mcdonalds operations case study

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McDonald’s Operations Management: 10 Critical Decisions, Productivity

McDonald’s operations management (OM) supports the company’s position as the largest fast-food restaurant chain in the world. The business implements solutions pertaining to the 10 decision areas of operations management, such as supply chain management for the movement of ingredients. In these 10 strategic decisions, McDonald’s aims for maximum operating efficiency and productivity to facilitate business strategies that rely on low production costs. For instance, in process and capacity design, which is a part of operations management, the food service company optimizes production processes to minimize costs and enable competitive selling prices. In this regard, operations management effectiveness impacts how the goals of McDonald’s mission statement and vision statement are achieved. Operations strategy and related strategic planning determine the restaurant corporation’s overall business performance.

With the 10 decisions of operations management, McDonald’s optimizes the business to counteract competition. The company competes with Wendy’s , KFC, Dunkin’, Burger King , Subway, and Arby’s. McCafé operations also compete with Starbucks and Tim Hortons, as well as some PepsiCo beverages and Unilever ’s Bru coffee, which can be purchased online in various countries. The Five Forces analysis of McDonald’s Corporation shows that these competing firms impose a strong competitive force, which influences the company’s operations strategy and measures for optimal productivity.

McDonald’s Operations Management: 10 Critical Decision Areas

1. In the design of goods and services , the objective is to develop the best product, given the resources and limitations of the fast-food company. In this case, McDonald’s aims for high efficiency of service operations, and the standardization of goods. High efficiency and productivity in food preparation minimizes production costs. On the other hand, standardization of goods contributes to menu and product consistency and customer satisfaction at store locations. In this strategic decision area of operations management, managers are concerned with satisfying the general public, which is the target market based on McDonald’s generic strategy for competitive advantage and strategies for intensive growth . The company aims to attract everyone to its fast-food restaurants. Also, in making product design decisions, operations managers account for the product element of McDonald’s marketing mix or 4P . Thus, the strategies and tactics in the fast-food company’s marketing mix relate to this strategic decision area of operations management.

2. Quality management involves matching McDonald’s food, drinks, and service to the quality expectations and preferences of target consumers. The operations strategy applies policies and measures to ensure that such matching is achieved at company-owned, franchised, and licensed locations. Product standardization comes with quality consistency, which contributes to the business strengths identified in the SWOT analysis of McDonald’s Corporation . Such quality consistency helps the fast-food business satisfy consumers’ expectations. However, McDonald’s operations management faces the challenge of maintaining satisfactory quality despite cost minimization, which is essential for competitive selling prices.

3. Process and capacity design is a decision area that pushes operations management to optimize production processes, such as the production of intermediate ingredients used to make burgers and fried chicken. McDonald’s operations strategy maximizes the benefits of economies of scale in production processes, in order to support competitive pricing. For example, the company employs custom equipment for large-scale and high-speed food preparation. In this way, operations management achieves high efficiency in production processes and the minimization of costs at corporate facilities, hubs, and restaurants. Also, the production line method maximizes productivity and capacity utilization at McDonald’s restaurants.

4. For its location strategy , McDonald’s has various facilities that support its operations. The operations management objective in this strategic decision area is to establish and maintain locations that optimally account for access to target consumers, access to resources, the supply chain, costs, productivity, and economic variables. For example, McDonald’s production facility locations satisfy restaurants’ supply requirements. Also, company-owned, franchised, and licensed locations are established for maximum market reach. In this decision area, McDonald’s operations management involves restaurants, kiosks, and the company’s websites and mobile apps as venues. Other locations considered are those of third-party distributors or retailers of McCafé products, such as Walmart , Costco , Amazon , and Target. Through these locations or venues, the global fast-food restaurant chain reaches customers in traditional and online ways. Also, McDonald’s business structure (company structure) determines the locations of facilities and resources, including human resources.

5. Layout design and strategy aim for high efficiency in moving resources and information throughout McDonald’s business organization. For the movement of information at the fast-food company’s offices and other locations, information technology offers high efficiency with minimal drawbacks. On the other hand, at restaurants and kiosks, McDonald’s operations strategy involves layouts that maximize space utilization and productivity, rather than comfort and spaciousness. For example, kitchens are designed to match steps in food preparation. Also, many small tables are arranged to accommodate large numbers of diners at the restaurants.

6. In human resources and job design , operations management has the objective of developing and maintaining an adequate workforce for McDonald’s business development. The multinational corporation supports the staffing needs of its restaurants. For example, the company has standardized training programs for skills needed in food production and preparation. This support is in addition to the human resource policies and measures that McDonald’s franchisees and licensees implement on their own. For this decision area of operations management, individual and organizational learning are also emphasized throughout the fast-food restaurant chain. McDonald’s organizational culture or corporate culture influences human resource management programs to facilitate such learning.

7. Supply chain management aims to maintain high effectiveness and operating efficiency throughout McDonald’s supply chain. The food service company’s operations management uses information technology to inform suppliers and enable them to match their operations to the company’s supply needs. McDonald’s has a mixture of regional suppliers for highly standardized ingredients, and local suppliers for perishables. In this context, suppliers’ productivity affects the restaurant company’s productivity. With this consideration, McDonald’s corporate social responsibility (CSR), ESG, and stakeholder management strategy and other business strategies impose policies and rules for suppliers, to minimize disruptions in the supply chain.

8. In inventory management , McDonald’s operations management objective is to ensure adequate inventory for smooth business operations with minimal disruptions in resource availability. This decision area of operations management functions as an interface between the supply chain and the rest of the food service organization. Materials from suppliers pass through inventory management, or are stored for later use, depending on the requirements of the corporation and its restaurants. Inventory management effectiveness influences productivity at store locations. In this regard, McDonald’s minimizes inventory costs while supporting restaurant operations.

9. Scheduling at McDonald’s follows industry best practices, with considerations for supply chain capabilities, market conditions, and regulations. The strategic objective in this decision area of operations management is to apply schedules so that resources and assets are utilized to their full potential, while the fast-food chain satisfies its target customers. Regular schedules are used for McDonald’s corporate offices and restaurant locations. Also, seasonal schedules may be applied to support operations during spikes in market demand for fast food. Operational effectiveness is achieved by matching the schedules to the requirements of McDonald’s and its partners.

10. In maintenance , strategic decisions focus on maintaining stable operations, which relate to the stability of operations at the company’s corporate offices and stores. To maintain high productivity, McDonald’s operations management monitors the needs of its restaurants, and uses the resulting data to inform maintenance teams. Third-party service providers are also used in some situations, such as for the repair of cooking equipment and machinery. At McDonald’s hubs for material distribution, maintenance is implemented in terms of matching operational capacity and human resources to the current needs of the business organization. In this context, operations management also uses real-time monitoring and control to ensure that decisions and actions correspond to the current conditions of the food-service company. Considering the international scope of the business, the global, regional, and local trends characterized in the PESTEL/PESTLE analysis of McDonald’s Corporation influence the maintenance requirements and the tools available to maintain stable operations and high productivity.

Productivity at McDonald’s

With regard to the 10 strategic decisions of operations management, McDonald’s works toward maximum productivity in all its business areas. The following productivity metrics are some of the criteria applicable to McDonald’s operations management:

• Order fulfillment rate (productivity at McDonald’s restaurants)
• Stockout rate (productivity of inventory management, hubs, warehouses, and distribution facilities)
• Timely delivery rate (productivity of deliveries, including third-party delivery services)
• Akkaş, A., & Gaur, V. (2022). Reducing food waste: An operations management research agenda. Manufacturing & Service Operations Management, 24 (3), 1261-1885.
• Alexander, T. (2023). Unwrapping the McDonald’s model: An introduction to dynamic social theory. The Journal of American Culture, 46 (3), 232-241.
• Amirul, S. R., Pazim, K. H., Amirul, S. M., Mail, R., & Dasan, J. (2022). Developing and validating the qualitative labour productivity measurement in service industry. Quality & Quantity, 56 (4), 2853-2874.
• McDonald’s Corporation – Food Quality & Sourcing .
• McDonald’s Corporation – Form 10-K .
• McDonald’s Corporation – Our Commitment to Quality .
• McDonald’s Corporation – Where We Operate .
• McDonald’s History .
• Veiga, G. L., Pinheiro de Lima, E., & Gouvea da Costa, S. E. (2022). An efficiency-frontier based procedure to improve operations strategy. Journal of Industrial Integration and Management, 7 (03), 367-399.
• Zhou, L., Jiang, Z., Geng, N., Niu, Y., Cui, F., Liu, K., & Qi, N. (2022). Production and operations management for intelligent manufacturing: A systematic literature review. International Journal of Production Research, 60 (2), 808-846.
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McDonald’s and the Challenges of a Modern Supply Chain

Three lessons.

Recently, McDonald’s, the world’s iconic largest food service provider, has been (forgive the cliché) through the grinder. Poor performance has led to the departure of its CEO and plenty of critical attention in the business pages . Part of this story relates to the provenance, or origins, of its products: Chains that provide more upmarket “fast casual” dining such as Panera, Chipotle, and Shake Shack have brands that speak of freshness, health, and trustworthy sourcing.

• Steve New teaches operations and supply-chain management at the University of Oxford’s Saïd Business School and is a fellow of Hertford College.

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How McDonald's Became The Benchmark For Fast Food

Table of contents.

The McDonald brothers developed a system to make it all happen. Yet we know them for Ray Kroc, who created one of the world's largest chains of restaurants, real estate and toy retailers, while 'outmaneuvering' the founders. 

Although McDonald's has not been the largest fast-food chain in the world since 2011, it is still the best-known brand. Even in Israel's Negev Desert, 100 kilometers from the nearest city, there is a restaurant, because franchising has given the company such a huge boost worldwide. 

A few key facts about McDonald’s:

• The Kellogg Company was founded in 1940. 
• McDonald’s and its franchise partners employ more than 200,000 people globally.
• McDonald’s reported $8.1 billion in sales by corporate-owned restaurants and $10.7 billion by franchise partners .
• The gross profit in 2020 was $4.7 billion .
• Global comparable sales decreased 7.7% in 2020 , mainly due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
• McDonald’s spent over $100 million on the international markets to boost marketing in hope of recovery. 
• McDonald's operates more than 39,198 restaurants in more than 100 countries around the world .

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You Don’t Sell Burgers! It’s A Real-Estate Business! 

The first burgers.

Richard (Dick) and Maurice (Mac) McDonald opened their first diner together, a hot dog stands in Monrovia, California, in 1937. Later, in 1940, they moved to nearby San Bernardino and opened McDonald's Bar-B-Que. Over time, the eatery became more popular and profitable, but the brothers realized they could cut a lot of costs if they rethought their concept. They developed a series of revolutionary ideas and strategic measures that proved to be closely linked: reducing the range of products, preparing ingredients properly, keeping potatoes warm with an infrared lamp, and building a kitchen where food could be prepared more quickly. They also encourage people to take their orders and target families rather than young people.

In 1948, the McDonald brothers closed a well-established restaurant and reopened it a few months later with a slimmed-down menu - and by then under the McDonald's name. They realized that most of their income came from selling burgers, so they reduced the selection to almost nothing. (To give you the full picture, the fries and milkshakes were replaced with French fries and patties for a short time.)

Effectiveness above all

Kitchen work was sped up by having only two things to bake. Washing up was also kept to a minimum, as the food was served in disposable packaging. In 1952, the restaurant was closed again for several months to remodel the kitchen so that food could be served more quickly and efficiently than before. The new kitchen and associated system allowed all orders to be filled in as little as half a minute. Since the operation was supported by the "fast system," it's not hard to guess where the term "fast food" came from.

McDonald's goal at the time was to get people to store there, but not to eat there, but to take something there. This was achieved not only by the packaging of the products but also by the fact that there was no built-in canteen in the first restaurant; if you did not want to take what you bought home with you, you could either eat your lunch in your car or sit on a bench nearby. For a while, they also experimented with serving drinks in cone-shaped cups that customers could not put down, which encouraged them to eat faster.

Thanks to this incredibly efficient and fast operation, they were able to sell burgers for 15 cents - about half the price of other places. The fast service, consistent quality, and low price amply compensated customers for the inconvenience. Soon, the McDonald brothers wanted to open more restaurants, but they were not nearly as successful as their first location. The reason was simple: they could not be everywhere; they could only be personally responsible for quality assurance at the first restaurant. At the same time, the oldest McDonald's still in operation today opened in Downey, California.

