Create multilocation groups

What are multilocation groups?

Multilocation groups are organizational structures that allow you to manage multiple business locations under a single corporate entity. This feature is designed for enterprise clients, franchise operations, chain businesses, and any organization with multiple physical locations that need coordinated management and consolidated reporting.

Why create multilocation groups?

Multilocation Groups provide essential benefits for enterprise client management:

• Centralized Management: Oversee all locations from a single administrative interface
• Consolidated Reporting: Generate comprehensive reports across all business locations
• Simplified User Management: Provide corporate users access to multiple locations
• Coordinated Operations: Execute campaigns and updates across all locations simultaneously
• Hierarchical Organization: Maintain corporate structure and location relationships
• Scalable Growth: Easily add new locations as businesses expand

What's included with multilocation groups?

Group structure management

• Corporate entity and location hierarchy setup
• Location addition and organization within groups
• Group-level settings and configurations
• Permission management across locations

Consolidated reporting

• Cross-location performance analytics
• Comparative reporting between locations
• Executive-level summary reports
• Location-specific detailed reporting

User and access management

• Corporate user accounts with multi-location access
• Location-specific user management
• Role-based permissions across the group
• Unified authentication and access control

How to create multilocation groups

Initial group setup

Creating the Group Structure:

1. Navigate to Accounts > Multilocation Groups
2. Click Add New or Create Group
3. Configure group settings:
   • Group Name: Use corporate or brand name (e.g., "Starbucks Corporate," "ABC Medical Group")
   • Description: Add details about the business group and scope
   • Group Type: Select appropriate classification:
     • Corporate (headquarters with branches)
     • Franchise (franchisee with multiple locations)
     • Chain (retail chain with multiple stores)
     • Regional (geographic organization of locations)
4. Set group parameters:
   • Primary Contact: Corporate contact information
   • Billing Structure: Centralized or location-specific billing
   • Reporting Hierarchy: How locations relate to corporate structure
5. Click Create Multilocation Group

Adding businesses to groups

Location Addition Process:

1. Open the newly created group
2. Navigate to the Businesses or Locations tab
3. Click Add Business or Add Location
4. Select locations to include in the group:
   • Search existing accounts: Find and select already-created location accounts
   • Create new locations: Add new business locations directly to the group
   • Bulk selection: Use filters to select multiple related locations
5. Configure location settings:
   • Location Role: Headquarters, branch, franchise, subsidiary
   • Location Priority: Primary, secondary, or specialized locations
   • Reporting Relationship: How this location relates to group reporting

Adding users to groups

1. Open the group and go to the Users tab
2. Click Add user
3. Select existing users or create new users
4. Save to grant access across the group
5. Verify location details:
   • Business name and address accuracy
   • Contact information and local management
   • Product assignments and service levels
6. Click Add Locations to include them in the group

Group configuration options

Advanced Group Settings:

1. Hierarchy Configuration:
   • Corporate Structure: Define reporting relationships between locations
   • Management Levels: Set up regional managers, district oversight, etc.
   • Communication Flow: Establish how information flows through the organization
2. Operational Settings:
   • Shared Resources: Configure shared services, campaigns, or resources
   • Individual Autonomy: Set permissions for location-specific decisions
   • Approval Workflows: Establish approval processes for group-wide changes
3. Reporting Configuration:
   • Consolidated Reports: Enable group-level performance reporting
   • Comparative Analysis: Set up location comparison and benchmarking
   • Executive Dashboards: Configure high-level summary reporting

How to organize group structure

Hierarchical organization

Corporate Structure Setup:

• Headquarters Account: Main corporate entity with overall group oversight
• Regional Divisions: Geographic or operational divisions within the corporate structure
• Individual Locations: Specific business locations, stores, or offices
• Specialized Units: Service centers, distribution centers, or specialized operations

Example Group Structures:

Retail Chain Example:

ABC Retail Corporate
├── Northeast Region
│   ├── New York Store #001
│   ├── New York Store #002
│   └── Boston Store #003
├── Southeast Region
│   ├── Atlanta Store #004
│   └── Miami Store #005
└── West Coast Region
    ├── Los Angeles Store #006
    └── San Francisco Store #007

Medical Practice Example:

