Protected: Wendy’s Operator Consolidates 6 Systems Into One With Harri

The Challenge: Multi-State Complexity at Scale

 

As a 28-unit Wendy’s franchise operating across Iowa, Illinois, and Minnesota, Parco faced growing operational complexity as the business scaled—particularly where restaurants sat directly on state borders with vastly different labor laws.

For Kari Krogman, the Parco Operations Manager, overseeing accounting, IT, and payroll across all locations meant managing risk on multiple fronts at once.

Kari Krogman

“One of the biggest challenges we face is navigating different laws and regulations across state lines, especially with locations positioned right on the border of very different states,” Kari explains.

The challenges quickly compounded:

  • Fragmented technology stack: Teams relied on five to six disconnected systems—each with separate logins—to manage hiring, scheduling, labor, and payroll

  • Labor compliance exposure: Differing state and local labor laws created blind spots and increased risk of costly violations

  • Limited real-time visibility: Leadership lacked a unified, real-time view of labor performance across all 28 locations

  • Forecasting execution gaps: While sales forecasts existed, managers lacked tools to execute staffing plans accurately at the store level

“We used to have five or six different programs and different passwords,” Kari recalls. “For team members who weren’t as tech-focused, that created constant friction and training challenges.”
 
In what Kari calls the “penny business,” every inefficiency directly impacted margins, making operational discipline and visibility non-negotiable. 
 

The Solution: One Platform for End-to-End Workforce Management

 
To simplify operations and reduce risk, Parco implemented Harri’s unified workforce management platform—consolidating hiring, scheduling, labor optimization, compliance, communication, and payroll into a single system.
 

Real-Time Labor Intelligence

Harri enabled Parco to move from reactive labor management to proactive control by:

  • Implementing “needed hours” metrics that dynamically adjust staffing recommendations based on real sales data and traffic patterns

  • Delivering real-time dashboards with 15-minute interval visibility across all 28 locations

  • Providing mobile access so managers can monitor and adjust labor from anywhere

The result: tighter labor control and faster, data-driven decision-making at both the store and enterprise level. 

Wendy's Labor Deployment

Streamlined Multi-State Compliance

Managing compliance across multiple states became significantly easier with built-in guardrails and workflows:

  • Automated schedule approval workflows allowing general managers to submit schedules for district-level review

  • Embedded labor law compliance rules tailored to varying state requirements

  • Proactive alerts that flag potential violations before they turn into penalties

This shifted compliance from a reactive burden to a proactive safeguard.

Wendy's RAD

 

Unified Team Communication

With Harri’s built-in communications tools, Kari now manages more than 100 communication groups across the organization—keeping teams aligned whether they’re sharing operational updates, celebrating wins, or addressing issues in real time.

Integrated Payroll and Earned Wage Access

Harri Pay, integrated directly with Parco’s existing Paylocity system, gives team members instant access to earned wages—helping address cash-flow challenges that often drive turnover in the restaurant industry.

The Results: From Operational Chaos To Contol 

 

Kari and her team saw the impact of the Harri platform almost immediately, most notably in how simplified and streamlined the new solution was compared to using a handful of disparate tools and technologies. 

 

  • Consolidated six separate systems into one unified platform

  • Eliminated password fatigue and reduced training complexity across all locations

  • Streamlined the entire employee lifecycle—from hiring through separation—in a single system

Faster, Smarter Labor Decisions

“The needed hours feature has been critical for us,” Kari says. “With real-life data and strong reporting, we can see in real time whether we’re on track to hit our labor budget and make adjustments before issues arise.”

This real-time visibility enables proactive decision-making instead of last-minute corrections.

Confidence in Multi-State Compliance

With automated compliance monitoring across state lines, Parco can focus on growth without constant concern over regulatory missteps. Potential issues are flagged early—reducing risk and protecting the business from costly violations.

Strong Team Adoption

Harri Pay has seen strong adoption across the organization, supported by its seamless integration with existing payroll systems and an intuitive user experience—even for team members who aren’t particularly tech-focused.

 

“From hiring through the entire employee lifecycle, having one platform has been a huge asset—for my team, our managers, and our hourly employees,” Kari shares. “They can see schedules, apply on their phones, communicate easily—it’s truly a one-stop shop.”

To learn more about how Harri helps Wendy’s multi-unit operators like Kari, click here or book time with our Wendy’s experts directly.