Built to Scale: Preparing Talentscout for Franchise Expansion

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 

This project was conducted in collaboration with Talentscout GmbH, a six-person recruiting firm based in Germany specializing in talent acquisition across multiple industries. Despite sustained growth and an ambition to expand through franchising, the firm relied on fragmented, largely manual processes for candidate tracking, client communication, and scheduling. These operational gaps represented a critical barrier to scalability and, ultimately, to a viable franchise model. This working paper presents the analytical framework, evaluation results, and strategic recommendations developed by the student consulting team. 

Goal 

The project aimed to prepare Talentscout GmbH's internal operations for future franchise expansion by identifying structural inefficiencies and recommending a suitable digital infrastructure. This included the selection of a Customer Relationship Management (CRM) system and a complementary workflow automation architecture to standardize and systematize the firm's core processes. 

Methodology 

The project team conducted a structured market screening and multi-criteria evaluation of five CRM systems, assessed against the firm's key operational pain points in candidate management, scheduling, client communication, and reporting. The evaluation was supported by a utility value analysis and radar chart visualizations. Workflow automation recommendations were developed based on vendor capability assessments and integration compatibility with the selected CRM. 

Results 

Zoho CRM Standard was identified as the primary recommendation at EUR 14 per user per month, complemented by a one-time implementation investment of EUR 5,000. A five-step implementation roadmap spanning Q3 2026 to Q2 2027 was developed, incorporating phased system rollout, staff onboarding, and the deployment of AI agents for scheduling and reporting automation. Together, these measures lay the operational groundwork for a standardized, transferable business model capable of supporting future franchise growth. 

Cooperation Partner 

• ​​Talentscout Consulting GmbH 
  Alte Eisenstraße 23–25 
  57258 Freudenberg 
  https://www.talentscout.de/​ 

​​Contact Person​ 

• ​​Nicole Bauer 
  n.bauer@talentscout.de​ 

Student Team 

• ​​​Ferber Jonas 
  Frank Tim 
  Ispany Jennifer 
  Lange Sinah 
  Schemmerer Lars 
  Wölfel Stephan​​ 

Project Manager 

• ​​Lauer Diana 

• ​Mazzucato Melina 

• ​​Riener Jakob​​