Image courtesy of McDonalds_Stoke_Mier Park_099

Following the roll out contactless payments in all of its 1,200 UK stores, reported to be one of the largest of its kind UK, McDonald’s continues to stay up to date and embrace technology deployment.

The fast food chain is now engaging with customers through interactive technologies in its restaurants. Self service kiosks, tablets and 3D printing are all being introduced to meet with the mind set of its tech-savvy customers and ultimately to afford the restaurant further business growth.

Mark Fabes, director of IT and digital at McDonald’s Restaurants UK explained that McDonalds is seeking to reach the customer through consistent touch points in its look and feel to communicate with the customer at different points of the journey whether they are at home or walking past a restaurant.

He commented “Our customers have technology at their fingertips and expect to engage with our business using technology.”

By adapting to the digital customer McDonalds aims to also help staff to stay up to date with technology and make their jobs easier. The digital drive comes as the chain promotes its message of around being ‘awake if you are’ as it extends its opening hours and now needs robust technology to support the kitchens and back office.

“We’re operating in an always-on society,” said Fabes. He also added that the aim is to have an ‘integrated restaurant’ that joins up all the different technology involved.

“How do you make the experience seamless and exciting at the same time?” he said. “We’re not doing it in isolation – we’re trying to join it up in a digital ecosystem.”

Behind the technology implementation is Fujitsu, which Fabes looks to for perfection in its operation at all times. “I’m not in the game of buying and supplying that technology,” he said. “I’m open to have those provisions provided to me, and also giving some flexibility and agility to move with the times.” Speaking at the vendor’s annual conference in Munich, Fabes said the McDonald’s board is incredibly supportive of investment in technology. But this support comes from explaining in business terms what the technology will bring to the business. “It’s more than enablement, it’s business growth.”

Back in 2011 McDonald’s UK signed a deal with Fujitsu for the provision of IT infrastructure support services to the company’s 1,200 restaurants in the UK and Republic of Ireland.  Within the five year deal, Fujitsu is contracted support the restaurant IT estate, from front of house tills and Point-of-Sale (POS), to drive-thru ordering, restaurant bridge (the area where food is prepared and served) and back office.

Commenting on the work, Jon Wolfe, business unit director at Fujitsu UK & Ireland, said: “The McDonald’s environment is fast-paced and exciting to work in. As a leading brand in quick-service restaurants our IT support work must reflect the pace at which the business operates – the most critical part being to keep tills open and operating. However the role moving forward is as much about the customer experience and supporting new technologies that ensure agility in meeting customer demands.”

Source: http://www.computerweekly.com