The arrival of Ray Kroc

The brothers realized that they did not necessarily have to open new locations themselves to expand, but that others would do it for them. So in 1948, they began to reform their business model and set up a franchise system. By 1954, they had sold the royalties from 21 franchises. 

1954 marked a turning point in the McDonald brothers' lives. To further speed up service, they ordered a new type of mixer that could ensure the preparation of multiple servings at once. The order put them in contact with Ray Kroc, a travel agent. Kroc was amazed at how efficiently the restaurant operated. He wanted to get into the business and eventually convinced the brothers to make him their franchise representative. From then on, he was in charge of who and where they could open new restaurants.

The new buildings were now built the way the McDonald brothers envisioned their dream restaurant. A clean, red and white exterior with a neon yellow golden arch on either side of the building attracts potential clients (aka bypassers) to the restaurant. The juxtaposition of these two golden arches became the familiar Meki logo, which also forms an "M," a reference to the initials of their name. It took on a similar look to today's image after Ray Kroc became the owner, or rather founder, of the company.

In 1955, Kroc founded the forerunner of today's McDonald's Corporation (McDonald's System, Inc.) and opened its first new restaurant. The first was followed by the second, the third, and within a year, the 18th. Kroc was entitled to 1.9% of gross sales for each of these restaurants, but under his agreement with the brothers, they were entitled to 0.5%. He could barely cover his expenses with the remaining amount. Then he met Harry Sonnenborn, who gave him a new perspective: McDonald's was in fact a huge real estate business.

Turn of events

Sonnenborn encouraged Kroc to buy the land on which he wanted to build restaurants and then lease it to operators. Kroc listened to him and took the biggest step toward owning the entire chain. This way, he received a steady stream of income and did not have to give any of it to the McDonald brothers. The latter, of course, was not happy about this situation. Everything in the restaurants had to continue to be done the way the brothers wanted, although Kroc tried to introduce several innovations. Finally, in 1961, Kroc bought out the brothers for $2.7 million. To raise this sum, he had to take out loans, 14 million of which he was later able to repay.

Years of rapid expansion

As part of the agreement, the brothers would continue to own the restaurant in San Bernardino, but they had to change the name because Kroc already owned the naming rights to McDonald's. So they continued to run the restaurant under the name "The Big M," but Kroc was upset that he could not have it. Soon after, he opened a Meki just around the corner from the M, which allowed the McDonald brothers to close the location in a few years. They probably regretted the deal for life, because, with their 0.5% share at the time, it would have guaranteed them $15 million a year until the late 1970s, while their heirs would have received $305 million in 2012. And Kroc probably got a good deal on that loan.

By 1965, the company was operating more than 700 restaurants. That year, they went public. McDonald's stock started at $22 a share, but within a week the price had risen to $49. By the end of the decade, they had 1,500 restaurants worldwide and has started at Sonnenborn's suggestion, they continued to own the land on which the Meccas operated. Now they are looking for new land with fairly high standards: it should be about 4,600 m2, with the possibility of building on 370 m2, and located on the corner of at least one, but preferably two, busy roads.

Also in 1965, the then very limited offer was expanded: the Filet-O-Fish sandwich was added to the national menu. The fish burger was invented to give Catholic customers a choice during Lent. In 1968, the Big Mac, the iconic double-decker burger, was introduced. The Egg Muffin was introduced in 1975, the Happy Meal in 1979, and Chicken McNuggets in 1983. Of these, the Happy Meal is perhaps the most interesting, as it has made McDonald's one of the largest toy sellers in the world: 1.5 billion toys are sold each year thanks to the Happy Meal.

Ray Kroc never stopped working for McDonald's until he died on January 14, 1984. To this day, McDonald's provides its customers with great-tasting, affordable food, franchisees and crew members with job opportunities, and suppliers with reliable ingredients and products.

Key takeaways

Successful market penetration does not always require a complete upheaval of the rules of the sector. The McDonald brothers did not invent any truly new dishes, but they did let awareness guide the design of their restaurants. So the number-one success factor for McDonald's is professional design and process management.

The second success factor is sales behavior. While other restaurants were slower to offer their products, the excellent policies encouraged employees to sell customers as many extras as possible. Even today, "go big" accounts for a significant portion of restaurant profits (industry rumors say 40%). 

The third approach is the real estate-based approach. The franchising system that Ray Kroc perfected is still used today, and we know from the annual report that the company makes more revenue from franchisees than it can generate itself.

The McDonald’s Products

Core products.

McDonald's core products include burgers, which typically consist of a slice of beef, cheese, and sauce sandwiched between two halves of a bun - in all combinations and sizes. The smallest product is the standard burger, while the largest is the Big Mac. The sandwiches are available with chicken and fish, as well as localized versions in many countries around the world.

Core products include French fries, which also come in a variety of sizes. In addition, the Happy Meal menu specifically for children, as well as shakes and soft drinks, continue to be an integral part of fast food restaurant menus in almost all countries. According to market research , an average McDonald’s menu includes around 145 items. 

Seasonal products

National holidays, Halloween, Christmas, or even Easter - whatever the occasion, McDonald's introduces new seasonal products every month in every country around the world. Some are country- or region-specific (for example, the foie gras sandwiches are made specifically for the European audience), but most products are available in other countries after a limited local testing period. 

Typically, a traditional product, such as a standard burger, is enhanced with additional ingredients (e.g., spices, additional meat, or a special design) to reflect the seasonal event.

Localized products

McDonald’s has achieved this global success through maximizing localization techniques and appealing to local audiences. The company manages the menus to fit culturally and socially accepted norms; tailoring their traditional Big Mac meals to suit a local audience with specific requirements.

• Argentina: McFiesta burgers are available at McDonald's restaurants in Argentina, which are quarter pounders with mayo instead of ketchup. There are typical US sides here like French fries and Coca-Cola. Consider getting ice cream in an Oreo cone for dessert.
• France: Typically, you'd find the McBaguette combo at Mcdonald's in France - a sandwich that is topped with two hash browns and includes breaded chicken, ham, and cheese. The 'Le McWrap' and the 'Le Menu Happy Meal' are also available. Try their apricot and lime macarons for dessert, or their cherry tomatoes as a side dish.
• Hungary: In Hungary, specialized seasonal menus are very common, both in terms of ingredients and appearance. This is also facilitated by the fact that, since 2019, Hungarian McDonald's restaurants have been managed by a centralized, Hungarian-owned company, while the American McDonald's company provides only the brand and franchise rights. Foie gras is a regular item on Hungarian menus, as is "Dotted McFlurry" (a cottage cheese-based ice cream) made in cooperation with a very popular local dairy supplier. ‍
• India: McDonald's has created the Maharaja Mac by substituting chicken patties for the traditional beef patties in its Big Macs. In India, cows are regarded as sacred animals, thus the reasoning behind this change. Indians also enjoy the Vegetable Pizza McPuff, a unique side dish. However, fries and Coca-Cola are just as popular here as they are everywhere else.

• Middle East: Specifically for Middle East dining, Mcdonald's has created the McArabia Pita, which is served with beef or chicken patties (pork is not allowed in the predominantly Muslim diet), onions, and tahini sauce. 
• New Zealand: Despite being removed from the permanent McDonald's menu in New Zealand, the 'Georgie Pie' is still available in some restaurants. With fries and frozen Coke, a square pie topped with steak and cheese is served.
• Sweden: Scandinavian countries tend to favor healthy diets, especially vegetarian food. McDonald's capitalizes on localization with its vegetarian McBean Patty. Served in a bun with lettuce, tomato, and sauce, it has cannellini and kidney beans, onions, green peppers, and carrots.
• Thailand: There is a Samurai Pork Burger on Thailand's national McDonald's menu, which is a pork patty dipped in teriyaki sauce with lettuce, onions, tomato, and mayonnaise. Besides the usual apple pie, you'll also find corn and pineapple pies that aren't available anywhere else.

Partnerships with other companies

• Coca-Cola: The story of McDonald's and Coca-Cola began in 1955 when the fast-food restaurant was looking for a soft drink supplier. The partnership has continued ever since, with Coca-Cola selling not only soda but also other products to the restaurant chain.
• Oreo: Oreo is a worldwide popular dessert brand that mainly produces biscuits. The filled biscuits have become so popular that McDonald's has become a major supplier of Oreo to Mondelez International. In most countries, the biscuit pieces are served with ice cream, but in 2019, McDonald's China team tested the market with a burger with spam and Oreo biscuits . (It was not a global hit.)
• Beyond Meat: The trend toward vegetarian diets is spreading like wildfire around the world, and McDonald's is no stranger to it. According to the BBC , the McPlant burger will be available in British and Irish outlets as early as next year. The beef patty, made with pea protein, is available in 10 restaurants in Coventry, England, in the first round since the end of September, and then throughout the United Kingdom next year. The product's main ingredient is made for McDonald's by Beyond Meat, a publicly-traded startup.
• Local suppliers: Whether we're talking about the US or any other country in the world, one of McDonald's main and most forward-thinking efforts is to source its ingredients from local suppliers. To ensure that the fish, meat, or burger bun is always made to the same standard, McDonald's applies incredibly strict and centralized guidelines. 

Healthy or not healthy?

The restaurant chain has made great strides in the area of healthy eating in recent years: think supply chain with only local suppliers or the introduction of gluten-free, lactose-free, and vegetarian options. The calorie content of a hamburger today is much lower than that of a burger from 1980. In addition, the McDonald's team places great emphasis on healthy living - and they are trying to recruit new colleagues who will promote this corporate image. But that's just one side of the big picture.

A very interesting post came to light in 2008 when Karen Hanrahan revealed a shocking picture. Out of curiosity, she had set aside a McDonald's burger she bought in 1996 to see how quickly it would disintegrate (since there were theories about "plastic" foods in the past). After 12 years, the burger looked exactly like the one she had just bought, except it had shrunk a bit.

Although this is not part of the company's strategy, the following sources have been criticized the company:

• Jamie Oliver and his legal battle against the company
• Super Size Me , a movie in which the protagonist eats only McDonald’s products 
• In 1986, Greenpeace distributed flyers against obesity, naming McDonald’s among the ones responsible.
• There are also a lot of myths (most of them already busted) around the company’s procedures and products.

The product portfolio is the company's strength, so it's no wonder McDonald's is constantly improving and perfecting its recipes. Although the company has yet to build its healthy food image, its fast service and delicious, robust flavors win over millions of customers every month. 

The range includes flagship products available in all restaurants (except were banned for religious or legal reasons). These include traditional burgers, fries, and cola.

The company also diversifies its menu with seasonal and localized items. In the latter category, offerings vary from country to country and region to region, usually in partnership with local businesses and brands.

Franchise System

What is a franchise system.

Franchising has spread throughout the world not as a separate form of business, but as a special kind of business.

Franchising is a form of business based on close cooperation in which the franchisor or the owner of the system sells a complex system that has been carefully designed professionally and commercially in every respect and successfully tested in a market environment. The system is handed over to the franchisee with full training, branding, and ongoing support and supervision. Franchisors operate the franchise system to the specifications of the transferor, in the agreed territory, for a fee, for a fixed period.

McDonald’s Franchise Costs & Requirements

When purchasing an existing restaurant or a new restaurant, an initial down payment of 40% is required. Down payments must be made from non-borrowed personal resources, such as:

• cash on hand
• vested profit sharing
• business or real estate equity

The down payment amount will vary depending on the total cost of the restaurant. McDonald's generally requires $500,000 of non-borrowed personal resources before considering a new franchise partner. With less cash available, most opportunities to participate in the program are limited and depending on the transaction's specifics, financial requirements may be much higher. Additional or multi-restaurant opportunities may be more available to those with additional funds.

Franchise financing

To purchase a McDonald's restaurant, the buyer must pay a down payment of at least 25% cash. It is possible to finance the remainder of the purchase price for a period of up to seven years. Although McDonald's does not offer funding the project, McDonald's Owners/Operators benefit from established relationships with many national lenders.

Franchise - Ongoing Fees

• Service fee: Currently, a service fee of 4.0% of monthly sales is based on the restaurant's sales performance. 
• Rent: Rent that is based on a percentage of sales monthly.

Other costs of setting up a new franchise

Costs usually range from $1,2 million to $2,2 million. Most of the costs are related to the construction of the restaurant, such as building and interior design, but the franchisee also pays for equipment, furniture, and kitchen appliances.

General franchising strategy in 2021

McDonald's restaurants provide quality food and beverages in 119 countries, which are franchised and operated by the company. At year-end 2020, McDonald's will have 39,198 restaurants, of which 36,521 are franchised, or 93 percent.

