participate in the audit and view the progress and results of the franchise audit in real time. Data from on-site store audits can also be transferred directly to the platform via interfaces, data uploads or your own EXCON auditors.
Verify compliance with licensing requirements
The primary purpose of the audit is to ensure that franchisees are adhering to agreed standards and guidelines. This includes aspects such as operational procedures, quality standards, marketing initiatives, sales targets and compliance with brand guidelines. All these topics are queried by ex:plore and made available in clear dashboards. Follow-up actions based on the results are automatically sent to the relevant contacts.
Evaluate franchisee performance
In addition to the compliance with the standards, the performance of the franchisees is also evaluated. This can include sales development, profitability, customer satisfaction and other relevant metrics. ex:plore not only allows you to compare individual locations and organizational units, but also offers numerous other evaluation and analysis reports.
Identify opportunities for improvement
The Franchise Audit identifies areas where franchisees have weaknesses or potential for improvement. These can be included in an action plan to improve performance and compliance. The action plan developed in this way can be digitally mapped into tasks and follow-up actions via ex:plore.
Reporting and feedback
After the franchise audit is completed, ex:plore generates a report that summarizes the results, documents the findings and can contain recommendations for improvement measures. The report can be made available to and discussed with all parties involved in the audit.
Follow-up and monitoring after the franchise audit
After the audit, it is important to monitor the implementation of the agreed upon measures and to ensure that the franchisees take the necessary steps to improve their performance and compliance. Here, too, ex:plore provides support in the further processing and transparent documentation of the implementation and evaluation of follow-up measures.
Other use cases for audit software
The ex:plore audit software can also be used for other tasks in your business. Contract audits, ESG reporting or certification audits are just a few examples of the wide range of possible applications. We regularly add new examples to the following use case overview.
