Seven Hundred Stores and Counting; Yes, I’m a Roll Out Specialist

As the Business Development person at JL Architects, I am often asked by people inside and outside our industry, what is it you guys do?  That’s a loaded question as I can provide a short (and popular answer) or something much longer but more detailed.  Truly, we all struggle at times describing our occupations, businesses, etc. in a manner that is concise and that makes sense to a broad audience.

 

Recently, JL Architects prepared a proposal for a major new client (that we won, by the way).  In the course of writing that proposal, John Lister created what I believe is one of the best and most concise descriptions of what JL Architects “does”; and how we impact our clients business success. 

 

Here is John’s description:

What is a “Roll-Out Specialist?”

It is an Architecture and Engineering (A&E) team that understands the big picture. The team sees not only branding and respects it, but understands that a “brand” and “branding” is not the same thing.  They also see opportunities to infuse a location and community with the brand culture.  Most people see “Roll-Out” as “cookie cutter”.  A Roll-Out Specialist knows that “Roll-Out” refers to volume, not sameness.  Executing a Roll-Out is more difficult than inventing the brand’s design concept and prototype.  The idea of a Roll-Out is to increase units as quickly as possible. There is a focus on hitting dates and numbers.  All of those things are important, but they are also succinctly reflected on a balance sheet.  A Roll-Out specialist knows how to hit balance sheet targets and deliver to the customer the sensory understanding of what the brand is and can distill it down to a critical path schedule.

 

What should you expect? 

Most prototypes are created in a perfect world-hypothetical perfect space.  Those are the cookie cutter spaces that are few and far between, but the customer experience needs to be special in each place. Roll-out programs also have irregular spaces, “generally” 55’ x 55’ with high ceilings in some areas, and low ceilings in another, and a tower element.  Perhaps there is a unique opportunity for public space, a meeting room, space for live entertainment or an outdoor walk-up pick-up window.  Put that together with the street traffic patterns and sightlines and we have a real opportunity.  This is where a roll-out specialist shines.  They convey the opportunities to the client.  They honor the brand while leveraging all those atypical conditions to make an especially exceptional customer experience.  This means you can expect exceptional intuition, great communication, respectful creativity, and team work.
 

 

What you will get from JL Architects

You will get a seasoned, dedicated, resourceful team mate who will indoctrinate themselves into your culture, goals, vision and ambition.  We will become one of you. 

What John’s definition brings to mind is leadership; leadership in understanding, listening, innovating and executing.  Leadership in influencing a “team” to visualize and translate a client’s goals, culture and vision into reality.

This is what JL Architects “does.”

-A. John Gill