McDonald's franchise restaurants fall into one of the following categories: conventional franchises, development licenses, and affiliates. Optimal ownership structures for restaurants, trading areas, and markets (countries) depend on a variety of factors, including financial resources and entrepreneurial abilities, as well as legal and regulatory frameworks in key areas such as property ownership and franchising. McDonald's business relationship with independent franchisees is governed by standards and policies, which are of fundamental importance to the company's performance as well as its brand protection.

McDonald's franchise partners are not financial investors, but committed partners who not only put up the capital to open a restaurant, but are also willing to participate in the day-to-day operations and running of the restaurant. They know all the ins and outs of the business, but they also reinforce the McDonald's brand through their involvement in the local community.

The potential partner does not have to have a suitable location, as the location of the restaurants is always determined by the company and handed over to the franchisee.

The Company’s Old/New Strategies

Accelerating the Arches is the Company's new growth strategy for 2020. As the leading global omnichannel restaurant brand, McDonald's Strategy encompasses all aspects of the company's business as well as updated values and new growth pillars that leverage the company's competitive advantage.

Growth Pillars

• Marketing: Investing in new, culturally relevant marketing approaches to effectively communicate the brand's story, food, and purpose. Customers will be provided with more personal services through enhanced digital capabilities. 
• Products: Focusing on serving delicious burgers, chicken, and coffee. Chicken and beef will be the company's primary focus as they represent the largest growth opportunities. McCafe’s brand, experience, value, and quality will be leveraged by the markets to drive long-term growth for McDonald's.
• Digital, Delivery, and Drive-Thru: McDonald's plans to accelerate technology innovation to meet the needs of customers as they interact with the company.
• Digital Experience: Known as "MyMcDonald's", the new digital experience platform will transform the company's digital offerings across drive-thru, takeaway, delivery, curbside pickup, and dine-in options. Through the digital tools available on the platform, customers will receive tailored offers, will be able to enroll in a new loyalty program, and will have the option to order and receive McDonald's food using their preferred channel. 
• Delivery expansion: McDonald's has expanded its delivery service to nearly 30,000 restaurants in the last three years and plans to expand further.
• The increasing importance of Drive-Thru: More than 25,000 restaurants globally have drive-thrus, including nearly 95% of the over 13,000 in the U.S. This channel has gained in importance since the COVID-19 outbreak, and leadership expects that it will play an even greater role as customers demand more flexibility and choice. In the U.S. and International Operated Markets, the vast majority of new restaurants will have a drive-thru. In addition to automated order taking, the Company plans to test a drive-thru express pick-up lane for customers with digital orders and a restaurant concept that offers drive-thru, delivery, and takeaway only for customers to enjoy a faster and more convenient experience.

For decades, McDonald's sales efforts focused on the cash register and drive-thru. One of the strongest elements of this was the introduction of the "Go Large" theme. By sizing and pricing the products, even those who had no real need chose the largest product, believing it to be the best and most appropriate offering. 

Today, in addition to physical sales, digital sales have become a priority. An app developed by the company not only speeds up the ordering process but also offers additional discounts that can further increase the cart value per customer.

With the introduction of home delivery, McDonald's has begun working with several partners including UberEats, FoodPanda, and Wolt. For a long time, these online marketplaces did not offer fast food products like McDonald's, but they have now become serious players in the market. The company's offering is particularly strong when it comes to speed: on average, food is delivered in 15-20 minutes, compared to 50-80 minutes for a traditional restaurant.

There are several cornerstones of the company's marketing strategy that have contributed greatly to McDonald's success:

• The Ronald McDonald figure: An owner of a McDonald's franchise introduced Ronald McDonald in 1967. To appeal to children, franchise partners decided to use a clown icon as an advertising tool. 96% of American children knew the name Ronald McDonald by 1973. Ronald McDonald is the second most recognizable fictional character among US schoolchildren, behind Santa Claus.

• The McDonald’s logo: There's no doubt that McDonald's golden arches are one of the most recognizable logos in the world. It was created in 1940. During the '60s, McDonald's decided to simplify their logo and focus on branding the company. A brilliant move was choosing the golden arches as the logo for the fast-food restaurant. The McDonald's logo looks very much like two golden-brown French fries bent into a letter M, and this is one of the most effective design features of the logo. McDonald’s is advertising one of its most popular menu items without viewers even noticing it.

• “Para PaPa Paaaa… I’m lovin’ it”: McDonald's has been using this jingle for a very long time. McDonald's jingle highlights a positive dining experience. The musical theme makes the diners feel at home during their meals there, as well as conveys how friendly and helpful the staff is.
• Promotion campaigns: Television advertising has become a favorite field for all fast-food restaurants with the proliferation of TVs. To this day, McDonald's is a loyal advertiser on channels aimed at children and their parents. Its campaigns focus on delicious food, fun, natural ingredients, and health. 

The company is one of the biggest innovators in the food industry and is credited with inventing or perfecting the following:

• McDonald's put in place order-taking kiosks in 2015, making it one of the first fast-food chains to do so. A touchscreen machine located near the front of restaurants lets customers place their orders without the need for a cashier.
• The introduction of specialty coffee at McDonald's changed McDonald's from a fast-food restaurant to something more. McDonald's introduced its specialty coffee line in mid-2007.
• The company separated a part of larger restaurants and re-branded it as McCaffes, a place where customers can buy coffee and desserts. Now it competes with Starbucks for coffee-lovers.
• McDonald's was one of the first fast-food chains to organize even the smallest details of its operations in a manual. This manual is still being improved today.

The 2020 growth plan contained nothing new compared to the path taken a year earlier. The key elements were digital customer access, which was a key driver of the company's continued growth during the COVID epidemic.

Sales and marketing go hand in hand at McDonald's: over the past 80-plus years, the techniques used have been perfected, all aimed at getting customers to buy. Advertising builds on this image of cheap and healthy food.

Final Thoughts And Key Takeaways

Growth by the numbers.

McDonald's has seen steady growth since its founding. Because of the relative cheapness of its products, it is a truly crisis-proof company, which even COVID could not bring to its knees - unlike millions of small catering businesses.

The company has emerged from the crisis as a winner, thanks in particular to digital developments, drive-thru, and the spread of home delivery.

Key takeaways from the McDonald’s story:

• Real estate business: The McDonald's business model has evolved from a restaurant to a complex system in a relatively short period, with some revenue coming from franchise fees, some from land leases, and some from food sales. 
• Thoughtful processes: While other restaurants are constantly experimenting with food, McDonald's has focused on improving its production technologies from the beginning. In addition to innovative machinery, internal processes have also been organized to ensure that products reach customers as quickly and consistently as possible.
• Franchise system: Behind the amazingly dynamic growth of McDonald's has been a well-constructed franchise system, the foundations of which were laid by the McDonald brothers, but perfected by Ray Kroc. 
• Core, seasonal and localized products: The main feature of the company's product range is that it is extremely consistent, as we can also get fries and cola in the farthest corners of the world. At the same time, local companies, at their discretion, can launch the menu with seasonal and localized products, enabling them to engage their customers even more.
• Strong marketing: Mcdonald’s has consciously built up the dining experience - regardless of whether we’re eating a hamburger in the car, in a restaurant, or at home. The logo, the iconic clown figure, the company’s theme song, the packaging, the internal design, and many other elements add up to become an unforgettable experience.
• Home delivery: Delivery was the largest innovational step from McDonald’s for decades, and partnering with food delivery startups, like UberEats or Wolt helped the company not only to survive the pandemic but get in shape for rapid growth.

Consumer opinion on McDonald's is certainly divided: some say it's plastic, others say it has grown up to meet consumer expectations. As a publicly-traded company, the owner of the golden arch has no choice but to march forward, pioneering innovation as it has throughout its history. What does the future hold for the company? An even broader product range, a stronger home, and digital experience - and, investors expect, continued revenue growth.

McDonald's Corporation: The World's Leading Fast Food Chain [Case Study]

Devashish Shrivastava , Anik Banerjee

McDonald's Corporation is an American fast-food organization established in 1940 as a café by Richard and Maurice McDonald, in San Bernardino, California, United States. They rechristened their business as a burger stand and later transformed the organization into an establishment; the Golden Arches logo being presented in 1953 at an area in Phoenix, Arizona.

Ray Kroc, a businessperson, joined the organization as an established operator in 1955 and continued to buy the chain from the McDonald's siblings. McDonald's had its base camp in Oak Brook, Illinois, and moved its worldwide base camp to Chicago in mid-2018.

McDonald's is worth $185+ bn today. It is the world's biggest eatery network by revenue. It was last registered to be serving 69+ million customers each day in more than 120 countries across over 39,000 outlets.

Although McDonald's is best known for its burgers, cheeseburgers, and french fries, its menu also includes chicken items, breakfast things, sodas, milkshakes, wraps, and sweets. In light of changing buyer tastes and a negative backfire on account of the wretchedness of its food, the organization has added mixed greens, fish, smoothies, and natural products to its offerings.

McDonald's Corporation's income originates from leases and charges paid by the franchisees. According to two reports distributed in 2018, McDonald's is the world's second-biggest private manager with 1.7 million representatives (behind Walmart with 2.3 million workers).

Here's bringing you the McDonald's company profile that will present to you McDonald's company overview, when was McDonald's founded, McDonald's growth over the years, about McDonald's, McDonald's owner name, founder of McDonald's corporation, McDonald's history and background, McDonald's case study marketing, and more.

McDonald's - Company Highlights

McDonald's - Startup Story and History McDonald's - Mascot/Logo McDonald's - Business Model And Market Strategy McDonald's - Target And Mission McDonald's - Growth McDonald's - Restaurants And Services McDonald's - Future

McDonald's - Startup Story and History

Richard and Maurice McDonald in 1940, opened the primary McDonald's at 1398 North E Street at West fourteenth Street in San Bernardino, California; however, it was not the McDonald's you know today. Ray Kroc made changes to the siblings' business and modernized it.

The siblings presented the "Speedee Service System" in 1948 by extending the standards of cutting-edge drive-thru eatery that their antecedent White Castle had tried over two decades earlier. McDonald's emerged with a delivery model where it made its food on a supply belt and delivered it within 2 minutes.

It looked like a fantastic and impossible eatery that had:

• Only burgers, fries, and shakes on the menu • No plates or waiters to serve the customers

However, when Ray Kroc came, he was astonished by the never-ending waiting lines that were there waiting for their orders from McDonald's.

Kroc was then 50 already and was selling milkshake mixers door to door. Ray Kroc had earlier tried his hand in many things but never had attained success in his whole life. He already worked as a musical director, pianist, and had also worked as a real estate guy, in the paper cup industry, and as a seller of kitchen appliances, but he couldn't hold on to one thing among them all. Thus, Kroc was a person who lived from paycheck to paycheck.

Kroc came to McDonald's to deliver an absurd order of 8 milkshake mixers for just one area. He wondered "why would someone want to make 40 milkshakes at a time?" This is why he drove to California, at McDonald's to see the place himself.

Seeing the huge demand for McDonald's burgers, fries, and shakes, Kroc sensed a huge opportunity. He soon pushed the founders of the store to embrace a franchise model. The McDonald's brothers who owned the business, were living a comfortable life then, getting rich by the day, and buying Cadillacs as they filled their pockets. They didn't have vision nor they were eager to expand. However, Ray convinced them and rushed to work, as soon as he did that.

He assumed the role by taking 2 major steps back to back:

• Mortgaging his house when he was already 52
• Opening 18 new outlets in the very first year

This has helped the company scale big time, and McDonald's now boasts of:

• Serving 2.3+ billion burgers a year
• Serving 39,000+ restaurants across more than 120 countries
• Being the 4th largest employer in the world
• Being the largest toy distributor in the world

Though it was Ray's idea and the expansion was promising, the McDonald's brothers made an unfair deal with him. Kroc was allowed only 2% of the profits. McDonald's being to scale aggressively but the founders of McDonald's wasn't really happy with Ray and his scaling. This is why Ray borrowed and bought them out for $2.7 mn, thereby becoming the 100% owner of McDonald's.

The organization attributes its success to Ray Kroc. Kroc later bought the McDonald siblings' value in the organization and was responsible for McDonald's overall reach. He was seen as a forceful colleague, driving the McDonald siblings out of the business. Kroc and the McDonald's siblings battled for control of the business, as recorded in Kroc's life account.

The San Bernardino eatery was torn down (1971, as indicated by Juan Pollo) and the site was offered to the Juan Pollo chain in 1976. This zone currently fills in as central command for the Juan Pollo chain, and a McDonald's and Route 66 museum.

