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Overcome franchise IT challenges
Discover managed connectivity, collaboration and security solutions that empower success
Diverse franchise growth with the right technology
Rapid innovation is changing how franchises operate and grow. AI, apps, data analytics, cybersecurity and remote payment are some of the technologies transforming the customer experience and driving new avenues for growth. For many, embracing these emerging solutions tests the limits of their IT acumen and legacy networks. Meanwhile, the urgency to modernize is only growing more acute as franchisees seek to create the next generation of customer experiences.
Complicating efforts are a host of challenges spanning strict operating budgets, rising capital and labor costs and escalating cyberthreats. To address these challenges, franchises require a sophisticated suite of technologies that consists of scalable, integrated and customizable networking and connectivity solutions. Explore how you can harness these technologies to sharpen operational efficiency, meet customer expectations, strengthen security and realize your franchise’s full potential.
32% of store associates use mobile devices as part of their jobs today, a figure expected to rise to 41% by 2026.1
Modernize your network to help boost margins
Franchisors must keep pace with market trends and rapidly evolving customer desires to maintain and grow their brand. Operators feel pressure to retain business and innovate in-store and digital experiences on very tight operating budgets and margins. These business goals directly affect network and security demands and can negatively impact already thin margins. In addition to managing operating costs, resource-constrained IT teams are stretched further as they seek to integrate new technologies like contactless systems, point-of-sale (POS) applications, AI and mobile order and loyalty apps, all while managing aging existing systems. Modern franchise technology requires network efficiency and the ability to scale as the franchise grows and evolves. Though networking and security have become more complex, franchise operators want to focus on running their business instead of managing networks and infrastructure.
Competitive franchise brands and operators seek new ways to address emerging opportunities while minimizing capital expenditures for equipment upgrades. Goals include easing escalating demands on scarce IT resources and reducing administrative overhead. A managed solutions partner with franchise experience can help address these objectives and chart a technology course tailored to the business — now and for the future. The right partner can enable franchise owners and operators to simplify IT modernization by upgrading and standardizing in-store and network infrastructure. They can present the advantages of a total cost of ownership (TCO) model versus a “do it yourself” approach when upgrading, implementing and managing technology and minimizing skill gaps through the partner’s expertise from the cloud to cybersecurity. An experienced managed solutions provider can also help integrate connected devices like phones, wireless POS, customer WiFi and networked cameras and sensors with the underlying network infrastructure.
Case Study
A casual dining restaurant chain gets a modern network to enable comprehensive communications solutions
One of the world’s largest full-service dining companies — and franchisors of two iconic restaurant brands — sought to improve the customers’ digital experience in and outside its restaurants. Spectrum Enterprise® delivered a reliable, high-performance network for an aging POS system, bundled with enhanced security, scalability and ultra-high speed data transfer, as well as a consistent and reliable phone system.
Franchise managed network solutions help simplify and streamline technology initiatives by offering a single point of contact and technical support, an especially valuable resource if you manage multiple, geographically distributed stores. Relying on a single partner for internet, wireless, WiFi, voice and security enables increased efficiency and consistent customer and employee experiences across every franchise location. The provider essentially acts as an extension of the franchise team, saving operators the complexity of overseeing a growing roster of separate vendors. Working with one partner consolidates billing and can provide a unified view of technology services. Franchise operators that adopt this model can typically choose a fully or co-managed engagement, depending on their staff and resources, allowing them to maintain control of certain systems or solutions. The aim is to simplify and accelerate the response to rapidly changing market trends to remain competitive despite tight operating budgets and uncertain economic impacts.
60% of shoppers say they use their mobile devices in-store.2
Managed solutions offer a single, integrated platform to easily address secure connectivity, communications and equipment needs across franchise locations. For franchisors, this advantage can help attract new franchisee owners and help drive their efficiency with turnkey solutions designed to easily support new locations.
Support new technology and gain a competitive edge
Franchisees can boost their competitiveness by moving to a digital infrastructure built to scale quickly and support new technology. Innovations in AI, real-time analytics and remote payments, among others, are helping brands differentiate, customize and grow. For example, AI applications enable more efficient supply chain predictions, enhanced POS data analytics for real-time staffing and pricing decisions and drive-thru and kiosk chatbots to improve service and ease labor shortages. According to one study, 65% of brands plan to, or have already, adopted next-generation unified POS platforms that connect all their data.3 The reward is a holistic view of the franchise that helps reveal new ways to create efficiencies across the business.
