Inventory for franchisors: Efficiently managing digital inventory in franchise systems

Franchise systems and system catering businesses face particular challenges when it comes to stocktaking: Inventory control across dozens of locations is complex, time-consuming and error-prone. Whether a burger chain, pizza franchise or Asian food chain - the more restaurants are part of the system, the more difficult it becomes to keep track of stocks and processes.

Often, each branch still works with its own Excel lists or paperwork. The franchise head office has to laboriously merge all this inventory data - this takes time, is prone to errors and makes it difficult to gain an overall view. Without a standardized solution, important findings remain in the dark: How high is the cost of goods sold at each store really? Which locations have conspicuous deviations?

Why franchise systems have special requirements in terms of inventory and merchandise management

In franchise systems, standardization is the be-all and end-all. All locations should work according to the same specifications - from recipes to stocktaking. Inventory processes must therefore also be standardized so that the head office receives reliable and comparable data.

Comparable inventory data is essential for controlling in system catering. Only with uniform key figures can the franchise head office compare the use of goods, identify best practices and recognize deviations at an early stage.

How BarBrain is transforming inventory processes for franchise headquarters

This is where BarBrain comes into play: the inventory software for franchise restaurants enables digital inventory in franchise systems. All branches record their stock using the same app and all results are centralized. BarBrain thus eliminates the annoying Excel chaos - the franchise head office receives transparent, up-to-date inventory results at the touch of a button.

Particularly helpful for franchisors are functions such as:

• Multi-location overview: A central dashboard provides the franchise head office with a real-time overview of all locations and their inventories.
• Comparability: Standardized key figures and reports make it possible to directly compare the cost of sales, shrinkage and other KPIs of the stores - deviations are immediately visible.
• Standard item catalogs: All locations use the same predefined item master. Products, units and prices are standardized centrally, which simplifies stocktaking and minimizes sources of error.

Advantages for the head office

Thanks to digital stocktaking, franchisors save time above all: stocktaking is faster and there is no need for time-consuming follow-up work. Many BarBrain customers have already reduced their stocktaking time by over 50%.

At the same time, the franchise head office gains more control. All inventory data is available transparently and almost in real time. Management can make well-founded decisions - significantly better control of operations is possible, as problems or theft are detected immediately.

Finally, central data transparency offers potential for optimization in purchasing. The head office recognizes consumption patterns in all stores and can make targeted adjustments to orders and stock levels. By bundling orders for the entire system, purchasing conditions can be improved and excess stock can be avoided.

Success story from the field

An example shows the difference: Franchisor of a burger chain with 20 locations, reports:

"Previously, stocktaking in our franchise system was a laborious undertaking without a central overview. Thanks to BarBrain, we now have an overview of all stores: Inventory takes half the time and we get all the data in the same format on the 1st of the month."

Conclusion

Inventory for franchisors does not have to remain a tedious compulsory program. With digital solutions such as BarBrain, stocktaking in system catering becomes much easier and provides valuable insights. See the benefits for yourself and test BarBrain for your franchise system now!