With the development of McDonald's into numerous universal markets, the organization has turned into an image of globalization and the American lifestyle. Its unmistakable quality has additionally made it a regular point of open discussions about heftiness, corporate morals , and shopper obligation.

McDonald's - Mascot/Logo

The first mascot of McDonald's was a cooking cap over a burger who was alluded to as "Speedee" . In 1962, the Golden Arches supplanted Speedee as the all-inclusive mascot. The image of jokester Ronald McDonald was presented in 1965. Ronald McDonald showed up to promote amongst children.

On May 4, 1961, McDonald's initially petitioned for a U.S. trademark on the name "McDonald's" with the portrayal "Drive-In Restaurant Services". By September 13, McDonald's, under the direction of Ray Kroc, petitioned for a trademark on another logo—a covering, twofold curved "M" image.

Before the twofold curves, McDonald's used a solitary curve for the design of its structures. Even though the "Brilliant Arches" logo showed up in different structures , the present form was not utilized until November 18, 1968, when the organization was given a U.S. trademark.

McDonald's - Business Model And Market Strategy

The business and revenue model of McDonald's includes almost 37000 outlets which spread to more than 120 nations. Today, McDonald's is the biggest eatery network on the planet in terms of income.

Initially launched as a Drive-In Hamburger Bar, the idea was advanced in 1940 by The McDonald Brothers, Richard James (Dick), and Maurice James (Mac) McDonald. It was after the presentation of the Speedee Service System with shakes, fries, and burgers costing as low as 15 pennies that the McDonald Brothers started the establishment of McDonald's Hamburgers.

In 1954, Ray Kroc turned into the establishment operator of the McDonald Brothers. The main McDonald's eatery was opened by Kroc in 1955 in Des Plaines, Illinois, USA. It was in the year 1961 that the rights to the eating joint of the kin were obtained by McDonald's for a powerful total of $2.7 million.

You may likewise be astonished to realize that when the first McDonald's eatery opened, the extremely well-known McD french fries were eaten with no ketchup! The revenue model of McDonald's, the world's quickest developing food chain, is an interesting one.

McDonald's - Target And Mission

McDonald's endeavours hard to be its clients' "most loved spot and approach to eating". McDonald's plan of action is fixated on the ground-breaking strategy "Plan To Win", which is placed into requests around the world.

With the mission of "Quality, Service, Cleanliness, and Value", McDonald's has clung to each of these characteristics. Client experience is improved by the selection of five fundamentals: people, products, place, price, and promotion.

Additionally, McDonald's plans to give high-review nourishment, at effectively reasonable costs to individuals over the globe. The deals at McDonald's are furrowed through an efficient deals channel which guarantees remarkable consumer loyalty on all occasions.

Astounding Vision

When Ray Kroc opened the Original McDonald's in Illinois, he had a dream of expanding the franchise across the globe with more than 1000 outlets in the States itself. Remaining consistent with its guarantee, McDonald's widened its worldwide handle by opening joints outside the US as early as 1967.

The first international outlets were opened in Canada and Peurto Rico. By January 2018, McDonald's was situated in 120 nations and had about 37200 cafés with 1.9 million workers. It was serving more than 69 million individuals every day. At one point in time, McDonald's was opening a new outlet every 14.5 hours!

Significant Growth Strategy

McDonald's has clutched a promising development technique to serve customers and spread its wings. The presentation of the "Speed Growth Plan" in March 2017 enhanced the development of the business.

McDonald's development system depends on retaining, regaining, and converting. McDonald's strives to hold on to its old clients, recapture the lost trust, and convert easygoing clients into ordinary ones.

What's more, it has additionally embraced three quickening agents: digital, food delivery, and experience of things to control its monstrous development. It keeps on reshaping cooperation with clients and raising the level of consumer loyalty and experience through innovation and human endeavours.

Decent Variety

Monetarily, McDonald's has affected the world more significant manner than some other organizations. McDonald's adheres to the conviction "Decent variety is Inclusion" and doesn't leave a solitary opportunity to make each person from every network feel regarded. Its suggestion of "Decent variety is Inclusion" has affirmed its situation at the top position.

The McDonald's way of life revolves around the following: customer-obsessed, better together, and committed to lead. These coupled with its conviction has caused the fast-food chain to exceed expectations in the field of business enterprise and showcasing.

McDonaldization

McDonald's can appropriately be named as one of the best organizations to be involved in the worldwide system. The worldwide broadening of the McDonald's is regularly alluded to as "McDonaldization." Its accomplishment in more than 120 nations can be credited to its hierarchical structure.

The hierarchical structure of McDonald's mulls over expanding localization, and in this way, the entire plan of action of McDonald's is normally redone thinking about the mass intrigue in different nations.

Fruitful Acquisitions

The McDonald's Corporation Mergers and Acquisitions (M&A) have, since its inception, entertained itself with cautious acquisitions. Donato's Pizza which is a Midwestern chain of 143 eateries was obtained by McDonald's on 6 May 1999. Aside from securing Donato's, it acquired the Boston Market on 18 May 2000. Boston Market is a drive-through eatery chain that essentially focuses on home-style sustenance.

Supporting Employees

McDonald's doesn't, in any capacity, hamper the development of its workers. It bolsters its representatives in every possible way and empowers them to set up business systems.

At McDonald's, the work environment is brimming with positivity, connections are advanced, professional openings are supported, and business development is sustained.

Coaches, good examples, and backers are accessible at all times to direct the employees on successful initiatives, professional procedures, and prosperous business.

Engagement Of Community And Education

Aside from being one of the best good-quality fast food options, McDonald's investigates every possibility to endeavour for the network it serves. It effectively takes part in network administration and continues to have a critical effect on assorted networks.

The Global Diversity, Inclusion, and Community Engagement Team alongside its key accomplices have fabricated cherished relations with different network-based associations. McDonald's Hamburger University readies its workforce to maintain the multi-billion dollar business and worldwide initiative improvement programs.

McDonald's - Growth

McDonald's eateries are found in 120 nations and serve 69 million customers each day. McDonald's operates 39,000 restaurants/cafés around the world, utilizing more than 210,000 individuals as part of the arrangement. They help operate 2,770 organization possessed areas and 35,085 diversified areas, which incorporates 21,685 areas diversified to regular franchisees, 7,225 areas authorized to formative licensees, and 6,175 areas authorized to remote affiliates.

Concentrating on its centre image, McDonald's started stripping itself of different chains it had gained during the 1990s. The organization possessed a large stake in Chipotle Mexican Grill until October 2006 when McDonald's was completely stripped from Chipotle through a stock exchange .

Until December 2003, it likewise claimed Donatos Pizza, and it claimed a little portion of Aroma Café from 1999 to 2001. On August 27, 2007, McDonald's sold Boston Market to Sun Capital Partners.

Outstandingly, McDonald's has expanded investor profits for 25 back-to-back years, making it one of the S&P 500 Dividend Aristocrats. The organization is positioned 131st on the Fortune 500 of the biggest United States companies by revenue.

In October 2012, its month-to-month deals fell without precedent for nine years. In 2014, its quarterly deals fell without precedent for a long time, when its deals last dropped for the whole of 1997.

In the United States, McDonald's accounts for 70% of sales in drive-throughs. McDonald's shut down 184 eateries in the United States in 2015, which was 59 more than what they wanted to open.

Starting in 2017, the income was roughly $22.82 billion. The brand estimation of McDonald's is more than $88 billion; outperforming Starbucks with a brand estimation of $43 billion. The total compensation of the organization in 2017 was $5.2 billion; this worth saw an ascent of about 11% from the previous year.

McDonald's is, without a doubt, the quickest developing drive-thru eatery chain on the planet. In 2018, McDonald's developed as the most profitable inexpensive food chain with a brand worth nearing $126.04 billion. Also, the all-out resources of McDonald's were almost $33.8 billion.

The world's quickest developing cheap fast food chain partitions its market into four unique areas: U.S., International Lead Markets, High Growth Markets, and Foundational Markets and Corporate.

According to the report set forth by the organization in the year 2017, the market in the U.S. created the biggest measure of income at $8 billion. The International Leads Markets which includes Australia, Canada, France, Germany, and the U.K. created an income of $7.3 billion.

The High Growth Markets which incorporate China, Italy, Korea, Poland, Russia, Spain, Switzerland, the Netherlands, and comparative brought in about $5.5 billion in revenue.

The Foundational Markets and Corporate incorporate the rest of the business sectors. Furthermore, it additionally incorporates a wide range of corporate exercises. The income created by this section of the market represented roughly $1.9 billion.

McDonald's - Restaurants And Services

In certain nations, "McDrive" areas close to roadways offer no counter administration or seating. interestingly, areas in high-thickness city neighbourhoods frequently preclude pass-through service. There are likewise a couple of areas, found for the most part in the downtown locale, that offer a "Walk-Thru" administration instead of a Drive-Thru.

McCafé is a bistro-style backup to McDonald's cafés and is an idea conceived by McDonald's Australia (likewise known, and promoted, as "Macca's" in Australia), beginning with Melbourne in 1993. As of 2016, most McDonald's outlets in Australia have McCafés situated inside the current McDonald's eatery.

In Tasmania, there are McCafés in each eatery, with the rest of the states rapidly following suit. After moving up to the new McCafé look and feel, some Australian eateries have seen up to a 60% expansion in deals. There were more than 600 McCafés around the world some time back.

Create Your Taste

From 2015–2016, McDonald's attempted another gourmet burger administration and eatery idea dependent on other gourmet cafés, for example, Shake Shack and Grill'd. It was taken off without precedent for Australia in early 2015 and extended to China, Hong Kong, Singapore, Saudi Arabia, and New Zealand with progressing preliminaries in the US showcase.

In committed "Make Your Taste" (CYT) booths, clients could pick all fixings including a kind of bun and meat alongside discretionary additional items. In late 2015, the Australian CYT administration presented CYT servings of mixed greens.

After an individual had requested, McDonald's prompted that hold up times were between 10–15 minutes. At the point when the nourishment was prepared, the prepared group ('has') carried the sustenance to the client's table.

Rather than McDonald's typical cardboard and plastic bundling, CYT nourishment was exhibited on wooden sheets, fries in wire bushels, and servings of mixed greens in china bowls with metal cutlery. A more expensive rate connected. In November 2016, Create Your Taste was supplanted by a "Mark Crafted Recipes" program intended to be increasingly proficient and less expensive.

McDonald's Happy Day

McHappy Day is a yearly occasion at McDonald's during which a portion of the day's deals goes to philanthropy. The collections on this day go to Ronald McDonald House Charities.

In 2007, it was celebrated in 17 nations: Argentina, Australia, Austria, Brazil, Canada, England, Finland, France, Guatemala, Hungary, Ireland, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland, the United States, and Uruguay. As indicated by the Australian McHappy Day site, McHappy Day brought $20.4 million up in 2009. The objective for 2010 was $20.8 million.

McDonald's Monopoly Donation

In 1995, St. Jude Children's Research Hospital got a mysterious letter stamped in Dallas, Texas, containing a $1 million winnings McDonald's Monopoly game piece. McDonald's authorities went to the medical clinic, joined by a delegate from the bookkeeping firm Arthur Andersen, inspected the card under a diamond setter's eyepiece, took care of it with plastic gloves, and checked it as a winner.

Although game guidelines disallowed the exchange of prizes, McDonald's deferred the standard and made the yearly $50,000 annuity instalments for the full 20-year time frame through 2014, even in the wake of discovering that the piece was sent by an individual associated with a theft plan meant to cheat McDonald's.

McRefugees are destitute individuals in Hong Kong, Japan, and China who utilize McDonald's 24-hour cafés as transitory lodging. One out of five of Hong Kong's populace lives underneath the destitution line. The ascent of McRefugees was first archived by picture taker Suraj Katra in 2013.

McDonald's - Future

The reported objective is to source all visitor bundling from inexhaustible, reused, or ensured sources, reuse visitor bundling in 100% of eateries, and overcome framework challenges by 2025.

McDonald's turned into the principal eatery organization on the planet to set an endorsed Science-Based Target to lessen ozone-depleting substance emanations. It also joined the "We Are Still In Leader's Circle", driving activity to relieve environmental change.

McDonald's USA completed five years as the sole worldwide café organization to serve MSC-ensured fish in each U.S. area. It united with Closed Loop Partners to build up a worldwide recyclable and additionally compostable cup arrangement through the NextGen Cup Challenge and Consortium. Official pioneers called for atmosphere activity and offered arrangements at the primary Global Climate Action Summit (GCAS).

