Getting to Know Your World

• To start, how many franchise locations are in your system today (approx.)? Options: <100, 100–249, 250–499, 500–999, 1,000–2,999, 3,000+
• Who currently owns responsibility for training and onboarding at the corporate level? Options: VP/Director of Operations, Director/Manager of Training, Head of People/HR, Franchise Services Lead, Other
• Tell me briefly how you currently deliver new-hire onboarding and ongoing training (high-level steps).
• Which of these best describes your growth trajectory this year? Options: Rapid unit growth (new units opening), Steady growth, Stable with occasional churn, Declining unit count, Unsure
• If you had to name one moment last quarter that made you think “we need a better training solution,” what happened?

Are You Comfortable With 'Good Enough'?

• When you see recurring operational misses at locations, how often do you chalk it up to training being 'good enough' versus something deeper? Options: Usually training, Sometimes training, sometimes other causes, Rarely training, Not sure
• Describe a recent serious non-compliance or quality failure—what role did training (or the lack of it) play?
• How long have you been tolerating those recurring issues before deciding to act? Options: Weeks, Months, 1–2 years, Multiple years, We just noticed
• What assumptions are you making today about why franchisees aren’t consistently following standards?
• If those assumptions were wrong, what would be the most surprising finding?

Where Compliance Is Hurting You (and How Deep It Runs)

• Which operational areas show the highest rate of non-compliance in audits? Options: Food safety/cleanliness, Customer service/experience, Cash handling/financial controls, Brand standards/visuals, Scheduling/staffing, Other
• How do you currently discover these compliance gaps—audits, customer feedback, mystery shops, franchisee reports, or something else? Options: Corporate audits, Third-party audits, Mystery shopping, Customer complaints, Franchisee self-reporting, Other
• On average, what percentage of locations fail to meet minimum standards on a typical audit? Options: <10%, 10–24%, 25–49%, 50–74%, 75%+
• When compliance failure happens, what are the downstream costs or consequences you most worry about (choose up to three)? Options: Brand reputation, Lost revenue, Legal/health risk, Franchisee churn, Remediation training costs, Other
• Tell me about one location where remediation worked—what changed and how long until results improved?

How Training Actually Shows Up Day-to-Day

• If you map a typical learner’s journey at a new location today, which of these steps exist today? Options: Pre-opening classroom, Field trainer visit(s), PDF/manual review, Online modules (if any), On-the-job shadowing, No formal journey
• Who delivers most front-line training at locations and how consistently do they follow a standard curriculum? Options: Regional trainers, Franchisee owner/operator, Shift leads/managers, Peer-to-peer training, No consistent trainer
• How do you currently measure an employee’s competency—pass/fail, observation, checklists, or none? Options: Formal assessments, Manager observation, Practical on-site checks, No formal measurement, Other
• What percent of employees complete required training within their first 30 days? Options: <25%, 25–49%, 50–74%, 75–90%, >90%, Unknown
• Share an example of feedback you’ve heard from franchisees about the current training experience—positive or negative.

What Would Consistent Excellence Feel Like?

• Imagine every location hitting standards consistently—what would one visible benefit be in your daily reporting or operations?
• Which success signals would you want to see within the first 90 days of a new training program? Options: Completion rates by role, Improved audit scores, Reduced errors/customer complaints, Faster time-to-competency, Franchisee satisfaction
• How would you quantify acceptable time-to-competency for a new hire in a critical role? Options: <1 week, 1–2 weeks, 3–4 weeks, 1–3 months, Depends on role
• Describe the ideal reporting dashboard—what are the three metrics you’d check first each morning?
• If you could guarantee one cultural change among franchisees after a rollout, what would move the needle most for you?

What’s Really Stopping Franchisees From Saying Yes?

• When franchisees push back on corporate training mandates, what do they say most often? Options: Too time consuming, Not relevant to real store work, Costs too much in labor, Technologically difficult, Distrust of corporate motives, Other
• Has franchisee resistance ever derailed a corporate training initiative? Tell me what happened.
• Which incentives or enforcement levers have you used to drive compliance, and which worked best? Options: Financial incentives, Performance-based rewards, Operational penalties, Public recognition, Education & coaching, We haven’t tried incentives
• How much time per week can a typical frontline employee realistically devote to training without hurting operations? Options: <30 minutes, 30–60 minutes, 1–2 hours, 2+ hours, Varies by shift
• What fears do you hear privately from franchisees about technology-based learning?

