ABOUT THE AUTHOR

JOHN PRITTIE has been involved in franchising for over 40 years as a recognized industry veteran with a passion for service-based businesses and has developed over a dozen franchise brands in Canada, the United States, and internationally. He is the president and & CEO of Heron Capital Corporation, a franchise management company that has developed such brands as Mini-Tankers® onsite diesel refueling (now rebranded as 4Refuel), PROSHRED®onsite paper shredding and recycling, and TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® a full-service moving, storage, and junk removal company. To learn more about Heron Capital Corporation, visit www.herity.com/capital or call John at 416-204-7553.

The Role of Technology in Business and Franchising

When I began my franchising career in the mid-70s, there was no internet, nor were there cell phones, personal computers, or fax machines.

As I reflect on this statement it is hard to believe, but it’s very true! Few, if any, post-secondary institutions had franchising as part of their core curriculum. While I learned much from books when completing my undergraduate  and  post-graduate  degrees in economics, sociology, finance, and marketing, I was never officially introduced to the concept of franchising until my first “real” job at Dominion Food Stores. I never returned to school after completing my MBA; however, my education continued at an accelerated pace during a very exciting and rewarding career in franchising. Through the world of franchising, I came to understand the importance of embracing technology in business. Technology has developed at such an explosive rate and franchising has evolved and benefited as a result. I couldn’t imagine operating any busi- ness today without software, computers, the internet, the cloud, data warehouses, VOIP, and smartphones. When I began my franchising career in the mid-70s, there was no internet, nor were there cell phones, personal computers, or fax machines.

When asked to share some ‘Real Life Lessons’, I can speak to the relevance of technology in business today and  the  importance of using technology to create a sustainable business and competitive advantage. Technology in business is a growing necessity and as time  passes,  the  business  world  will  continue to become more advanced.

Are you and your organization keeping pace?

As president and CEO of TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® Canada, our organization welcomes and openly embraces technology. Technology has helped us deliver on our customer-centric mission statement which states that we  “continuously  strive  to  exceed our customers’ expectations in value and high standard of sat- isfaction.” Technology provides us with a new and more efficient approach to manage the business, making transactions faster and more convenient for our customers and employees. Operating improvements and efficiencies justify the investment. Technology helps us understand where we have challenges and where new opportunities exist. Our company is committed to being an industry leader and technology has helped us achieve that goal.

Like moving, the implementation of new technology can be very stressful for all involved including IT team members, users, management, and suppliers. Preparation, planning, communications, and genuine commitment from senior management are the keys to successful implementation.

At TWO MEN AND A TRUCK®, we understand the importance of ongoing training to ensure smooth implementation of these new technologies. We understand that after we implement a new technology, we’re not done. We need to keep reviewing features and functionality to help streamline processes and the user experience. Technology  has  changed  almost  every  aspect  of  our  business in the last decade. This includes the way we interact with our customers, employees, and suppliers. Our proprietary MOVERS WHO CARE 2® operating system is the backbone of our technology infrastructure. Through MWC2, we capture and track every phone and web lead, create estimates, book moves and removals, generate digital work orders, close jobs, and assign trucks, packers, movers, and drivers with the goal of ensuring we arrive on time, with the proper supplies and equipment. MWC2 allows us to transfer important data to our accounting and payroll platforms and our data warehouse where we can analyze almost every aspect of our business.

In 2020, we implemented several new technologies as a result of COVID-19 concerns and our need to evolve. Using state-of-the- art software programs customized for our needs, we are able to complete virtual tours of customers’ homes to create accurate estimates without our in-home consultants ever leaving their offices. Options are now  available  for  customers  across  Canada to book their own moves 24/7, eliminating, if they prefer, the need to speak with a customer service representative during business hours. Additionally, we have implemented several new platforms allowing us to communicate more effectively with our customers using their preferred method of contact whether by phone, email, text, or chat.

While TWO MEN AND A TRUCK® is known as a professional full service moving, storage, and junk removal business, I often think of us as a technology-focused company.