McDonald's co-facilitated the "Way to Greenbuild" occasion with Illinois Green Alliance at its new worldwide home office. The structure, a collaboration among Sterling Bay, McDonald's, and Gensler Chicago, got USGBC LEED Platinum accreditation.

McDonald's is establishing the tone for other inexpensive food organizations to pursue. Given the present want by numerous buyers to spend cash on organizations that are doing great on the planet, where McDonald's leads, others will pursue.

Who is the founder of McDonald's?

McDonald's was founded by Richard McDonald and Maurice McDonald on 15 April 1955 in California, United States.

Who is the CEO of Mcdonald's?

Chris Kempczinski is the CEO of Mcdonald's since Nov 2019.

Who is the owner of McDonald's in India?

In India, McDonald's is a joint-venture company managed by two Indians- Amit Jatia (M.D. Hardcastle Restaurants Private Ltd) and Vikram Bakshi ( Connaught Plaza Restaurants Private Ltd).

When was the fast-food chain McDonald's founded?

Mcdonald's was founded in 1940 in San Bernardino, California.

How much does a Mcdonald's franchise owner make?

An average Mcdonald's franchise generates $150,000 annually.

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Thursday 18 november 2010, operations management (mcdonalds case study).

INTRODUCTION - OPERATIONS MANAGEMENT:

Operations management can be defined as the planning, scheduling , and control of the activities that transform inputs into finished goods and services. In other words, it is ‘a field of study that focuses on the effective planning , scheduling, use, and control of a manufacturing or service organisation through the study of concepts from design engineering, industrial engineering, and management information systems, quality management, production management, accounting, and other functions as the affect the operation.’ ( APICS Dictionary , 1995)

Operations management concerns making the most efficient use of whatever resources an organisation has so as to provide the finished goods or services that its customer need in a timely and cost effective manner. (Barnett ,1996).

Operations management is related with the strategy of the organisation. In this coursework, we will demonstrate the relationship between the operations management and the strategy of the organisation with the help of a corporate entity.

The corporate entity chosen is McDonald's Corporation .

COMPANY BACKGROUND

McDonald's Corporation is the world's largest chain of fast-food restaurants . The business began in 1940 , with a restaurant opened by siblings Dick and Mac McDonald in San Bernardino , California . Their introduction of the "Speedee Service System" in 1948 established the principles of the modern fast-food restaurant . Today McDonald's restaurants are found in 120 countries and territories around the world and serve nearly 54 million customers each day.

( Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonald's )

In all its restaurants around the globe, there are a number of operations that has a relationship with the overall strategy of the organisation. Let us know discuss the key operations decisions and its relationship with the strategy.

Operations Management: An Active Learning Approach By John Bicheno

PRODUCT PLANNING

Organisations exists to provide products and services which can be purchased by other organisations or an individual. Therefore planning of products and services is one of the most important operation of any organisation. It involves designing products with both economy and quality in mind, which a customer will find attractive, be able to understand and quickly able to use with minimum risk and which delights him or her by its performance or flavour or durability etc. ( Bicheno , 2002; p51)

In McDonald’s Restaurants, product planning is a key operation. It has to keep on adding new products to its menu so as to meet the needs of the customers as their needs and preferences are constantly changing. For instance, the increasing preference of consumers towards healthy food made the restaurant add healthier food items to its menu. Similarly it has to add new products for different seasons, for examples hot coffee in winter and milkshakes in summer.

CAPACITY PLANNING

The second operation decision important for organisations is capacity planning. Capacity planning and control is the task of setting the effective capacity of the operation so that it can respond to the demands placed upon it. This normally means determining how the operation should respond to fluctuations in demand. Operations managers usually distinguish between short, medium and long-term capacity decisions. For short- and medium-term capacity planning, the capacity level of the operation is adjusted within the fixed physical limits that are set by long-term capacity decisions. This is also referred to as aggregate planning and control because it is necessary to aggregate the various types of output from an operation into one figure. (source: http://www.mas.dti.gov.uk/content/resources/categories/fact/FACT_Capacity_planning.html )

In McDonalds Restaurant, the operations managers have to set its capacity of making food items in such a way that it responds quickly to the demands of those items in peak hours which is very important for a fast food restaurant like McDonalds. It also have to make sure that it has enough stock of ingredients to prepare food items which is very important because if one ingredients fall short then the whole process of making food may halt. For instance if the buns required for making hamburgers falls short then the restaurant may not be able to sell any hamburgers even if it has enough quantities of other ingredients.

LOCATION PLANNING

Location planning is one of the important operations that every organisation carries out and it is essentially one of the critical success factors for any organisation. Success or failure of any organisation may well depend on the location where it is situated. Therefore it is very important for businesses to choose an ideal location. Businesses may choose location on the basis of various factors such as proximity to the source of raw material, cost-effectiveness, proximity to customers or suppliers, competition in the area, transportation availability and cost, availability of resources, and availability of right labour.

McDonalds Restaurants also have to plan their location in such a way so that maximum customers visit their restaurants. Therefore McDonalds prefer locations such that it can have large customer base, transport access and availability of parking space. Moreover it also prefers location that are suitable for raw material delivery, that is availability of ample space for deliveries of raw material.

PROCESS PLANNING:

After developing the product the businesses have to develop processes for making and supporting the product. Organisations have to identify appropriate processes which will be needed to achieve required level of output of the planned goods and services at right quality standards. Organisation considers both the traditional methods in which the organisation has handled and processed its products and services and the possible alternatives which currently present themselves. That is, it considers the advancement of technology, computing power, and evolving managerial expertise. (Bicheno, 2002; p99)

In McDonalds restaurant also, the operations manager develop and establishes the process of cooking food items so that food is prepared using that method which helps them to maintain the speed and the quality of the food. Moreover it also designs processes so that the health, safety and hygiene issues are taken into consideration. Also the managers keep on introducing latest equipments with the advancement of technology so as to bring pace, perfection and quality in the product.

LAYOUT DESIGN:

Layout is the arrangement of facility to provide working, service and reception, storage and administrative areas. The layout is designed by traditional techniques using templates, scale plans, string diagrams, and travel charting as they have been proved as low-cost methods of achieving either optimal or near optimal layout plans. Poor layouts can greatly reduce the overall capacity and overall productivity. Therefore care must be taken by organisation when designing layout. (Bicheno, 2002; p121)

In McDonalds Restaurant also layout designing is a very important operation. A proper layout of the equipments in the kitchen is very essential to ensure preparation of quality food in less time. It also designs its layout keeping in mind the health and safety issues. It also designs layout in such a way that needs of supervision is minimised. Another factor that is considered is the cost of production which also depends on the layout.

Job design consists of formal specifications and informal expectations of an employee’s work related activities. The job design should try to meet the needs of both the job holder and the organisation. Thus each job must be reasonable compromise of technical, economic, and behavioural feasibility.

Technical feasibility : The person holding the job must be capable of performing the required tasks with the resources available to them.

Economic feasibility: The cost of providing a salary to the employees, providing equipment and maintaining the organisational environment must remain within the organisation’s capabilities.

Behavioural feasibility: The feeling that people derive from a job affects their motivation to perform it.

(Greasley, 1999; p75)

Job designing is also an important operation in McDonalds restaurant. Each employee is designed a particular set of jobs. For example, some crew members cook food items in kitchen, some crew member work on the counter, while others look after the customers in the lobby. Also there are employees who manage all the crew member and look after overall wellbeing of the restaurant. While designing these jobs the technical, economical and behavioural feasibility is taken into consideration.

SUPPLY CHAIN MANAGEMENT

In the simplest terms, supply chain management (SCM) lets an organization get the right goods and services to the place they're needed at the right time, in the proper quantity and at an acceptable cost. Efficiently managing this process involves overseeing relationships with suppliers and customers, controlling inventory, forecasting demand and getting constant feedback on what's happening at every link in the chain. (Kay, 2001; p1)

In McDonalds Corporation , the restaurants also have certain suppliers who supply them the with the raw materials like buns, beef, patties, ketchup, sauce, mayonnaise, disposable cups, food packaging materials etc. Therefore it has to manage its relationship in a effective manner so as to get the raw materials at the right time, in proper quantity, and at acceptable cost.

INVENTORY MANAGEMENT

Inventory management is another important operation of any organisation. It involves choosing the best method of inventory control. While choosing the method of inventory control, the organisations must keep in mind the expected demands of the products. The basis on which the organisations choose their methods of inventory control may differ but the common idea is to ensure that the mix of inventory types is able to satisfy customer needs and deliver the required profitability and cash flows.

In McDonalds the inventory is managed on the basis of First-In-First-Out basis. This is because most of the inventory consists of perishable items. Therefore delivery of inventory happens thrice or more times a week depending on the business of the restaurant. Moreover inventory is stored in freezer with proper packaging so as to ensure freshness of the food items. All this activities comes under inventory management of the organisation.

QUALITY MANAGEMENT

Quality management consists of maintaining the quality of the goods and services so as to meet the minimum requirements laid by the industry. Moreover it is important so as to keep up the reputation of the organisation. To manage and maintain the quality of the products and services the organisation may adopt a number of practices like quality checks procedure etc.

Quality in McDonald restaurant is very important because of two reasons. Firstly because of the legal requirements of the quality of food served. Secondly ,to keep up the good reputation which McDonalds restaurants have earned over the years. Quality of food can be very difficult to maintain and therefore McDonalds restaurant carry on a number of practices to make sure that quality food is served. Some of these practices are the visits by the food inspector from the head office, supervisor checks etc.

MAINTENANCE

Maintenance means preservation of the things in the organisation. In simple words, maintenance is way of protecting your production workers, office workers, drivers, and all the other users of your organization’s assets. (http://www.maintenanceresources.com/ReferenceLibrary/MaintenanceManagement/The_Battle_of_Maintenance.htm)

In McDonalds, there are several equipments that are used for the preparation of food. Therefore it is very important to maintain and service those equipments so as to maintain the quality of the product, safety of the employees and to avoid further costs of repairing machines. Another important things that needs maintenance are hygiene, costs, quality etc.

CONCLUSION:

Therefore we conclude that operations management is very important for any organisations as they have a relationship with the overall strategy of the organisation. Operations management contributes to the strategy and therefore helps the organisation to gain competitive advantage. For instance, process planning can help the organisation reduce cost and gain cost advantages and therefore gain competitive advantage. Therefore the organisations must effectively manage the operations of the business as it has a massive effect on the strategy of the organisation.

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Case Analysis: McDonald's Corporation

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McDonald’s Operation Management & Supply Chain

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Need to write a McDonald’s operation management assignment? This case study on McDonald’s operations explores the issues of the company’s supply chain & production system strategy.

Introduction

• Background Information
• Operation Management

Operations management is defined as the planning, scheduling, and controlling of all the activities that can transform organizational inputs into finished goods and services. It focuses on effective organization and control of manufacturing through the application of such concepts as engineering, quality management, production management, accounting, and management systems. In addition, it entails making use of all the resources available to produce finished products or services and to meet the customers’ needs in a cost-effective manner. Research of McDonald’s operation management will provide an understanding of its success with customers and in the industry.

The processes involved in operations management are the creation of the products, development, production, and distribution. Other activities that are related to the phenomenon are the regulation of purchases, control of inventory, quality, storage, and overall logistics. They can be realized through efficient and effective processes (Heizer, 2022). Operations management places a significant focus on the management of the processes involved in the creation and distribution of the products.

McDonald’s Case Study: the Background

McDonald’s is the largest and most popular of the fast-food chain restaurants in the world. It was founded by Dick and Mac McDonald in California in the year 1940 and facilitated by the initiation of franchised restaurants by Ray Kroc. MacDonald’s serves approximately 47 million clients per day.

They have approximately 30,000 outlets located in various parts of the world and subsidiaries in over 120 countries and territories.

In all the McDonald’s restaurants in the world, there are several operations that have a relationship with the overall strategy of the organization. In this portfolio report, the details of McDonald’s competitive strategy, supply chain, quality management, raw materials, and forecasting are reviewed.

Among the foods that are sold at McDonald’s are hamburgers, cheeseburgers, French fries, milkshakes (chocolate, strawberry, and vanilla), coke, orange, root beef, and coffee. McDonald’s menu is synchronized into beef, chicken, bread, and potatoes.

MacDonald’s operations are concentrated in the service industry, and the greatest challenge in the industry is that there is much need for warmth and friendliness in order to meet the customers’ satisfaction. It is the largest food services company in the world, and it is considered the leader in global food service retailers (Sinha, 2023).

