PROJECT DESCRIPTION
Wingstop, a hot wing, fast-casual restaurant chain, needed an efficient, fast and cost-effective way to collect pricing data, format in-store menus and deliver those menus in a relatively short amount of time.
Each store had a unique set of prices but used the same menu template. Several logistics and supply-chain events required a quick turnaround release and implementation of new pricing models.
USER
Managers and franchisees of store locations. These users had limited time to enter this data and proof the information as they are fairly busy running their restaurants.
CHALLANGE
With a tight turnaround for production, we needed to be able to collect all prices from 600 individual stores, get the price content into the menu files and produce 600 final, proofed and approved menus and get them into production. Critical to the success of the project is collecting the data quickly, having the deciding stakeholder approve the proof and creating the final print files of the menus.
Franchisors are not allowed to dictate pricing to their franchisees. They can make suggestions based on current localized sales metrics and trends. We integrated these suggestions into the system, making it easier for the franchisees to determine pricing, although they still all needed to go through the process of entering the prices on their own.
Our challenge was to create a system that was easy-to-use, simple in interface and comprehensive to the collection of the data and would require minimal time from the busy schedule of them running their restaurants.
SOLUTION
I created a form on our website, complete with graphics instructions, menu panel art and field for all of their prices. Franchisees or managers were asked to log in, answer some store specification characteristics (used in cross-over Unit Specification Project), their menu dimensions and then all of their current pricing for each menu item.
Once this information was captured, the database of prices was merged into variable data fields in the design file for the menu boards. Production artists could call up the current store in production, dial in their price model and populate variables in the design file in order to create a proof. Connection of the database to the live design file enabled us to populate the file with live data and create a proof in a short amount of time, creating efficiencies in the process that we had not had previously.
Lessons Learned
Market pricing buy-in. After a couple of rounds, though the evaluation of the data that was coming in, we noticed most DMAs were following similar pricing models. In subsequent versions, we implemented “suggested pricing models” within markets, pre-populating pricing fields with company-approved models. This reduced the users time significantly, speeding up production and time-to-market of future menus
My Role
- Account Manager
- Customer Research
- Strategy and Brainstorming
- Database Design
- Graphic Design