Planning for Distance Learning and Education Within Franchise Organizations

With remote workforce levels increasing, franchise networks

expanding and travel expenses climbing, distance learning and education programs within franchise organizations have become opportunities that can no longer remain idle. With staff and franchisees often spread from California to New York, as well as overseas, flying into a central location to get educated and calibrated is often no longer a realistic first option.

Just how big is the educational opportunity? The National Center on the Educational Quality of the Workforce found that a 10 percent increase in the education of all workers on average results in a productivity increase of 11 percent to the organization. Many would argue this same study could be applied to a franchise organization. To test the point, perform a quick sales and profitability analysis of the most engaged and trained operators within your organization verses your most disengaged and less trained operators. The results will clearly reveal the level of opportunity available within your organization.

An article in International Journal of Instructional Technology & Distance Learning, February 2005 issue, by Zane L. Berge and Adrian A. Kendrick, "Can Interest in Distance Training be Sustained in Corporate Organizations," suggests the implementation of distance training is an effective tool for reducing training cost, saving time and creating a more knowledgeable and productive workforce. As companies consider how to better leverage resources remotely by creating a distance-learning program, they might consider the following.

Evaluate Your Existing Development and Educational Program

Reviewing existing development and educational training programs can aid in determining which, if any, could be developed into a distance-learning program.

Franchisee Organization

New franchisee pre-training: Many franchise organizations have taken the opportunity prior to the beginning of the onsite training program to educate their new franchisees virtually. Often there may be one-to-five days of brand orientation, review of basic system processes and completion of start-up paperwork before the true business training begins. There may be an opportunity to put this material into an online distance-learning program with the goal being successful completion prior to arrival at the training center.