The main operation that can take place at McDonald’s is services, which are realized through taking orders by the staff and getting the same orders ready for the customers.

McDonald’s Operation Management

Mcdonald’s supply chain.

Supply chain management enables organizations to get the right goods and services to the place they are needed at the exact time, at proper quality and quantity, and at an affordable cost.

Managing the supply chain process involves overseeing the relationship between suppliers and customers, controlling inventories and forecasting demand, as well as getting feedback concerning what is happening at whichever link of the chain.

In McDonald’s Corporation, the restaurants also have various and particular suppliers that provide them with raw materials like buns, patties, beef, sauce disposable cups, and other food packaging materials. This stresses the fact that the corporation has to manage its relationships with the suppliers in order to receive its raw materials at the right time, with proper quality, and at an affordable price.

McDonald’s supply chain is that of a three-legged stool where there are the corporation, suppliers, and operators. The supply chain involves purchasing and logistics. The supply chain of McDonald’s encompasses the following challenges: a strong focus on quality and freshness, product innovation, fluctuation of customer demand, and order inventory management.

McDonald’s Global Business Strategy

With the boom experienced in the fast-food market, McDonald’s has developed a strategic plan that will enable it to be at the top of their competitors by selling their goods at affordable and friendly prices, providing more healthy meal options for their consumers, and great and quality services for their customers.

McDonald’s competitiveness is based on different aspects, including pricing, quality, employee training, and management. Consumers have confidence in the products of McDonald’s due to their nature of using tested and trusted brands that families buy and use in local grocery shops (McDonald’s, 2022). Its only competitive advantage is that McDonald’s shopping cart is usually bigger.

McDonald’s restaurants operate in a competitive and challenging environment, and they achieve their competitive edge by providing customized products and services. Without strategies, ineffective competitors cannot withstand the market competition.

To maintain its competitiveness, McDonald’s employs a competitive strategy that enables it to compete in various aspects, for instance, the speediness of its services, meeting nutrition demands, and meeting customer satisfaction, as explained below.

Speed : This is the ground that prompts McDonald’s to provide speedy and affordable services. After performing comprehensive market research, McDonald’s realized that its customers stressed the desire for speedy services as their top priority.

This made it endeavor to provide fast, friendly, and accurate services in order to meet customer demands. McDonald’s deems it necessary to measure their speed performance and compare it with their desired targets. This is normally reported to the quality management department. This speed enables the company to sell their products at a lower cost.

Cost : Offering their services at a lower cost requires an effective and efficient process. This efficiency is stressed and well indicated in the company’s goals and vision statement. To offer value for money, McDonald’s has employed several strategies, which include a value meal where customers can buy goods at a discounted price, especially when they purchase sandwiches, French fries, and beverages together.

McDonald’s provides seven to twelve meals at one meal menu. Secondly, McDonald’s has applied the strategy of a dollar menu, which encompasses several individual products that are sold at the price of only $1 each. This proved to be successful when it was tested in southern California and was later incorporated into several of their shops.

McDonald’s operations management has also included several promotions to boost their sales. The popular promotions are the $0.39 hamburger on Wednesdays and other big occasions and the Big Mac Monday.

Nutrition : This is the third competitive strategy for McDonald’s. This has been prompted by the change in health and consumption trends and, hence, the need to promote better nutritious options. The offering of Go-Active meals, which include salad, bottled water, and a step-o-meter to track customer steps daily.

There are several health options in various countries depending on the diet of that region. McDonald’s is always considerate of the needs and desires of its customers and their health.

This has been achieved by assembling their Global Advisory Council on balanced lifestyles, which can advise and assist in exercise and obesity measures. This is to ensure that McDonald’s takes responsibility for helping its customers achieve optimal health.

McDonald’s also utilizes modern technology to enhance the efficiency of its services so that customers can select their menu combination over the Internet and conduct nutritional analysis on their menu selection (WBR Insights, 2023). This has given McDonald’s an edge over its competitors.

The driving objective of McDonald’s is to make their customers happy through the enhancement of their competitive dimensions of speed, price, nutrition, and customer satisfaction.

When we rate and compare McDonald’s with its competitors like the Charlie Trotters in Chicago, McDonald’s competes on the platform of cost or price, flexibility, and delivery of services, where they offer their goods at a cheaper cost, deliver their products within minutes of the order, and they embrace flexibility in their product choice. In contrast, Charlie trotters compete to provide top-performance quality with excellent meals, but they are expensive (Khan, n.d.).

McDonald’s Operation Management & Production Process

Since it is a fast-food company and serves dynamic customers with different tastes and preferences, McDonald’s Corporation has developed special dishes on the menu based on various factors, including the country, population, culture, and recipes.

To realize quality operations, McDonald’s employs advanced technology in calculating the time a particular process can take. They have also created a database for observing time and making improvements.

One of the particular specific measurement tools is the Total Time in Line, which computes the time a customer spends in the McDonald’s line from the time of ordering until the time he begins to be served, and the target time in this process is 90 seconds.

There is also a system that supports fulfilling speedy orders like the Made for You system, which utilizes the Kitchen-video-System, which eases the process of data entry for the staff.

McDonald’s also utilizes technology in the drive-through area. This is whereby, when a drive-through worker is making an order, the order is displayed straight on the screen available for the customer, which is called the Customer Order Display (COD).

Through this screen, the customer can make changes or correct mistakes incurred in the ordering process. This makes ordering processes precise and efficient, hence minimizing time spent.

Regarding the use of technology, McDonald’s operates an automated system where a computer keeps track of what is available in the restaurant (“McDonald’s value chain analysis,” n.d.). It also monitors what the distribution center needs to ship to the restaurant on a regular basis instead of having to wait for inventory requests from the restaurants.

The Internet is also used at the McDonald’s to advertise their products. McDonald’s offers sales promotions online through coupons, and they also have sweepstakes and online contests.

The Internet is utilized by McDonald’s as a platform for performing public relations and individual selling. Their official website is well known; it is a comprehensive one with all the requisite information needed by the customers, including the menu, location, and pricing.

McDonald’s Commitment to Quality

McDonald’s commitment to quality is measured through the time it takes to process orders and customer products, which can be realized through effective and efficient operations.

To enhance its quality, McDonald’s must ensure that inspection is carried out on all foods. Every McDonald’s restaurant should check on food temperatures, dates of expiry, and several other food hazards every day.

The restaurant has a comprehensive standardized food safety operation that is made available to all restaurants, and it contains the food items that should be measured.

Consequently, periodic controls and corporate inspections are regularly undertaken, whether with or without notice, and there are a minimum of two inspections every year in all restaurants. Furthermore, to ensure quality, store managers in every restaurant perform inspections frequently.

McDonald’s also applies the five Ps policies to enhance their quality. These are people, price, promotion, product, and place. People are the individuals who are employed in McDonald’s chains and are represented by services, hospitality, and pride.

McDonald’s staff are trained and retained in order to save the cost incurred in training short-term and inexperienced workers. Product includes taste, quality, and price of their products. This is usually dynamic since they are dictated by the customer’s tastes and preferences as defined by the market. Maintaining the quality of food is always a top priority at McDonald’s.

Place indicates a clean, relevant, and modern store in all the McDonald’s surrounding environment, be it the restaurant, the kitchen, or the restroom. This is aimed at ensuring safety and comfort for their consumers. Promotion concerns marketing, leadership, and trust; this has earned the company a reputation for quality food for its customers.

McDonald’s Inventory Methodologies

Inventory management is a critical operation in any organization. This is because it involves identifying and selecting the best method of inventory control. Before selecting the organization’s method of controlling inventory, it is imperative to factor the product demand into mind.

There are different modes that companies consider in selecting their inventory methods, but the common denominator is that companies should ensure that their mix of inventory types can satisfy the demands of the customers and that it can deliver the needed profit and cash flow.

In McDonald Corporation, the inventory is managed on a First-In-First-Out basis. This is necessary and applicable due to the fact that their inventory entails perishable items, and as such, the deliveries are made twice or three times a week based on the restaurant business.

Consequently, the inventory is stored in freezers that have proper packaging to maintain the freshness of the items. These activities and other issues regarding inventory are undertaken by the inventory management of the organization.

In particular chains, restaurant managers are charged with the task of tracking inventories of food, wrappers, and cleaning suppliers. Other orders required by the restaurant are sourced from the distribution center and then shipped to the restaurant.

McDonald’s Management System

Managing McDonald’s is a heavy task, and being in charge of its daily operations is an enormous duty and quite a challenging one.

To achieve and manage McDonald’s successfully, it is imperative that there should be adequate infrastructure and up-to-date information and communication technology. Animal welfare is at the center of McDonald’s company policies. They communicate their policies, including their animal welfare policy, to all those in the supply chain.

The following is the leadership structure of McDonald’s:

The CEO at the top has the responsibility of overseeing the major activities of the company; below him are the managers who are in charge of operations, development, finance, marketing, and sales. The supply chain unit falls in the department of finance.

McDonald’s & New Markets

McDonald’s corporation is organized in a lateral manner where the CEO is at the apex of the management, whereas the managers of other departments are outsourced. Other parts of the structures that reflect outsourcing are:

Consulting: McDonald’s always considers the company’s present and prospective financial position. The consultants deal with matters of development, strategies, and identifying the opportunities for growth for the organizations.

McDonald’s is a visible and popular brand in the world. It has developed to be one of the food chains with popular food brands around the globe.

With the current increase in exposure to new markets, especially in the emerging markets of Asia and Europe, McDonald’s continues to witness unprecedented growth in its operations in order to tap into these new markets. McDonald’s strategy encompasses four main dimensions: financial, learning, customer, and internal process.

Operations management is an important function in an organization since it concerns the relationship with the company strategy. Operations management plays a key role in the development of a company strategy, hence enhancing the competitive advantage of the company.

An example is the planning process that will assist an organization in minimizing costs while gaining an advantage in competitiveness and cost. It is, therefore, necessary for an organization to manage its operations as a measure of boosting its organizational strategy.

From the analysis of McDonald’s operation strategy, it is evident that consistency and quality of services are order winners, whereas speed, cost, efficiency, and innovation are the order qualifiers. This has resulted in an enhanced market share and massive consumer buying power.

McDonald’s is a market leader and a household name in the fast-food industry. Its marketing strategy is very strong, and it is placed under the supervision of the mother company, irrespective of its outlet in the world. Their prices, customer service, and quality are unparalleled.

Heizer, J. (2022). Sustainability and supply Chain (14th ed.). Pearson.

Khan, B. (n.d.). Operations management in McDonald’s . Scribd. Web.

McDonald’s Value Chain Analysis . (n.d.). Edrawnax. Web.

McDonald’s. (2022). Our purpose & impact . McDonald’s. Web.

Sinha, S. (2023). How McDonald’s became the world’s largest fast-food chain . Medium.

WBR Insights. (2023). McDonald’s successful rollout of mobile ordering and self-serve kiosks across the US . Future Stories.

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IvyPanda. (2019, March 29). McDonald's Operation Management & Supply Chain. https://ivypanda.com/essays/operations-management-in-mcdonalds/

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Fast and Pluribus: Impacts of a Globalizing McDonald’s

The expansion of McDonald’s in the twentieth century brought the fast food chain to more than 100 countries. But how well did it integrate into its new home(s)?

The connection between globalization and McDonald’s is a tale of scholarly metonymy. There’s no textual shortage of evidence that references the now-global fast food chain’s success in other countries , often linking it to themes of self-sufficiency, post-industrial stability, and democracy-formed capitalism.

Among these chunks of research is a more endogenous angle that examines the impact McDonald’s has had within offshore cultures; namely, how the American fast food model has been diffused across different countries. Such case studies, which look at individual cultural phenomena and their direct applications to globalization activity, refines not only the framework of McDonald’s in theories, but overall globalization processes and strategies as well.

Japan’s stylish renditions of fast food practices, for one, existed long before McDonald’s came to the country. Given the existing popularity of convenient and on-the-go meals—including conveyor belt sushi and street vendor meals—American fast food chains were bound to succeed. Scholars John W. Traphagan and L. Keith Brown investigate this supposition by employing an ethnographic model of research, building the argument that Japan not only assimilated—but basically swallowed whole—the McDonald’s dining model , to the point that younger people especially believe McDonald’s is a Japanese company.