77% of restaurants report that digital sales grew in 2023 — 87% say they will grow in 2024.4
Providing customers with integrated experiences represents another means for engagement and growth. Apps, online ordering, delivery integration and interactive kiosks help franchises give customers personalized experiences that promote lasting brand loyalty. Delivering consistently excellent experiences requires the latest connectivity technology. Reliable internet is vital at every franchise and for every application, from POS platforms to kiosks. The need to maintain consistent standards across locations is driving franchises to consider managed services.
44% of brands plan to add kiosks as a new ordering channel in 2024.5
Make the most of this evolution by ensuring your internet and network modernization solutions can easily scale as needed to reduce unnecessary spending and accelerate growth. This positions your franchise to better respond to market shifts and deliver on changing customer tastes and preferences. Achieve the necessary reliability and agility with consistent high-speed, low-latency dedicated internet. With dedicated internet, you can support your franchise’s current and future bandwidth needs with symmetrical speeds up to 100 Gbps and the ability to upgrade as your needs change.
Case Study
Restaurant chain opts to give customers more of what they want: fast efficient and reliable service
A popular pizza restaurant chain needed better bandwidth and a more reliable legacy network service. Spectrum Enterprise designed and installed a digitalization upgrade at the restaurants for a holistic solution to serve the chain’s routing and security needs.
Deliver customer experiences that attract and retain business
The true value of the technology solutions you choose is evident in the customer experiences they make possible. Delivering unique, consistent experiences across locations offers a powerful tool for attracting customers, inspiring return business and creating long-term brand advocates. In just one example, more than one-third of consumers indicate they would like restaurants to make more self-service kiosks available.6
However, as technologies are introduced to elevate the customer experience, more devices are added to the franchise’s networks, making those networks more complex to manage. This can impact how consistently and reliably you are able to deliver for customers. Managed Network Edge, powered by Cisco Meraki, helps simplify networking with a modular, expandable, all-in-one solution. The platform includes local area network (LAN) services, public and private connections, security, traffic routing, WiFi, smart cameras and sensors, and can integrate with cloud-based UC. The portal dashboard provides visibility and control of network performance and health, IP addressing, network topologies, security settings and WiFi-connected devices. Clients may choose to include advanced analytics, which monitor web applications to provide end-to-end visibility and generate notifications to assist in the troubleshooting and performance tuning of business-critical traffic.
Adding connected smart cameras to the platform can unlock valuable analytics related to your customers’ behavior patterns. You can use this information to enhance the customer experience while helping ensure franchise safety. Benefit by integrating environmental sensors that monitor and automatically alert staff of events such as changes in temperature, moisture and air quality. This critical intelligence helps safeguard food and customers while protecting against equipment downtime that can compromise a franchise’s service and reputation.
92% of customers want to receive some form of personalization from quick-service restaurants.7
How you welcome and communicate with customers is an important part of what keeps them coming back. TV provides a powerful opportunity to engage people and promote the franchise. Spectrum Enterprise TV services include flexible HDTV solutions designed to maximize the opportunity to connect with, educate and entertain visitors to the franchise. These offerings can be tailored to meet the needs of specific locations like restaurants, waiting rooms and lobbies. Depending on the type and requirements of your business, you may prefer a centralized TV solution without set-top boxes or distributed boxes that provide a more home-like viewing experience with access to thousands of free on-demand programs.
Staff training represents another key requirement for building a thriving business. The demands and priorities of your franchise are always evolving and you need an efficient, effective way to update your teams. Technology offers a quick, convenient way to remotely keep the latest information in front of franchise owners, managers and employees. Better-prepared staff can enhance service delivery, ensure your brand standards are met and create a consistent customer experience that helps inspire ongoing loyalty — and the growth that goes with it. Unified Communications with RingCentral from Spectrum Enterprise can help make this possible by putting you within easy reach of your teams across multiple devices, wherever they are located.
Secure your business and protect your reputation
The expanding threat landscape represents a vital consideration for franchises. Building and maintaining trust as your customers make payments and share personal information is foundational to growth and success. Employee data is also crucial. Suffering a sensitive data breach or disruptive DDoS attack to online web and application assets can do serious damage to your reputation and bottom line. Couple that with stringent data security requirements — and associated penalties — and the need for comprehensive cybersecurity becomes even more important.
