Opening a second branch doubles the rent and, if the software is not ready, triples the confusion. Is a customer who visits both locations one person or two? Whose stylist is that? Why does the owner's report not match the branch manager's?
Those questions have answers, but they need deciding on purpose. Here is how SaloonERP decides them.
Shared, local and owned
Every record in the system is one of three kinds.
- Shared: the service menu, products and customers. One price list, one customer record, whichever door they walk through.
- Local: the team and the opening hours. A stylist works in a branch; a branch opens when it opens.
- Owned: bookings, tickets, bills and cash movements. Each one belongs to the branch where it happened, for good.
Getting this split right is what lets a report be trusted. A bill is never in two branches at once, so the branch totals add up to the group total, every time.
Who sees what
The owner sees every branch and can switch between them. A branch manager signs in with the branch's own account and sees that branch only. A stylist sees their own diary. Nobody has to remember to filter, because the screen is already looking at the right branch.
Moving things between branches
Stock moves between branches as a transfer, out of one and into the other, so neither count goes wrong. Customers need no moving at all; they are already shared.
Reporting across the group
Group reports put the branches side by side before they add them up. A total is useful; a total you can open to see which branch carried it is useful on Monday morning.
- 1Agree the shared menu and prices before the new branch opens.
- 2Create the branch with its own sign-in and opening hours.
- 3Move or add the team who will work there.
- 4Transfer opening stock rather than adding it again.
- 5Check the first week's takings branch by branch, then together.