So…you are in charge of doing rollouts at your company. No big deal, right?
Well…actually, rollouts are a big deal, super important and require a lot of attention to detail. You could do it yourself. This is a decent option if you don’t have too many locations. On the other hand, wouldn’t it be easier and safer to leave it to the experts?
What is a rollout?
Typically, we define rollouts as the process of communicating changes across a large organization with many locations. The organization might be a restaurant or hotel chain, a franchise organization or any number of other large enterprises.
So, how are you going to communicate the details of a rollout?
For purposes of this article, let’s say the rollout is about menu changes at a large restaurant chain. You probably have a deadline, say the first of next month, when the new menu gets put into effect. Shipping the menus is only one step, but just as important, you must communicate the new menu items to the restaurant managers or owners, make sure it is understood how to cook and present the new items and how to cleanly and profitably integrate them into each restaurant’s operations.
How are you going to communicate the details of these new menu changes?
One of the most effective ways is to put printed materials into the hands of the Servers, Managers, Cooks and others responsible for restaurant operations. These materials should ideally have a picture of the new dishes, how they are to be prepared and served, how much they will cost and a description of the ingredients. Usually, it takes a few printed pieces to communicate all of this effectively to the right people.
Here are some ideas of items you may want to print and distribute:
- A Rollout Manual or Guide. This piece may have a number of pages to show and explain all of the menu changes to take place. You may need several of these to go to each location depending on the size and type of restaurant.
- Server Cards. These can be cards the Servers can use for reference and which may fit in with guest checks or order cards they use.
- Line Cards. These should likely be a different size and shape than the Server Cards. They can be used for reference by the people preparing the food to make sure the food is made correctly. These cards may need to be UV Coated, Laminated or printed on polyester stock if they are used where they may get greasy or wet.
- Posters. Sometimes, it may make sense to include posters to make sure everything is well explained and clear.
- Any office materials which may be needed. Posters may need velcro strips or dots to make them easy to mount. Depending on how your system works, you may also need binders, sheet protectors or other items to go out as well.
It’s All in the Box
Packaging is an important rollout detail that sometimes gets overlooked. The first criteria of a successful package is to make sure the materials you send out get there in good shape and ready to use. Secondly, packing materials efficiently can save a lot of money since carriers typically charge per box shipped. This is half art and half science. Sometimes, a poster can be lightly rolled or folded to help fit the entire kit into one box to save time and money. In addition, if only one box is shipped, it reduces the chance of things getting lost.
It is also super important to have an up to date shipping list sent to the company doing the rollout so the boxes go the correct locations. Be sure to communicate when the boxes need to arrive as well. The fulfillment company can ship to locations which are farther away first so they all kits arrive at about the same time.
Use the Experts
You can do rollouts yourself, you can “train” a local printing company on how to do it, or you can trust the experts at The Print Authority with printing fulfillment. We have over two decades of experience printing and distributing to multiple location businesses.
We get to know your needs and often have suggestions which can help you succeed. Give us a call today!