Measures That Matter (and the Ones You're Missing)

• Which of the following reporting capabilities would change behavior fastest if available at the location level? Options: Completion and pass rates, Role-level competency maps, Time-to-competency by hire, Audit-by-location heatmaps, Learning activity correlations with sales
• Do you currently track training outcomes at the employee level tied to operational KPIs (e.g., sales, shrink, customer scores)? Options: Yes, directly tied, Partially tied, No but we want to, No and not a priority
• What reporting cadence would be most useful for you—daily flags, weekly summaries, monthly trends, or on-demand? Options: Daily, Weekly, Monthly, On-demand
• If a reporting metric showed improvement but franchisee sentiment declined, how would you interpret that?
• Which stakeholders in your organization must see training reports for a program to be considered successful? Options: CEO/COO, VP Ops, Training Director, Franchise Development, Franchisee Advisory Council, Franchisees

Practical Constraints: Budget, Timeline, and Tech

• What budget range have you allocated (or expect to allocate) for a platform and curriculum rollout this year? Options: <$50k, $50k–$150k, $150k–$500k, $500k–$1M, $1M+
• What timeline would be considered acceptable from kickoff to pilot launch? Options: 4–6 weeks, 6–12 weeks, 3–6 months, 6+ months
• Which integrations are non-negotiable for your team (choose all that apply)? Options: HRIS/Payroll, POS, Single Sign-On (SSO), Reporting/BI tools, No integrations required, Other
• What internal IT or data access constraints have tripped you up on prior rollouts?
• If we proposed a phased pilot to limit risk, which constraint would be the hardest to accept—timeline, scope, or cost? Options: Timeline, Scope, Cost, None of the above

Decision Dynamics: Who Signs, Who Resists, and Why

• Who are the decision-makers and approvers for a training technology purchase (roles/titles)?
• Which stakeholder typically raises the most objections—franchisees, finance, operations leadership, or IT? Options: Franchisees, Finance, Operations leadership, IT, Other
• What’s the main business case that would get an executive to say yes—cost savings, risk reduction, growth enablement, or something else? Options: Cost savings, Risk reduction/compliance, Consistency/scalability, Faster onboarding, Other
• How do you prefer proof points—pilot results, case studies from similar brands, ROI model, or vendor demos? Options: Pilot results, Comparable case studies, ROI financial model, Hands-on demos, Other
• Who in the franchise community (advisory council, top franchisees) would need to be persuaded for a platform to gain momentum?

What Success Looks Like—Signals That Tell Us To Scale

• If a pilot runs for 8–12 weeks, which three acceptance criteria would make you greenlight full rollout? Options: >80% completion, Improved audit scores by X%, Positive franchisee feedback, Demonstrable time-to-competency reduction, Reporting accuracy and timeliness
• Which change-management supports would meaningfully increase franchisee adoption in a pilot? Options: In-person trainer coaching, Franchisee onboarding playbook, Incentive programs, Local manager toolkits, Ongoing governance forum
• How will you define ROI for the program at 6 and 12 months (specific KPIs you’d compare)?
• What would make you hesitate to scale even if pilot metrics look good? Options: Franchisee sentiment, Integration pain, Cost per location, Operational disruption, Other
• Who needs to be involved in a post-pilot review to approve next steps, and how soon can they meet?

Short Answers & Quick Wins

• Which one small change could we make quickly that would show immediate value to franchisees?
• Would you be open to a short pilot at 3–5 representative locations to validate content and reporting? Options: Yes, Maybe, No
• Which three locations would you nominate as pilot sites and why (operationally representative, high-performers, or challenged)?
• Realistically, when could we start a pilot if stakeholders align—next 2 weeks, 1 month, 2–3 months, or later? Options: Within 2 weeks, 1 month, 2–3 months, Later/unsure
• Who should be our single point of contact for coordinating the pilot and internal stakeholder communication?

• Solution Experience: Pre-Read Alignment
• Learner Journey Experience (Role-based Walkthrough)
• Reporting, Assessment & Remediation Proof
• Validation & Decision Workshop