Traphagan and Brown emphasize that, rather than “styles of preparation or ingredients,” fast food is defined by “a style of selling food.” Essentially, McDonald’s brought no real paradigm shifts to Japan—but rather constructed a space in which already-formed Japanese cultural practices could continue.

Their case study contrasts with that of geographers Ray Oldakowski and John McEwen, who similarly investigate McDonald’s and its cultural assimilation—but in Ecuador. Their evidence shows that the integration of American fast food dining followed a different path , and McDonald’s remains an obviously foreign establishment in the cityscape. McDonald’s didn’t attempt to adapt to Japanese or Ecuadorian culture (for McDonald’s, “the strategy has been one of consistency, i.e. McDonald’s prefers not to change its way of doing business to adapt to foreign cultures, rather, it changes local cultures to meet its own needs,” they note), but Ecuadorians clearly viewed the fast food chain as a deviation from local tastes, unlike Japanese consumers.

“[A] comparison of exterior designs revealed that the McDonald’s in Guayaquil [Ecuador] were very similar to the typical McDonald’s restaurants in the United States,” write the authors. Moreover, the menus were also similar. Only 2 percent of those polled considered the food served at McDonald’s similar to Ecuadorian food. In contrast, very few interviewees considered Kentucky Fried Chicken—another American fast food establishment—different from Ecuadorian food. Eighty-four percent reported that KFC was the most similar to Ecuadorian food, and 68 percent said it was actually where they dined regularly.

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“Those results suggest that McDonald’s might gain new customers, and more visits from existing customers, if they also offered menu items more typical of Ecuadorian food,” conclude the authors.

In neither Japan nor Ecuador did McDonald’s actively work to adapt itself to the tastes of the host countries, but the depth of integration into local dining customs differed between the two nations. Such observations could prompt additional nation-specific analyses and possibly reveal additional adaptations to the “strategy of consistency” associated with McDonald’s. However, the study of the globalization of fast food from a micro-cultural angle requires challenging assumptive attitudes around American businesses and classical theories, with one of the most popular—and infamously controvertible—examples being the Golden Arches Theory of Conflict Prevention , built on tropes of democratic peace through development. Globalization and its effects could also be examined in light of McDonald’s cultural impacts on its origin country of America, opening a conversation on socio-economics and class .

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McDonald’s Case Study: Cross Functional Collaboration and Organizational Culture.

McDonald’s is a multinational restaurant brand and a leading name in the fast-food industry. It is the second-largest fast-food brand operated mainly by franchisees. The company operates more than 38,000 restaurant stores worldwide. McDonald’s enjoys strong popularity worldwide. The key factors driving its global popularity include menu diversity, competitive pricing, and focus on customer service.

The company generated net revenue of $21 billion in fiscal 2019. It is enjoying strong operating margins but McDonald’s also has high debt obligations. While its operating margin at the end of 2019 stood at 43% compared to 42% at the end of the previous fiscal. Its debt obligations stood at $34.2 billion in 2019 compared to $31.1 billion in 2018. The company has organized its business geographically into three segments. The US market segment of McDonald’s is 95% franchised . The international operated markets segment is 84% franchised and the international developmental licensed and corporate market segment is 98% franchised. (McDonald’s, 2020)

There are two main sources of McDonald’s revenue , which include the sales from the company-operated stores and the fees from franchised stores. The new CEO of McDonald’s is Chris Kempczinski. The focus of the company leadership and top executives remains on maintaining ethical business operations. To ensure better performance and higher efficiency, the company is investing in technology. McDonald’s leadership has focused on growing collaboration across various functions to drive higher accountability and to ensure that the company can achieve superior growth. Digital technology is driving several changes across the company. The company has also grown its focus on digital across sales, marketing, customer service, HRM, and other areas to achieve higher operational efficiency.

Table of Contents

McDonald’s Organizational Functions:

McDonald’s follows a divisional organizational structure. From marketing to sales, supply chain, restaurant operations, legal, finance, and HRM, the company’s operations are divided into various functional divisions (Pratap, 2020).

The marketing function at McDonald’s is responsible for activities that help the business churn demand and grow its sales worldwide. Marketing has always been a central focus area for McDonald’s . There is heavy competition in the fast-food industry. There are several major competitors of McDonald’s in the market like Burger King, Subway, and Wendy’s that offer similar products. Marketing is one of the most important functions of the organization. McDonald’s leading position in the industry is also a result of its focus on marketing. McDonald’s is a globally famous brand. The marketing personnel focuses on growing brand awareness and driving customer retention higher. They also work on creating and running campaigns through digital channels, Television, and social media.

Supplier Management:

Supplier management is also an important function at McDonald’s. It is critical for McDonald’s to focus on managing its supplier relationships so that the company can ensure a continuous supply of good quality raw materials. Apart from food and packaging, McDonald’s restaurants also source equipment and other inputs from thousands of independent suppliers. The focus of the supplier management function at McDonald’s is maintaining quality standards throughout the system. Apart from having quality centers around the world, the company has also established a Food Safety Advisory Council that looks after food safety concerns in the McDonald’s system.

Human Resources:

HRM is also a critical function at McDonald’s that ensures the employees are performing at their best. The company employed 205,000 people as of the end of 2019. The HRM function oversees employee recruitment, training, and other critical areas like performance management. Strategically managing its HR has enabled the company to grow its competitive advantage in the market. From store operations to other areas, the company has to ensure that its employees are performing at their best. This ensures superior organizational performance and customer experience.

Operations:

The company has divided its business on the basis of geographic segments. The US is the main geographic segment of McDonald’s. The international operations of the company are divided into two segments further. Apart from eight domestic McDonald’s subsidiaries, the company also has several international subsidiaries. The company operates its business mainly through franchisees. However, it also owns some company-operated stores that serve as a venue for operations training and innovation.

Store operations are also a critical function at McDonald’s. The employees working at McDonald’s restaurant stores play a critical role in ensuring higher customer satisfaction. These employees are trained to provide customer friendly service at the McDonald’s stores worldwide.

McDonald’s Organizational Structure :

McDonald’s follows a functional organizational structure that allows the company to run organizational operations efficiently. The organizations following a functional organizational structure categorize jobs and positions on the basis of similarity in functions like marketing, operations, HRM, finance, and supply chain management. While the organizational structure of McDonald’s is basically functional, it is a mix of regional and functional. The organization also runs its business on a geographical basis like global and regional operations. For example, Chris Kempczinski, who is the current President & CEO of McDonald’s used to be the President of McDonald’s US operations earlier.

Its operations are mainly divided into domestic and international segments. Joe Erlinger is the president of McDonald’s US operations and Ian Borden is the president of McDonald’s international operations (McDonald’s, 2020).

Image source: Pinterest.

Cross Functional Interaction and collaboration at McDonald’s:

Cross-functional collaboration has become necessary to maintain organizational growth momentum across all industry sectors. At McDonald’s, the leadership maintains a heavy focus on cross-functional collaboration. It helps the company achieve performance targets and organizational objectives. The company is focusing on digitalization to grow the level of collaboration across various functions. Technology has become a key driver of growth for fast food businesses, which have faced several difficulties maintaining their sales during the pandemic. Amidst a nationwide lockdown, fast food brands like McDonald’s made changes to their operating model to serve their customers in the United States. During the pandemic , the need for cross-functional collaboration grew even more highlighted.

In the past, the company has achieved success in several areas including customer engagement, sales growth, operational efficiency, and marketing through cross-functional collaboration. Seamless communication between the various functions at McDonald’s drives superior performance. It also drives super Return on Investment (ROI) in marketing for McDonald’s. The company has run several successful marketing campaigns in the past.

Marketing does not involve only the marketing or customer service functions . To achieve higher ROI, other functions like supply chain and HRM also have to get involved. Now, marketing is not the sole responsibility of the marketing function. It is now more of a cross-functional responsibility involving more departments like communications, operations, supply chain, sales, and customer service. Digital technology enables superior communication between various functions and allows project teams to communicate and collaborate on projects as well as receive feedback in real-time.

McDonald’s frequently launches special products in various local markets. To ensure that a product is a success, the company runs marketing campaigns. However, its success does not depend solely on marketing but product quality, customer service, and many more factors come into play that can make the product a success. For example, McDonald’s launched All day Breakfast in 2015. All Day Breakfast was crafted carefully to suit the needs of modern jobbers that worked in various shifts. McDonald’s believed the product was not going to be an instant success and there were significant risks involved as this product competed with existing offerings from McDonald’s. Making the new offering a success was not possible without a synergistic collaboration between marketing, sales, supply chain, and restaurant operations functions.

Launching a new product required McDonald’s to ready all these functions to beat the challenge. While the marketing, sales, and operation functions had a major challenge before them, the biggest challenge was before the supply chain function (McCorkle, 2017). The company wanted a flawless launch but there were several challenges like uncertain demand, the supply of critical raw materials, cooperation of franchisees, and so on. The marketing, sales and operations functions were ready to deal with the challenge. The marketing function was tasked with preparing ads, selecting the most influential channels, and cooperating with other functions like sales and operations to gather and analyze data for forecasting demand.

However, the most critical role was played by the supply chain function that had to ensure the cooperation of suppliers. If the company could not secure the supply of critical raw materials, it could have been forced to abort the ADB. There was not much time either since the company wanted to execute the plan early and the supply chain function had just a few months to inform the suppliers and secure their commitment to making ADB a success. Predicting demand required the supply chain function to collate data and present an integrated picture.

Digital technology played a critical role in making the plan a success. The supply chain function successfully collaborated with the other functions including operations, marketing, and sales allowing all these functions to work in tandem and ensure the success of the ADB launch. The marketing function selected the most suitable channels for promotion including television, social media, and digital promotions. The sales and operations functions also played a major role in the success of ADB. The launch of ADB was welcomed around the US by customers.

The collaboration between sales, operations, marketing, and supply chain functions ensured that the company gathered the necessary data and information to understand customer reactions. McDonald’s had also formed contingency plans if anything went wrong. However, data played a critical role in making its plan successful. The data being generated from all the channels including sales, marketing, supply chain, and others allowed the company to track the success of its plan and act in the event of a contingency. The digital marketing team at McDonald’s decided to make use of social media as the central promotional tool.

“Over the course of September 2015, the pre-launch of All Day Breakfast kicked off with 12,000 Tweets to McDonald’s customers. The announcement of the launch began with a Tweet to the first person who ever requested 24/7 breakfast on social media”

(Sprinklr, 2016).

While each function played a significant role in the success of ADB, the collaboration between them and their use of data and analytics were instrumental in making ADB a success.

Apart from the other things, communication played a role in determining the success of the campaign. Whether it was the communication between the supply chain function and the suppliers, cross functional communication among marketing, sales, supply chain and other functions or the marketing communication targeted at customers, all of them helped make the launch a success. Five years later, McDonald’s is still celebrating the success of ADB. It continues to reduce operational complexity in its system by adopting innovative communication channels that facilitate higher cross-functional collaboration and superior performance.

McDonald’s Organizational Culture:

For organizations of all sizes, culture is a fundamental driver of organizational performance and productivity. McDonald’s is a global fast-food brand. However, its global operations are driven by a central culture that focuses on customer service and customer satisfaction. Customer service is a basic tenet of McDonald’s organizational culture. Other major cultural values that dictate everyday performance at all levels of the organization include integrity and collaboration (McDonald’s, 2020). McDonald’s has differentiated its brand from other fast food businesses through a culture driven by positivity. Its culture promotes flexibility, opportunity, and development. These are some essential tenets of a modern culture that strives to deliver the highest customer satisfaction. They guide workplace behavior and key decisions throughout the organization (Pratap, 2020).

At McDonald’s, organizational culture is at the core of several things including the everyday performance of the employees at the frontline. McDonald’s stores around the world see heavy footfall most of the days during the year. Customer satisfaction depends on the performance of the McDonald’s employees working at the frontline inside the stores. It also depends on the teamwork between employees. The higher the level of teamwork, the better the level of service, and the higher is the resulting customer satisfaction. McDonald’s trains its employees to provide the best quality customer service and to work as a team. In reality, it translates into superior employee performance and lower work stress. The company also trains its employees to maintain a jolly environment inside stores so that customers can have a superior dining experience. In this way, organizational culture has a significant impact on customer experience at McDonald’s stores.

