[Parole d’expert] In a context of globalization, franchises aspiring to international expansion must equip themselves with effective order management tools (OMS/ Order Management System) and loyalty strategies, adapted to local specificities while preserving the global identity of the brand. Grégory Rottier, Head of Marketing at Flyx, explains.
The importance of your order management system in your internationalization strategy
At the heart of your expansion strategy, the Order Management System (OMS) must play a central role. OMS is a tool that connects to your existing POS systems, allowing you to orchestrate your orders with your products, prices and inventory, and to link all your digital sales channels (kiosk, web app, mobile app, uber eats, etc.) with a single omnichannel solution. This integration facilitates the management of your offer according to sales channel, and enables easy evolution towards new digital channels, anticipating future trends.
OMS’s adaptability to different POS systems is essential, especially for your international franchisees who may be using different systems to those in France.
The integration of new local delivery partners should be facilitated by OMS, transforming it into a true aggregator of third-party platforms to maximize your reach in the delivery market. What’s more, OMS enables franchisees to centralize all orders in a single system, avoiding the use of multiple tablets supplied by each service provider.
A good OMS, like the one offered by FLYX, comes with an administration platform that lets you manage users and control access. This is a real added value in the context of internationalization, where your local partners are much more familiar with the habits and customs of their market. This can enable them to adapt their offer more easily and manage their promotional campaigns more effectively.
Centralized price management in local currencies via the same administration console is also crucial to ensure a smooth transition into new markets.
Loyalty: a key role in successful international development
Loyalty is crucial to your international expansion. It’s vital to understand your first consumers in order to fine-tune your offers and promotional campaigns, as reactions can vary from country to country. Your loyalty system should not only be used to collect personal data, but above all have the capacity to collect purchase-level data. And to do this, your loyalty tool must be integrated with your POS systems. Without this integration, your loyalty program will never be able to create the customer engagement you want, and won’t allow you to personalize your promotional campaigns. This approach is a real “game-changer” for penetrating a new market.
It’s also essential that your loyalty engine is flexible and comprehensive enough to adapt to local cultures. Crucially, this system must also be able to handle loyalty points in different currencies (if you’re using a points-based program), enabling loyalty programs to be customized to suit the specifics of each market.
And let’s not forget two essential features for managing your network: the “Clearing House”, which guarantees the fairness of the centralized loyalty program by protecting franchisees against potential disadvantages, and the “Store Locator”, which improves store location and the management of local offers, crucial for maintaining the visibility and accessibility of points of sale.
Conclusion
To successfully navigate the complex environment of internationalization, franchisors must opt for OMS and loyalty systems that combine flexibility and integration. These tools need to adapt to cultural and operational diversities, while preserving a coherent and engaging brand experience. The adoption of appropriate technologies is therefore essential to ensure efficient and equitable international expansion, promoting sustained growth for the network as a whole.