• Seller to prepare tailored demo plan and map which learner journeys and reports will use which sample data.
• Demonstrate concrete learner journeys that directly remediate audit-identified gaps and get customer confirmation they solve the described problems.
• Validate remediation workflows and manager responsibilities against operational reality.
• Identify any missing content types, timing, or localization needs for the journeys.
• Seller to update journey artifacts incorporating customer feedback and mark any unresolved gaps as follow-up items.
• Customer ops SME to review and approve manager remediation responsibilities and timing windows.
• Agree on 2–3 pilot locations and representative learner cohorts for the pilot journey tests.
• Reconfirm Success Metrics to Validate Against
• Prove that reporting surfaces the per-location and per-employee metrics required for governance and compliance audits.
• Validate that assessment scoring maps to acceptance criteria and that remediation automation closes the loop operationally.
• Identify any integration or data quality tasks needed before pilot deployment.
• Seller to deliver a report spec document showing fields, filters, delivery cadence, and export formats for customer sign-off.
• Customer IT to provide data access or test extracts and confirm integration timelines and owners.
• Seller to capture any requested metric changes and update dashboard prototypes prior to Validation Workshop.
• Executive Recap: Diagnosis -> Proof -> Future State
• Obtain explicit stakeholder validation (approval or documented objections) to move to Solution Scope/pilot planning.
• Agree a concrete pilot scope, measurable acceptance criteria, and a provisional timeline.
• List outstanding risks, dependencies, and owners required before pilot kickoff.
• Seller to produce a concise Pilot Statement of Work (scope, metrics, timeline, responsibilities) for customer review and signature.
• Customer to assign pilot sponsors, operations leads, and confirm the pilot site list.
• Both parties to agree dates for Solution Scope workshops and Pilot & Enablement kickoff.
• Produce a single agreed one-sentence current state describing what is breaking today.
• Agree a quantified statement of consequence (e.g., % non-compliance, estimated cost) to create urgency.
• Define a single-sentence future-state outcome in operational terms that the Solution Experience will prove.
• Confirm the success metrics, acceptance criteria, and sample data to be used in live demonstrations.
• Customer to deliver audit snapshot, representative learner profiles, org/location hierarchy, and any sample data exports required for demos.
• Seller to draft and circulate one-sentence current state, consequence statement, and one-sentence proposed future state for sign-off.
• Introductions & Meeting Objectives
• Recap: Current State, Consequence, Future State
• Confirm Current State (one sentence)
• End-to-End Live Scenario
• Live Dashboard Walkthrough (Location & Employee Views)
• Learner Persona Introductions
• Journey 1: New Hire Onboarding (demo)
• Validation Q&A and Vote
• Surface Consequence (quantify impact)
• Assessment Scoring & Audit Trace
• Validation Checkpoint 1
• Remediation Automation Demo
• Pilot Scope, Acceptance Criteria & Timeline
• Define Future State (one sentence)
• Agree Success Metrics & Acceptance Criteria
• Data Accuracy & Integration Checklist
• Next Steps & Decision Actions
• Journey 2: Manager Coaching & Remediation (demo)
• Data & Artifacts Checklist
• Validation Checkpoint 2
• Validation Questions & Acceptance Confirmation
• Adoption & Incentive Mapping

• Provision LMS Accounts and Role Access
• Build Course Shells and Learning Paths
• Produce Onboarding Video Series
• Develop Interactive POS Simulations
• Create Microlearning Modules (2–5 min)
• Create Field Assignment Tasks and Templates
• Publish Branded Quick Reference Job Aids (print/digital)
• Configure Completion and Compliance Dashboards
• Integrate LMS with POS and HRIS
• Enable Single Sign-On and Security Settings
• Prepare Offline Mobile Content Packages
• Deliver Virtual Train-the-Trainer Session

Provision LMS Accounts and Role Access

• Which user roles do you need provisioned initially? Options: Franchisor Admin, Regional Manager, Store Manager, Store Employee, Third-Party Trainer
• Approximately how many unique user accounts will need to be created at launch? Options: Less than 500, 500-2,000, 2,001-10,000, More than 10,000
• Will you provide user lists by location for bulk import or expect manual self-registration? Options: Bulk import from CSV, Automated sync (HRIS/SSO), Manual self-registration by franchisees, Combination
• Do you require location-level role hierarchies or permission scoping (e.g., managers see only their stores)? Options: Yes, No
• Do you need temporary/training-only accounts (e.g., contractors or seasonal staff)? Options: Yes, No
• Who will own ongoing user provisioning and deprovisioning (role/team)?

Build Course Shells and Learning Paths

• How many distinct course shells or learning paths do you expect to publish initially? Options: 1-5, 6-15, 16-50, 50+
• Will learning paths require prerequisites and gated progression? Options: Yes, strict prerequisites, Yes, recommended prerequisites, No, open access
• Do you need support for multiple content standards (SCORM, xAPI / Tin Can)? Options: SCORM, xAPI (Tin Can), Both, Neither / Custom
• Should courses be versioned per locale (e.g., different content per country or region)? Options: Yes, per locale, No, single global version, Some courses localized
• What is the typical target completion time per learning path or course (estimate)? Options: Under 30 minutes, 30-90 minutes, 90-240 minutes, Multi-day program
• Who will provide subject-matter content and who will be responsible for final sign-off?

