Field note
Preparing Unit Data Before a Benchmark Study Begins
A checklist head-office teams can use so the first week of a chain study is spent on analysis, not cleaning file names.
Most delays in franchise benchmarking come from mismatched unit codes, not from the modelling itself. A short preparation pass at head office saves weeks later.
Assign one stable identifier per outlet and keep it identical across sales, labour, and traffic exports. If a renovated store received a new POS code, map the old and new identifiers before sharing files.
Export at least six complete months. Partial months belong in a separate tab labelled as incomplete; we prefer to exclude them rather than invent values. Note public holidays and local promotions that distorted a particular week.
Agree peer groups early: format, seating capacity, or Bangkok versus upcountry. Changing peer groups mid-study forces a redraw of every scorecard and confuses franchisees who already saw a draft.
Nominate a single data contact who can answer clarification questions within one business day. Studies move fastest when analysts are not chasing replies across four departments.