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Franchise operations executives explore franchise consultant of the future at Franchise Operations Performance Summit (OPS), May 2-3 in Boston

BOSTON AND WOBURN , MA…

It’s 2018 and you’re a franchise consultant. What is your typical day like? Where is your office—at corporate headquarters, at home or in the clouds? How do you connect with your franchisees—in person, by webcam, Smartphone or a drop-in visit via jet pack? While the jet pack may not be part of the discussion, how technology will affect and evolve the role of future franchise consultants will be the primary topic of the Franchise Operations Performance Summit (OPS) being held May 2-3 in Boston.

“Ten years ago, would anybody seriously thought about not having a landline for a phone? Now, it is commonplace, even for many businesses,” said Evan Hackel, a speaker at Franchise OPS and the founder of sponsor Ingage Consulting. “Franchise consultants have only scratched the surface on how technology can improve the way they do their job. With that improved technology, franchise consultants of the future will need a different skill set and that’s a large part of what OPS will be about.”

So how can technology improve the role of the franchise consultants and what type of skills will be needed for the person who fills that role? Hackel envisions:

  • Individuals who are technically intuitive and knowledgeable; up-to-speed with current technologies.
  • More frequent, higher quality contact with franchisees using a myriad of technologies—Skype, handheld cameras, more interactive, private franchisee websites.
  • Improved data integration to improve knowledge – predictive analysis, diagnosis dashboards, improved CRM with real-time, meaningful data so franchise consultants can have more meaningful conversations with franchisees.
  • Flexibility in work schedules, work location and working remotely
  • Awareness of the latest technologies and applications.

Franchise OPS is the only franchise executive conference dedicated to operations performance excellence. It’s two days of workshops, to be held at the Sheraton Hotel in Boston’s Back Bay, will also focus on how franchises can best train current franchise consultants for their evolving role and how to recruit future franchise consultants.

“The new breed of franchise consultants will be more like a business coach than an IRS auditor—a pull versus push approach “centered on technology,” said Cordell Riley, president of Tortal, a company that focuses on online training, and one of the speakers at Franchise OPS. “This change of focus would translate to franchisees being better equipped to train and engage employees to improve morale and retention.”

In addition to The Franchise Consultant of the Future, other topics to be covered at Franchise OPS include:

  • Benchmarking
  • Better Onboarding
  • FDD Item 19 – How to Do It Right

In addition to Hackel and Riley, the Franchise OPS speaker roster includes Bob Gappa of Management 2000, Deb Binder of Ingage Consulting, Rupert M. Barkoff of Kilpatrick, Townsend and Stockton; Keith Gerson of FranConnect; Jason Larson of BizUnite; Lawrence Thibodeau, Flexecution; Eric Stites of Franchise Business Review; Stacey Ruth of Actio Marketing; Mindy Golde of Listen360; Matt Talbot of GoSpotCheck; and Steve Abercrombie of Profit Soup.

In addition to the educational benefits, roundtable discussions and networking opportunities with C-level franchise executives, Franchise OPS offers the added bonus of being approved for 300 CFE credits by the International Franchise Association.

Franchise OPS is sponsored by FranConnect, Franchise Business Review, Kilpatrick Townsend; Actio Marketing, BizUnite, Flexecution, Ingage Consulting, Listen360, Management 2000, GoSpotCheck, ProfitSoup and Tortal.

For complete information, including registration details,  please visit http://www.franchiseoperationssummit.com.