An Operations Manual for Franchising in Argentina

A business that relies on its founder’s constant decision-making still has know-how to pass on. To become part of a franchise network, it needs to turn that experience into instructions other people can follow. An operations manual makes this possible, but its value does not depend on its page count: it depends on whether people can use it to work, train staff and solve problems without improvising.

1. Understand what Argentine law requires

In Argentina, franchise agreements are governed by Articles 1512 to 1524 of the national Civil and Commercial Code, which came into force on 1 August 2015. They should not be treated as contracts without a specific regulatory framework.

Article 1512 describes a franchise based on a proven system, with technical know-how and ongoing support. Article 1514(c) requires the franchisor to provide an operations manual containing practical specifications for carrying out the business activity covered by the agreement. The same article also addresses the transfer of know-how and the provision of technical or commercial support.

This distinguishes three complementary tasks: documenting, teaching and supporting. Handing over a file does not replace the other two.

The Code does not prescribe a standard table of contents or page count. The content must suit the particular business. Nor does the manual replace the licences and permits, health regulations, employment legislation or other requirements applicable to each outlet.

2. Document processes, not general advice

Start by observing how your existing outlet operates. Record opening and closing procedures, goods receipt, customer service, cleaning, maintenance and incident management. Pay particular attention to decisions that only the owner currently knows how to make.

Use a simple template for each procedure:

• Objective: the result to be achieved.
• Responsibility: the roles responsible for carrying out and checking the task.
• Resources: the equipment, supplies and permissions required.
• Sequence: the steps in order and the conditions for moving on to the next stage.
• Checks: the evidence used to verify compliance.
• Exceptions: what to do if something goes wrong and whom to consult.

Avoid instructions such as ‘maintain good customer service’. Explain how to handle a complaint, what information to record, who can authorise a resolution and when to escalate it.

Separate mandatory standards from recommendations. Also distinguish between what must be consistent across the franchise network and what needs local adaptation, such as certain municipal procedures. This reduces conflicting interpretations and makes training easier.

3. Test the manual without the founder’s involvement

Before giving the manual to a franchisee, test it in a pilot operation or at your existing premises with someone who did not write the procedures. The purpose of this operational test is to check whether know-how has been successfully transferred, not simply to proofread the document.

Ask that person to carry out routine tasks using the document and the planned training. Observe without immediately resolving every query: their questions will reveal missing information.

Record, for example:

• Steps that need additional verbal explanation.
• Tools or supplies mentioned in the manual that are not available.
• Decisions for which authorisation responsibilities are unclear.
• Checks that are impractical during a normal working day.

Also test less common situations: an incomplete delivery, a payment system failure or a complaint that goes beyond the manager’s authority.

Then revise the manual and repeat the test. A procedure is not validated simply because the founder can carry it out, but because a trained person can apply it with consistent results. Keep a record of the tests and the improvements made.

4. Align the manual with the agreement

A legal review should check that the agreement and the manual do not contradict each other. If the agreement sets specific conditions for supplies, support or use of the brand, the operations manual must reflect them accurately.

It is advisable to identify the initial version supplied in the agreement and establish how updates will be communicated. You should also define access rights, confidentiality requirements, the return or deletion of copies, and how materials will be handled when the relationship ends.

Do not use a manual update to quietly introduce new royalties, significant investment requirements or fundamental changes to the agreement. Such changes require an assessment of their contractual basis and, where appropriate, specific agreement between the parties.

Confidentiality provisions must allow the franchisee to train their team with suitable safeguards in place. Restricting all access could make it impossible to run the very operation you are trying to protect.

5. Keep a current, accessible version

Appoint someone to take responsibility for the manual and provide a central location where it can be consulted. Each procedure should show its version, effective date and the person responsible for approving it. Archive previous versions so you can establish which instructions were in force when an incident occurred.

Communicate changes by explaining what is changing, why and from when. If they affect critical tasks, provide training and check understanding. Receiving a notification is not the same as knowing how to carry out a process.

Put it into practice: choose one critical procedure, document it and ask another trained person to carry it out without your help. Resolve any points of confusion before expanding the manual. This simple test turns business know-how into a tool that others can use.