Claromentis Franchise Management Software Review

Once you run a network, the challenge is scaling without losing control of standards, while driving profitability for your franchisees and for you. Your franchise management system is central to both. Martin reviews Claromentis, a British Franchise Association partner with 25 years of trading and clients ranging from networks of a few sites to global brands.

Set-up and flexibility. The platform is modular and easy to rebrand. You drag and drop the parts you need, and it covers digital assets, documents, policies, e-learning, onboarding and quizzes. It connects to SharePoint, Office 365 and Google Drive, runs in the cloud or on site, and permissions control who sees what. Of the systems we have reviewed, it is the most modular.

Communication. Blogs and news sit in one place, and important notices can carry read receipts so you know who has read and accepted them without phoning round. Discussion threads, polls and surveys are built in.

Compliance. Permissions, training and a policy manager work together, so you can see who has downloaded and accepted each policy and keep the network working to the operations manual.

Brand control. A digital asset library holds logos, print, stationery, photos and video. Franchisees download what they need instead of asking head office, and you can update assets across the network at a click.

Before you commit. Setting it up properly takes effort and may need implementation support. Franchisees have to actually use it, which can mean some change management. And with three or four sites running smoothly, it may be more than you need. The value comes with scale.

Martin’s verdict. A brilliant platform if inconsistency is costing you money and repetitive support questions are taking up your time. It isn’t the only option and alternatives are worth a look, but at scale it deserves serious consideration.