Produce Onboarding Video Series

• How many onboarding videos do you plan to produce in the initial series? Options: 1-5, 6-10, 11-20, 20+
• What average length do you prefer per video? Options: Under 2 minutes, 2-5 minutes, 5-10 minutes, 10+ minutes
• Do videos require on-location filming (store interiors) or can we use animated/stock assets? Options: On-location filming, Animated/illustrative, Stock footage with branding, Mixed
• Do you need captions, multiple language dubs, or accessible transcripts? Options: Captions only, Captions + transcripts, Multi-language dubbing, All of the above
• What is the expected approval workflow and how many review cycles should we plan for? Options: 1 cycle, 2 cycles, 3+ cycles
• Are there brand or legal templates that must be applied to every video (logos, disclaimers)? Options: Yes, No

Develop Interactive POS Simulations

• Which POS systems or versions must the simulations reflect?
• How many discrete scenarios (e.g., sale, refund, void, split-tender) should be included per POS simulation? Options: 1-5, 6-10, 11-20, 20+
• What fidelity is required: click-through walkthroughs, realistic UI simulation, or connected sandbox? Options: Click-through walkthrough, High-fidelity UI simulation, Connected POS sandbox, Hybrid
• Should simulations capture assessment data (time to complete, errors) for competency scoring? Options: Yes, No
• Do simulations need to operate offline or on-device for field training? Options: Yes, offline-capable, No, online only
• Who will provide POS credentials, sandbox access, or UI specifications for development?

Create Microlearning Modules (2–5 min)

• How many microlearning modules do you want in the initial rollout? Options: 5-10, 11-25, 26-50, 50+
• What primary topics are prioritized for microlearning (e.g., opening checklist, customer service script, safety)?
• Do micro-modules require interactive elements (quizzes, hotspots) or are they video/audio-only? Options: Video/audio-only, Micro-quiz included, Interactive hotspots, All of the above
• Should microlearning be push-delivered via notifications or self-service in a library? Options: Push-delivered, Self-service library, Both
• Will microlearning need to be localized by region/language? Options: Yes, fully localized, Partial localization, No
• How will you measure effectiveness for microlearning (completion, assessment score, behavioral KPIs)? Options: Completion, Assessment score, On-floor compliance, Operational KPIs

Create Field Assignment Tasks and Templates

• What types of field assignments are required (photo evidence, manager checklist, customer observation)? Options: Photo/video evidence, Manager checklist, Customer observation, Form submission, Other
• How often will field assignments be required (one-time, weekly, monthly)? Options: One-time, Weekly, Monthly, Quarterly
• Do submissions require geolocation/time stamping or manager verification? Options: Geolocation/time stamp, Manager approval, Peer review, No extra verification
• Should field tasks be tied to incentives or compliance consequences? Options: Yes, incentives, Yes, compliance consequences, No
• Do you require templated rubrics for assessor scoring or freeform feedback? Options: Scored rubric, Freeform feedback, Both
• Who will review and act on field assignment results (franchisor team, regional managers, franchisee)?

Publish Branded Quick Reference Job Aids (print/digital)

• How many unique job aids are required for launch? Options: 1-5, 6-15, 16-30, 30+
• Will job aids be distributed as printable PDFs, in-app digital cards, or both? Options: Printable PDFs, In-app digital cards, Both
• Do job aids need to be branded per franchisee (co-branded) or centrally branded? Options: Central brand only, Co-branded per franchisee, Either depending on asset
• Are translations required and into which languages?
• Should job aid versions be controlled with expiration/review dates? Options: Yes, version control required, No, static
• What print quantities and distribution channels (franchisor mail, local print) are expected?

Configure Completion and Compliance Dashboards

• Which KPIs must the dashboards display (completion rate, competency scores, overdue users)? Options: Completion rate, Competency scores, Overdue users, Location comparisons, Custom KPIs
• Who needs dashboard access (franchisor leadership, regional managers, franchisees) and what views should differ? Options: Franchisor leadership, Regional managers, Franchisee owners, Store managers
• How frequently should data refresh (real-time, hourly, daily, weekly)? Options: Real-time, Hourly, Daily, Weekly
• Do you require automated alerts for non-compliance or threshold breaches? Options: Yes, email alerts, Yes, in-platform alerts, No
• Do dashboards need exportable reports or scheduled email digests? Options: Exportable reports (CSV/PDF), Scheduled email digests, Both, Neither
• Are there regulatory or audit requirements for storing compliance records and for how long? Options: Yes (specify retention), No

Integrate LMS with POS and HRIS

• Which POS and HRIS systems do you currently use (vendor names and versions)?
• Which data elements should sync between systems (user records, role, hire/termination dates, training completions)? Options: User records, Role/title, Hire/termination dates, Training completions, Other
• Preferred integration method: API, SFTP batch, middleware connector, or manual export/import? Options: Direct API, SFTP batch, Middleware (e.g., iPaaS), Manual import/export
• How often should integrations run (real-time, nightly, weekly)? Options: Real-time, Nightly, Weekly, On demand
• Are there security or compliance constraints (SOC2, GDPR, CCPA) that govern data sharing? Options: Yes, No
• Who will provide API credentials and a technical contact for integration testing?