HealthCare Partners Group
├── Administrative Office (Headquarters)
├── Downtown Medical Center
├── Suburban Family Practice
├── Specialty Clinic - Cardiology
└── Urgent Care Centers
    ├── North Location
    └── South Location

Location classification

Location Types and Roles:

• Headquarters: Primary administrative and strategic center
• Regional Centers: Mid-level management and coordination hubs
• Operating Locations: Customer-serving locations (stores, offices, clinics)
• Support Facilities: Warehouses, service centers, training facilities
• Franchise Locations: Independently operated but brand-affiliated locations

Setting Location Properties:

1. Access location settings within the group
2. Define location characteristics:
   • Location Type: Classification and operational role
   • Service Capabilities: What services this location provides
   • Management Structure: Local management and reporting relationships
   • Operational Hours: Location-specific operating schedules
3. Configure location permissions:
   • Autonomy Level: How much independent decision-making authority
   • Resource Access: What group resources this location can access
   • Reporting Requirements: What data this location must provide

Group management best practices

Naming conventions

Consistent Group Naming:

• Corporate Identity: Use official corporate names for group identification
• Location Naming: Consistent format for location identification
  • "Brand Name - Location Identifier" (e.g., "Starbucks - Downtown Seattle")
  • "Brand Name - Store Number" (e.g., "Target - Store #1234")
  • "Brand Name - Geographic Identifier" (e.g., "ABC Medical - North Campus")

Documentation Standards:

• Group Descriptions: Clear explanation of group scope and purpose
• Location Descriptions: Specific details about each location's role and characteristics
• Contact Information: Maintain current contact details for corporate and location management
• Update Procedures: Establish processes for maintaining accurate group information

Scalability planning

Growth Accommodation:

1. Design flexible structure that can accommodate new locations
2. Establish standardized processes for adding locations
3. Plan for geographic expansion and regional organization
4. Consider technology requirements for growing location counts
5. Document procedures for efficient scaling

New Location Integration:

• Standardized onboarding process for new locations
• Template configurations for consistent setup
• Training procedures for new location staff
• Integration timelines and milestone tracking

Integration with existing operations

Existing account integration

Converting Individual Accounts:

1. Identify related accounts that should be grouped together
2. Review account relationships and corporate connections
3. Plan migration strategy from individual to group management
4. Coordinate with location management on transition process
5. Execute grouping with minimal service disruption

Data Consolidation:

• Historical data preservation during account grouping
• Reporting continuity across transition period
• User access management during structure changes
• Integration testing to ensure continued functionality

System integration

Technical Considerations:

• API access for group-level data management
• Reporting system integration for consolidated analytics
• User authentication across multiple locations
• Data synchronization between group and location systems

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)

Can I add existing accounts to a multilocation group?

Yes, you can add existing business accounts to multilocation groups. The system will maintain historical data while organizing the accounts under the group structure for future management and reporting.

How many locations can I include in a single multilocation group?

There's typically no strict limit on the number of locations per group, but very large groups may benefit from hierarchical organization with regional sub-groups for better management and performance.

Can one location belong to multiple multilocation groups?

This depends on your system configuration, but typically each location belongs to one primary group. Some systems may allow secondary group associations for special purposes like regional marketing campaigns.

What happens to individual location data when I create a multilocation group?

Individual location data is preserved and remains accessible at the location level. The group structure adds an additional layer of organization and reporting without affecting location-specific information.

Can I remove locations from a multilocation group?

Yes, locations can typically be removed from groups if needed. This might be necessary for locations that are sold, closed, or no longer part of the corporate structure.

How do billing and subscriptions work with multilocation groups?

Billing can be configured as centralized (one bill for the entire group) or distributed (separate billing for each location). This is typically set up based on the client's preferences and corporate structure.

Can I create sub-groups within a multilocation group?

Many systems support hierarchical group structures, allowing you to create regional or operational sub-groups within larger corporate groups for better organization and management.

What permissions do I need to create multilocation groups?

Creating multilocation groups typically requires administrative permissions and may require approval for enterprise-level account structuring. Check with your system administrator about permission requirements. You will also need to be on a Premium subscription or higher to unlock access to multilocation groups for your agency.