Business Model: Collaboration & Vertical Integration

The Taste management model empowers divisions to grow their profit and generate operating leverage through operational autonomy within an agreed strategic and operational framework.

The group is responsible for the approval of brand and divisional strategies and the accompanying operational framework; the identification, development and retention of human capital across the group; managing the cash flows and financial structures of the divisions to the best advantage of the group; and promoting and incentivising collaboration between the divisions across key business drivers and shared platforms, via the Taste Collaboration Channel.

The model is executed through a decentralised decision-making Executive Committee, chaired by the CEO. The committee comprises the CEO, Financial Director and executive directors of Taste Holdings as well as brand Managing Directors.

Taste Collaboration Channel

The collaboration channel consists of forums where both best practice and collaboration ideas are shared between divisions and brands. Forums are focused on topics that relate to:

• the key business drivers of the divisions; property portfolio management; retail outlet design and image; marketing channels to common consumers in the LSM 6 – 10 category;
• franchise best practice implementation and franchisee performance management;
  
• common cost centres across divisions that are not a differentiating factor in the consumer offering and that reduce costs to the division; and
• customer and franchisee satisfaction monitoring.