$4.45M was the average cost of a data breach in 2023.8
Spectrum Enterprise helps you support regulatory requirements and protect your network with comprehensive, always up-to-date cybersecurity. Managed Network Edge helps strengthen franchisees’ security posture with an advanced firewall and UTM. Benefit from malware protection, URL content filtering and intrusion protection. These solutions give you complete visibility of security events and threats through an easy-to-use portal. With both platforms, you are free to manage some security aspects or leave it all to us for the peace of mind of knowing you are keeping up with evolving risks.
Nearly 20% of customers say they will stop purchasing from companies that have been hacked.9
In a world of hyper-connectivity, your franchisees and team require secure, convenient access to your network from anywhere. Enhance protection with a comprehensive array of cloud-based security solutions that safeguard devices, users and locations. Cloud Security with Cisco+ Secure Connect ensures franchise staff can securely access cloud-based applications, regardless of location or device. You can achieve better enforcement of IT policies and control of traffic on your network. Create a consistent and universal security experience with cloud-based firewalls, secure web gateways (SWGs), zero trust network access (ZTNA) and other resources. With Secure Access with Cisco Duo, you can bolster your information security and network defense. The secure, easy-to-use identity access management platform allows your IT team to create more secure access policies by user and device, regardless of location.
Case Study
Heritage Grocers Group expands business around innovative customer service
Heritage Grocers Group wanted to expand its grocery chain with connectivity and network solutions. Eventually, all 65 stores in California, Nevada and Arizona got a fiber circuit for dedicated internet access to facilitate credit card purchases, deliveries and other services. Spectrum Enterprise added Managed Network Edge to enable monitoring from a central portal and unified communications for fully integrated voice services.
An end-to-end security solution must include provisions for protecting against DDoS attacks. In 2023, there was a 31% year-over-year increase in such events.10 Designed to flood connectivity to your network, application or services, these attacks seek to prevent your users from accessing their resources. The disruptions can also compromise sales and damage your reputation. An effective DDoS solution identifies and stops malicious traffic before it reaches your network.
7.9M was the number of DDoS attacks in the first half of 2023.11
DDoS Protection from Spectrum Enterprise uses advanced analytics to automatically detect and block attacking traffic, enabling you to minimize the impact on the franchise and maintain a positive network experience for your employees and customers. A scalable solution, it can easily and seamlessly expand as your needs grow.
Spectrum Enterprise supports your success
In today’s technology-driven business environment, a trusted franchise managed network services partner can help you quickly adapt and modernize. Avoid expenses including upgraded network gear, cost of capital, license management, training and monthly monitoring and device fees. Spectrum Enterprise understands the demands faced by franchise organizations to keep up while protecting and expanding margins. Our solutions are customizable, scalable and built on fiber to quickly scale as your network needs grow and you add products, such as security, UC, smart cameras and environmental sensors. With our comprehensive cybersecurity offerings, we give you the confidence that your protections are always up to date.
Spectrum Enterprise brings a national connectivity footprint for franchise expansion and a uniform experience backed by service-level agreements (SLAs) for our private fiber network. Combine our tailored solutions with our 100%, 24/7/365 U.S.-based support and you have a partner fully equipped and ready to help you build a competitive, future-ready franchise.
Sources
1. “1 in 6 Shoppers Have Used Generative AI for Purchase Inspiration – Salesforce Report,” Salesforce, August 18, 2023.
2. Ibid.
3. “5th Annual State of Digital for Enterprise QSR and Fast Casual Brands,” Qu, 2023.
4. Ibid.
5. Ibid.
6. Anna Wolfe, “STUDY: 92% of Diners Want to Receive Personalization from QSRs,” Hospitality Technology, August 3, 2023.
7. Ibid.
8. “Cost of Data Breach Report 2023,” IBM, 2023.
9. Mohammed. Y, “10+ Retail Cybersecurity Statistics (Latest Data & Numbers),” Online Dasher, September 28, 2023.
10. “Netscout Identified Nearly 7.9M DDoS Attacks in the First Half of 2023,” Dark Reading, September 26, 2023.
11. Ibid.