Enable Single Sign-On and Security Settings

• Which identity provider(s) will you use for SSO (Okta, Azure AD, OneLogin, other)? Options: Okta, Azure AD, OneLogin, Other
• Which SSO protocol is required (SAML, OIDC, both)? Options: SAML, OIDC, Both, Not using SSO
• Do you require multi-factor authentication (MFA) for all users or only administrative roles? Options: All users, Administrative roles only, No MFA required
• What password and session policies should be enforced (session timeout, password complexity)?
• Are there device or IP restrictions (e.g., restrict access to store IP ranges)? Options: Yes, No
• Who is your security/compliance contact for configuration and sign-off?

• Statement of Work (SOW)
• Master Services Agreement (MSA)
• Pricing & Per-Location Quote
• Payment Schedule & Billing Authorization
• Service Level Agreement (SLA)
• Data Processing Agreement & Privacy Addendum
• Acceptance Criteria & Validation Checklist
• Pilot Participation Agreement
• Implementation & Milestone Plan
• Franchisee Incentive Mechanics
• Content Ownership & Licensing
• Change Order & Scope Amendment
• Confidentiality & Non-Disclosure Agreement (NDA)
• Execution & E-Signature Package

• Success Scorecard Review
• Ongoing Content Governance & Roadmap
• Issues & Enhancements Triage Workshop
• Franchise Adoption & Incentives Review

• Deploy agreed incentive changes to a pilot cohort and track predefined adoption KPIs for the pilot window.
• Assign and document content owners and approvers for each curriculum area in the RACI.
• Produce the Q2 content roadmap with priority, effort estimate, and owner commitments.
• Set up a recurring governance cadence (e.g., monthly content council) and share calendar invites.
• Triage Principles & Prioritization Rubric
• Convert the open issues and enhancement requests into a prioritized, time-boxed backlog.
• Agree acceptance criteria and validation plans for prioritized items to avoid scope drift.
• Assign owners and target delivery windows for items selected for the next release.
• Create a prioritized backlog with effort estimates and target release/pilot dates for the top 10 items.
• Assign QA owners and draft acceptance test cases for each prioritized item.
• Set SLAs for bug resolution and enhancement delivery to include in the governance charter.
• Welcome & Objectives
• Adoption Metrics & Behavioral Snapshot
• Identify top 2–3 actionable barriers to franchisee adoption backed by data and feedback.
• Agree on incentive modifications and pilot tactics with clear success metrics and owners.
• Define monitoring dashboards and escalation paths to maintain adoption momentum.
• Implement a weekly adoption dashboard and assign an owner for escalation when thresholds are breached.
• Collect structured franchisee feedback post-pilot and prepare a decision memo for broader rollout.
• Confirm whether the solution met each agreed success metric at the required threshold.
• Surface and quantify operational consequences where metrics fall short to create urgency for remediation.
• Assign owners and timelines for remediation or formal acceptance decisions.
• Owner to investigate and document root cause for each failed acceptance criterion, with evidence and recommended fix.
• Produce an updated scorecard for all locations reflecting agreed corrections and submit by the agreed deadline.
• Schedule a follow-up validation review after remediation actions are complete.
• Recap Outcomes & Future-State Goal
• Agree on a governance model (roles, approvals, escalation) that ensures content accuracy and timely updates.
• Approve an initial prioritized content roadmap with timelines and owners.
• Define SLAs for content requests and a repeatable release cadence tied to validation steps.
• Review Open Issues (severity-based)
• Franchisee Feedback & Barrier Mapping
• Current State Snapshot (one-slide data brief)
• Governance Model Proposal
• Review Enhancement Requests (top candidates)
• Consequence Mapping
• Incentive Mechanics Assessment
• Content Lifecycle & SLAs
• Pilot Adoption Tactics & A/B Tests
• Acceptance Criteria Validation
• Roadmap Prioritization Framework
• Prioritization & Release Decisions
• Gap Diagnosis
• Monitoring, Escalation & Support Plan
• Release Cadence & Communication Plan
• Validation & QA Requirements
• Decisions & Next Steps