The relevance of the operations manual

In the previous article published under this heading, it was suggested that having a comprehensive operations manual is an essential prerequisite for franchising. In this issue we examine what it takes to produce an operations manual that delivers on its potential.

By Kurt Illetschko

Essential preparations

Having decided to produce an operations manual, starting to write it is the logical next step, right? Wrong! Before writing commences, several issues should be addressed. Take shortcuts and the manual won’t be worth the paper it’s written on. The following questions must first be asked and answered.

●          What do we want to achieve?

This may seem obvious but I advise you to arrange a brainstorming session and record the findings. It will clarify expectations and avoid the need for rework in the end.

●          What should the manual look like?

You need to decide on the contents of the manual as well as its style and format of delivery. Read more about this under the headings Recommended Contents and Style, Layout and Production.

●          Who will manage the project?

The project manager must be a senior person with the power to secure collaboration by department heads and generally drive the project towards successful completion.

●          Who will do the writing?

Writing a manual is a mammoth task. It will require that an experienced individual with the ability to write instructions properly is freed from other duties or an external manual writer should be appointed.

●          How long will it take?

Even under ideal conditions it will take four to six months to complete the project.

Similar considerations apply when the decision is made to dust off an existing manual and turn it into the valuable tool it can be.

Recommended contents

The manual should list the franchisor’s intellectual property and explain the rights and limitations of its use by the franchisee. In addition, all processes and procedures the franchisee is required to comply with to maintain the integrity of the brand and turn a profit must be described in detail.

The contents of an operations manual for a typical franchise will include:

1.         Welcome and introduction

2.         Setting up the business

3.         CI, marketing and sales

4.         HR and IR

5.         Inventory control

6.         Daily operations

7.         General administration

8.         Accounting and financial management

9.         Franchisor / franchisee relations

10.       Examples of printed stationery and standard forms.

Depending on the nature of the business, additional sections may be required.

Research and writing

The ten-step approach set out below may appear cumbersome but it really works.

1.         The project manager arranges a meeting with all affected department heads to inform them of what’s happening, secure their cooperation and introduce the writer.

2.         The writer meets with department heads individually to discuss input. Department heads will be asked to provide copies of existing instruction sheets and relevant memos.

3.         Should a franchise agreement exist, the writer needs to study it because at the end of the day, the manual serves as its extension. Unless an issue is addressed in principle in the franchise agreement, it cannot be governed through the manual.

4.         The writer creates a detailed outline of the manual and circulates it for comment. Once agreement has been reached, detailed research can commence.

Tip: In carrying out this task, the writer could do worse than to employ the help of Rudyard Kipling’s six faithful servants, namely Who? What? Why? When? Where? and How? The resulting answers are the feedstock for the drafting of an excellent manual.

5.         The writer conducts research for a section of the manual, then writes it up before moving on to the next section. The completed section is sent to the relevant department head for comment. Meaningful feedback will be incorporated into the draft.

6.         As soon as all sections have been written up, the project manager arranges an extended working session with all affected department heads. To ensure that the instructions contained in the manual facilitate smooth operations throughout the enterprise, each manager must consider all sections of the manual.

7.         Once everyone has had their say, the draft will be tested in the pilot operation. Again, meaningful feedback needs to be incorporated.

8.         Proof reading, typesetting and the insertion of illustrations where appropriate comes next. See Style, Layout and Production below.

9.         Assuming that the writing was done in-house, it would be advisable to have an experienced manual writer edit the manual. Lastly, the manual needs to be reviewed by the company’s franchise attorney to ensure a good fit with the franchise agreement.

10.       For the duration of the project, the project manager will monitor progress and intervene, should matters fail to advance as expected.

Style, Layout and Production

The typeface must be easily readable and the layout needs to be easy on the eye. Processes must be described in a step-by-step fashion and short, snappy sentences should be used. The use of text boxes and plenty of white spaces should draw attention to important topics.

The question whether it is necessary to print the manual or publish it in digital format is a much debated issue. My view is that at the beginning of the franchise relationship, a printed copy of the manual is the only tangible item the new franchisee receives in exchange for the upfront fee. Research continues to show that even on an ongoing basis franchisees prefer to possess a physical manual.

Of course, digital publishing has much going for it, it is therefore best to make the core manual available in hard copy format, but to also make it available on the company’s Intranet for password protected access and instant updating.

Distribution and maintenance

Manuals should be numbered and allocated to specific individuals. It is equally important to keep track of updates and, because manuals are given out on loan, someone needs to ensure that recipients leaving the network return their copies.

Readers wishing to explore this topic further are welcome to contact the author at franchise@intekom.co.za.

Manual Makers

franchise@intekom.co.za

+27 11 704 1838