Many companies in other industries may operate multiple locations, but few industries are handle the dramatic diversity at each location that restaurant franchises must handle. Managing and overseeing a restaurant franchise often means dealing with siloed accounting data, manual entry processes, and unique point of sale systems at various locations. Compounding all this is the fact that workflows can vary dramatically from one franchise to the next. Having the right accounting package in place, therefore, can create cohesion and consistency, providing restaurant franchises with an easy way to oversee accounting for multiple sites. Let’s discuss what steps business owners can take to find the best accounting software for restaurant franchises.
Look for an accounting package that addresses other departmental needs.
Your business office touches every other department in your franchise, and all of those departments need to work well together. For a long time, accounting solutions were too isolating, both from the perspective of the business office and from the perspective of other departments. Getting forms into accounting meant jumping through too many hoops, and accounting departments often spent too much time trying to make sense out of different workflows from one department to the next. With a comprehensive and collaborative solution such as an ERP system for a restaurant franchise, you get essential, high-level accounting features along with solutions for sales, customer service and more.
Look for an accounting package that reduces manual processing.
The accounting world has held on for far too long to legacy solutions and workflows, including (and perhaps most destructively) the manual entry of forms and data. Many of the best solutions of today work to reduce manual entry, eliminating human error and digitizing data so that it is just easier to handle. Many of the best accounting solutions of today offer very specific ways in which you can digitize the accounting process, so keep an eye out for this essential feature.
Look for an accounting package that provides that all-important “single pane of glass.”
That’s a phrase you’ll hear a lot these days — a “single pane of glass.” While a vivid image, it just means that a system displays all data to you as the user in a merged way. ERP solutions are solid in this department, consolidating data from every area of your operations and ensuring that you see how each franchise factors into overall performance. They often feature a diverse list of charts and tables, too, that allow you to structure this combined data in useful ways.
Look for an accounting package that structures workflows.
Maybe the hardest operational issue for restaurant franchises is the fact that each restaurant may have their own way of doing things. The best accounting software for restaurant franchises will streamline workflows. You never need to worry again that one manager does things just a little differently from another, creating confusion. Instead, you’ll get consistent processes from one location to the next, which translates into consistent and reliable numbers.
Ready to explore the best accounting solutions for restaurant franchises. An ERP solution is the best way to go, touching on these issues and delivering full-featured accounting software, as well. Get in touch today to see how ERP software can transform your restaurant franchise. It’ll amaze you what a difference it makes to keeping things organized and accounting data clean.
