For multi-unit restaurant operators—especially those managing large franchise groups—ensuring smooth operations across all locations is critical. But keeping track of who’s responsible for what work and ensuring that work gets done can become increasingly complex as you scale.
That’s where hierarchy comes in. For Zenput by Crunchtime users, a well-structured, up-to-date hierarchy can help restaurant operators feel confident that the right work is getting done, helping them grow their business.
What’s hierarchy?
Hierarchy is the backbone of the Zenput platform. It creates the structure that restaurant operators use to assign, track, and measure work, both in and out of their stores. It includes:
• Teams: How you organize groups and individuals to mirror your restaurant hierarchy
• Users: The people using Zenput (e.g., corporate office, district managers, store staff)
• Locations: Each physical place a checklist is submitted
• Roles: How work is assigned–can be a job title but doesn’t have to be
• Permissions: Determines which users see what information
How does hierarchy help growing restaurant operators?
Simply put, it can make restaurant operators’ jobs easier. The hierarchy can do the heavy lifting for you. You can add new tasks, set up reports, and more without needing to hand-select a list of people to tackle that work. That information is already built into the hierarchy!
For large franchise groups, hierarchy enables centralized oversight while still empowering local franchisees to manage day-to-day tasks. Corporate teams can monitor operations, ensure brand consistency, and provide support when issues arise. This visibility helps franchisors quickly identify and resolve operational gaps across their networks.
For example, a large franchise group operating across multiple regions might use Zenput to ensure all stores complete daily temperature checks and food safety tasks. Corporate teams receive real-time data to identify any compliance gaps and quickly take corrective action, while regional managers can monitor performance within their territories.
With an up-to-date hierarchy, companies can:
1. Quickly assign work to teams. If you need to adjust an opening checklist or add another temp check during the day, your hierarchy will get that task assigned out to the right people.
2. Ensure the right people get rollup reporting. Not every Zenput user needs access to system reporting. Hierarchy provides the guardrails to get the right people the data they need.
With Zenput's role-based permissions, franchisees only see the data that’s relevant to them, while franchisors maintain visibility across all territories. This fosters accountability and transparency at every level, ensuring the right leaders have the insights they need to drive operational excellence.
3. Proactively address and correct gaps in daily operations. Hierarchy captures who needs to receive alerts or other hot-off-the-press announcements. As a restaurant operator, you can feel confident that the system’s triggers and announcements will be directed to the people who can proactively resolve issues.
Zenput’s hierarchy ensures franchisees have the flexibility to manage region-specific needs while corporate leaders retain insight into system-wide performance. This balance empowers growth without sacrificing quality, allowing franchisees to implement operational best practices while corporate maintains oversight."
Tips for keeping your hierarchy up to date
If you have tens or even hundreds of stores, keeping your hierarchy up to date can feel daunting. These simple tips will save you admin time during high-growth periods.
1. Use manual updates for small changes. If you need to update just a few users or locations, edit them directly within Zenput. This is best for one-off adjustments like assigning a new manager to a single store.
2. Try bulk updates for medium-size updates. If you need to update 30 records or more, you can work with Zenput support to do a bulk update. You can use a bulk update to add locations, update users, and more.
3. Use an API integration for larger updates. An API is a set of rules and tools that lets different software programs communicate with each other. It can help automate hierarchy changes, like adding new locations and users.
4. Perform routine maintenance checks. Even with technology, mistakes can happen. It’s a good idea to check the hierarchy tab and see if roles look right as well as check your store and employee counts by running user and location exports.
Having an updated, well-structured will help save your organization time and help you get work done as you grow. For growing franchise groups, maintaining operational excellence across every location is a challenge—but it doesn't have to be.
Click here to discover how Zenput’s hierarchy can help you gain visibility, ensure accountability, and support your growth goals.
