RizePoint, Focus Brands International to Present About Virtual Audits at FSTEC

SALT LAKE CITY — RizePoint, a quality management software provider, and Focus Brands International, a developer of global foodservice brands, will present jointly at FSTEC, a food service and technology conference scheduled for Sept. 19-21 in Grapevine, Texas. The organizations will spotlight the new, collaborative, remote auditing program Focus Brands International is conducting at its brands' franchised locations.

RizePoint developed the program on its Quality Management Platform, allowing Focus Brands International to schedule and conduct visits, collect data and pull reports.

"RizePoint and Focus Brands International will discuss the significant benefits of supportive and collaborative auditing practices, as well as the advantages and huge, unmatched ROI of virtual auditing vs. a traditional, third-party auditing approach,” said RizePoint President Kari Hensien. “Audit reports could be used to support failed inspections and default franchisees under the agreement. We are thrilled to be joined onstage by Johnny Tellez, vice president of Focus Brands International, who will talk about how operational assessments lead to operational excellence. He will also outline the merits of the program they implemented with RizePoint's solutions.

"We're confident that a collaborative auditing model is the right approach for food brands moving forward. We're so pleased to showcase our work with Focus Brands International, which is leading the charge, spearheading this positive shift in auditing. Equipped with RizePoint's unique and innovative technology, Focus Brands International is building a collaborative culture, experiencing tremendous growth and enjoying extraordinary results as they unveil the future of virtual auditing.”

RizePoint builds technology that allows trained brand coaches to visit remote locations, conduct audits, assess results and determine when/if corrective actions must be taken. Its auditing solutions allow brand coaches to inspect locations remotely in the language and time-zone of the store operators. The technology enables data to be captured and measured against store performance, saving time and money versus conducting in-person audits, the company said.

Companies can use search-driven analytics to sort through data, drilling down to specific locations, issues and trends.

"Great facility management is about maintaining exceptional compliance standards across your business so customers can experience brand consistency at every location,” Hensien said. “RizePoint's solutions are helping Focus Brands International automate its processes, clarify communication and get fast, accurate reporting to support its brands' franchisees globally.”

Beto Guajardo, president of Focus Brands International, added, "At Focus Brands International, maintaining consistent brand standards and providing exceptional customer service has always been a top priority. With an increase in global presence, coupled with the recent restrictions placed on travel, traditional in-person audits alone became more difficult. RizePoint's technology provided us the ability to virtually visit stores at least four to six times per year to provide the type of support that our brands' franchisees needed.”

Focus Brands International uses the technology to conduct virtual visits, termed Operations Excellence Reviews (OERs), from a single location in Costa Rica. The RizePoint software allows trained brand coaches to review the operational performance of each brand location in real-time using video technology. According to the company, this has resulted in time spent per review being 65-75% lower.

"We believe our revolutionary software can help shape the future of franchising," said Hensien.