When you invest in systems that promote positive experiences and happy guests, franchisees will show their love for your brand.
“A seamless supply chain is one that franchisees and guests shouldn’t have to think about,” said Barbara Mayrand, Vice President of Supply Chain for Smoothie King.
In other words, satisfied guests and franchisees are the byproducts of our investments in suppliers, technology, inventory management, and cost planning—creating an efficient system for supply chain management. With this philosophy in mind, Smoothie King has developed a reliable supply chain to help ensure seamless day-to-day operations.
What Goes into Smoothie King’s Supply Chain?
Mayrand believes a proper supply chain is directly correlated to a business’s success. Without an efficient supply chain, a business will suffer. Smoothie King has ensured the following features are present in our supply chain to help avoid problems in any of our 900+ locations:
1. The Right Suppliers: Smoothie King only does business with vetted suppliers who are financially sound. Safety protocols must be in place by the suppliers we consider. The suppliers we work with are required to have their third-party audits completed by globally recognized agencies.
The auditors are in place to inspect the suppliers with a fine-toothed comb. There must be pest control programs, chemical storage protocols, allergen programs and much more before we work with a supplier.
2. The Right Inventory: The quality of the inventory is important to creating our consistently fresh smoothies. Because Smoothie King’s inventory is made up a combination of frozen produce, dry powders, juices, and fresh produce delivered multiple times per week. It has a long shelf life. All ingredients are maintained at a proper temperature during transportation to prevent the growth of germs and potential health risks. Our produce has the longest possible shelf life available before it is distributed to our franchisees.
To help keep our franchisees properly stocked, we have put a reliable system in place. This system helps our franchisees understand what days to order their inventory, how much produce they need to stay completely stocked and when their delivery is set to arrive. With our simple ingredients and efficient supply chain, our franchisees can keep the perfect amount of high-quality inventory on hand.
3. The Right Costs: Smoothie King currently uses the Performance Food Group to make sure the cost of the inventory is set at the right price. Acceptable margins help allow our franchisees to have a successful business. Our internal distribution team compares different companies’ prices to help ensure our franchisees receive the lowest margins possible and best products.
“We want to see our franchisees succeed. We make sure the price of inventory is fair to them so they can work to generate efficient revenue. The Smoothie King brand isn’t successful if our franchisees aren’t,” explained Mayrand.
4. Proper Feedback: Smoothie King builds a trusting bond by keeping an open-door policy with our franchisees. Franchisees are the recipients of the inventory, so we encourage them to provide feedback on their experience with the supply chain. Our franchisees can run a sustainable business by reporting what works and what doesn’t.
“We are open to suggestions from our franchisees. Guests have requested new fruit or ingredients to improve smoothies and our franchisees can easily relay the demand with us to complete the request,” says Mayrand.
Smoothie King’s mission and vision are consistent in all aspects of our business, from in-store guest experiences to supply chain management. If you are interested in joining a brand with a strong supply chain, download our franchise kit for more information.