Another important area where the culture of an organization is a leading influence is marketing. Culture also plays an important role in shaping the image of McDonald’s as a fast-food brand around the world. Customer service is a central tenet of McDonald’s culture (McDonald’s Corporate, 2020). The customers’ perception of McDonald’s does not depend only on the quality of food it serves but also on the store environment and the level of service. Apart from a customer-friendly dining environment, McDonald’s also leverages its culture to create the perception of an innovative food brand. The company releases new twists now and then to engage its customers and tingle their taste buds. A customer-centric culture cares for the customers’ happiness. These factors grow demand as they help to attract, engage, and retain customers. The focus is on creating more happiness for both McDonald’s employees and customers. It offers a significant competitive advantage for the brand. Its customer-centric culture has resulted in stronger brand equity and superior returns on marketing investment.

Citations List:

McCorkle, K. C. (2017). McDonald’s All Day Breakfast Launch: The Strategic Value of McDonald’s Supply Chain . Purdue University. Retrieved October, 2020, from https://agribusiness.purdue.edu/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/1-mcdonald-s-case-study-cs6-2.pdf

McDonald’s. (2020). McDonald’s Leadership .

McDonald’s. (2020, January 29). McDonald’s Reports Fourth Quarter And Full Year 2019 Results And Quarterly Cash Dividend . McDonald’s Company News.

McDonald’s. (2020). What is McDonald’s culture like? McDonald’s. Retrieved 2020, from

McDonald’s Corporate. (2020). Our Values . McDonald’s Corporate. Retrieved 2020, from

Pratap, A. (2020). McDonald’s Business Model . Cheshnotes. https://cheshnotes.com/mcdonalds-business-model/

Pratap, A. (2020, April). Organizational culture and why it matters. Cheshnotes. Retrieved 2020, from https://cheshnotes.com/organizational-culture-and-why-it-matters/

Sprinklr. (2016). Why you’re still lovin it . Sprinklr. Retrieved 2020, from https://blog.sprinklr.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/08/20160824_CS_EN_McDonalds_Customer-First-Case-Study_V01.pdf

McDonald’s Business Studies Case Study

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Resource Description

role of operations management ● strategic role of operations management – cost leadership, good/service differentiation

Operations → business processes that involve transformation/production – Production = conversion of inputs into outputs

Customer focus → minimising waste, fair value for labour, low cost, reflect changes in consumerism Profit centres → aspects of the business that derive revenue and profits Cost centres → areas which cost is attributed

Cost Leadership → aiming to have the lowest cost & be most price-competitive

CASE STUDY: McDonald’s → Mcdonald’s invested in a global training program (Hamburger University) to ensure efficiency and reduce overall costs

goods and/or services in different industries

Goods/Services Differentiation

Standardisation → making products that are all the same

Product Differentiation → distinguishing products

Differentiating Goods Differentiating Services

– Product features – Product quality – Augmented features (add-ons or benefits) – Time spent on a service – Level of expertise – Qualifications and expertise of the service provider – Quality of the materials/technology used in service delivery

Goods Differentiation Perishable goods → short lead times, distributed fast

Non-perishable goods → operations similar in all industries, more durable goods

Self-service → encouraging customers to take initiative

● interdependence with other key business functions

Interdependence → mutual dependency on one another

Interdependence with… Marketing → producing goods based on market needs, marketing based on cost, product design affects transformation

Finance → cost of production, labour costs

Human Resources → staff needed for production, technology changing operations, outsourcing specialists influences

● globalisation, technology, quality expectations, cost-based competition, government policies, legal regulation, environmental sustainability

Globalisation → removal of trade barriers between nations, operating on an international scale & develop international influence

CASE STUDY: McDonald’s → McDonalds has 37,000 restaurants in 120 countries → in 2018, McDonald’s ranked 11th on Forbes list of most valuable brands → 2017 report showed US$91billion in sales, showing success in maintaining competitive advantage by adapting to global conditions

Supply chain management → managing the flows of goods and services, including transformation. – Businesses need a reliable supply chain that is responsive to changes

Technology → the design, construction and application of innovation devices, methods and machinery in the operations process.

– Administrative level → organisation, planning, decision making – Processing level → manufacturing, logistics, quality management, inventory management

CASE STUDY: McDonald’s → digital menu boards, automatic drink dispensers, online ordering apps

Quality → how well designed, made and functionable goods are. – Expectations that people have of business determines the way products are designed, created and delivered.

CASE STUDY: McDonald’s → after complaints of coffee quality, McDonalds made a promise in 2011 that coffee would be barista made. → in 2018, Mcdonalds started using fresh (not frozen) beef patties, despite taking longer to cook, quality was improved

Cost-based Competition → derived from the breakeven point Fixed costs = costs that do not change regardless of business activity Variable costs = costs that vary in relation to business activity/level of production

CASE STUDY: McDonald’s → in 2015, Mcdonalds dominated western Europe, other businesses attempted to compete by lowering their prices → close focus on cost, helps them to maximise profits Government policies & Legal Regulation → Work Health and Safety Act 2011, Fair Work Act 2009, Superannuation Guarantee Act 1992, Racial Discrimination Act 1975, Taxation Act 1953 → influence business operations

CASE STUDY: McDonald’s → McDonalds is bound by obligations in relation to marketing, advertising, product safety and quality guarantees (Australian Consumer Law 2010) → they must ensure conscionable conduct at a local, state and federal level Environmental Sustainability → business operations shaped around sustainable practices

CASE STUDY: McDonald’s → in 2012, McDonalds opened the Australia’s first Green star accredited restaurant in VIC

● corporate social responsibility CSR → doing more than just complying with the law, but having higher respect for people, community and environment Triple Bottom Line → financial profitability, social impact and environmental impact of a business.

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Streamlining processes and standing up HR operations with PwC’s Total Workforce Management solution

From acquisition to autonomy: how a tech company transformed its workforce

• May 29, 2024

A regional tech company faced the challenge of establishing a new company after an acquisition, while also scaling its workforce. To avoid costly transition services agreements (TSAs) and preserve deal value, it needed a rapid HR system separation. The company worked with PwC to swiftly move its enterprise-wide HR operations to SAP and stand up its own system. The solution provides unprecedented visibility across the organization and empowers leadership to make data-driven decisions that improve employee experience.

Regional Tech Company

time and pay accuracy after converting enterprise data from legacy systems over to SAP

faster than industry standard timeline to implement SAP SuccessFactors and Fieldglass for 6,000+ employees and contractors

HR TSAs required post-divestiture, despite accounting for HR and tax nuances in 35 states and 25+ employee unions, which helped preserve deal value

A human-led, tech-powered workforce transformation enables transparency and helps build trust with stakeholders

PwC shares the path to operational efficiency

What was the challenge.

The challenge was managing rapid change amid a complex acquisition . The client needed to physically separate the HR, payroll and operations systems of its newly acquired company to avoid relying on the former owner’s tech infrastructure via costly TSAs.

Speed was key. The goal was to stand up the new systems as quickly as possible without a significant impact on either company’s daily operations, which span 35 states. Simultaneously, the team also had to onboard thousands of employees overnight, causing a rapid scaling of the HR organization.

Describe the solution delivered by the PwC community of solvers

PwC’s Total Workforce Management solution powered by SAP was chosen to streamline HR processes and manage all related operations. This comprehensive, cloud-based HR suite integrates modules like S/4HANA, SuccessFactors and Fieldglass to efficiently handle talent management, learning, recruitment, timekeeping, finance (including financial planning and analysis) and contractor management. The automation tools and data cleansing enabled a smooth transition under a tight deadline, along with accurate financial data posting and streamlined payment processing for both contractors and over 25 employee unions across the business.

Transitions of this magnitude typically take at least 12 to 15 months, but PwC did it in 9 months. The client now has great operational efficiency and workforce management capabilities.

How does the solution blend the strengths of technology and people?

Despite the time constraints, PwC quickly implemented Total Workforce Management and the Experience Suite framework . This is a digital SuccessFactors-driven solution that provides tools to enhance employee upskilling, labor sourcing and localized people management. The solution simplified governance, improved visibility and empowered smarter decisions as the organization grew. Within the Experience Suite, you could see exactly what the system build would look like via a test environment, incorporating standardized practices to meet the deadline as an independent company.

Where or how did innovation and unexpected ways of thinking come into play?

PwC’s Experience Suite framework provided a practical and efficient approach to setting up a new system. This included leading practices and pre-built models based on PwC’s extensive experience with SAP SuccessFactors and Fieldglass implementations. It streamlined project management, reduced decision-making time and minimized complexities. PwC’s fit-to-standard approach also helped provide a standard system setup and HR enhancements to simplify the implementation process. The team’s innovative solutions truly made a difference in the workforce transformation journey.

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The state of AI in early 2024: Gen AI adoption spikes and starts to generate value

If 2023 was the year the world discovered generative AI (gen AI) , 2024 is the year organizations truly began using—and deriving business value from—this new technology. In the latest McKinsey Global Survey  on AI, 65 percent of respondents report that their organizations are regularly using gen AI, nearly double the percentage from our previous survey just ten months ago. Respondents’ expectations for gen AI’s impact remain as high as they were last year , with three-quarters predicting that gen AI will lead to significant or disruptive change in their industries in the years ahead.

About the authors

This article is a collaborative effort by Alex Singla , Alexander Sukharevsky , Lareina Yee , and Michael Chui , with Bryce Hall , representing views from QuantumBlack, AI by McKinsey, and McKinsey Digital.

Organizations are already seeing material benefits from gen AI use, reporting both cost decreases and revenue jumps in the business units deploying the technology. The survey also provides insights into the kinds of risks presented by gen AI—most notably, inaccuracy—as well as the emerging practices of top performers to mitigate those challenges and capture value.

AI adoption surges

Interest in generative AI has also brightened the spotlight on a broader set of AI capabilities. For the past six years, AI adoption by respondents’ organizations has hovered at about 50 percent. This year, the survey finds that adoption has jumped to 72 percent (Exhibit 1). And the interest is truly global in scope. Our 2023 survey found that AI adoption did not reach 66 percent in any region; however, this year more than two-thirds of respondents in nearly every region say their organizations are using AI. 1 Organizations based in Central and South America are the exception, with 58 percent of respondents working for organizations based in Central and South America reporting AI adoption. Looking by industry, the biggest increase in adoption can be found in professional services. 2 Includes respondents working for organizations focused on human resources, legal services, management consulting, market research, R&D, tax preparation, and training.

Also, responses suggest that companies are now using AI in more parts of the business. Half of respondents say their organizations have adopted AI in two or more business functions, up from less than a third of respondents in 2023 (Exhibit 2).

Gen AI adoption is most common in the functions where it can create the most value

Most respondents now report that their organizations—and they as individuals—are using gen AI. Sixty-five percent of respondents say their organizations are regularly using gen AI in at least one business function, up from one-third last year. The average organization using gen AI is doing so in two functions, most often in marketing and sales and in product and service development—two functions in which previous research  determined that gen AI adoption could generate the most value 3 “ The economic potential of generative AI: The next productivity frontier ,” McKinsey, June 14, 2023. —as well as in IT (Exhibit 3). The biggest increase from 2023 is found in marketing and sales, where reported adoption has more than doubled. Yet across functions, only two use cases, both within marketing and sales, are reported by 15 percent or more of respondents.

Gen AI also is weaving its way into respondents’ personal lives. Compared with 2023, respondents are much more likely to be using gen AI at work and even more likely to be using gen AI both at work and in their personal lives (Exhibit 4). The survey finds upticks in gen AI use across all regions, with the largest increases in Asia–Pacific and Greater China. Respondents at the highest seniority levels, meanwhile, show larger jumps in the use of gen Al tools for work and outside of work compared with their midlevel-management peers. Looking at specific industries, respondents working in energy and materials and in professional services report the largest increase in gen AI use.

Investments in gen AI and analytical AI are beginning to create value

The latest survey also shows how different industries are budgeting for gen AI. Responses suggest that, in many industries, organizations are about equally as likely to be investing more than 5 percent of their digital budgets in gen AI as they are in nongenerative, analytical-AI solutions (Exhibit 5). Yet in most industries, larger shares of respondents report that their organizations spend more than 20 percent on analytical AI than on gen AI. Looking ahead, most respondents—67 percent—expect their organizations to invest more in AI over the next three years.

Where are those investments paying off? For the first time, our latest survey explored the value created by gen AI use by business function. The function in which the largest share of respondents report seeing cost decreases is human resources. Respondents most commonly report meaningful revenue increases (of more than 5 percent) in supply chain and inventory management (Exhibit 6). For analytical AI, respondents most often report seeing cost benefits in service operations—in line with what we found last year —as well as meaningful revenue increases from AI use in marketing and sales.

Inaccuracy: The most recognized and experienced risk of gen AI use

As businesses begin to see the benefits of gen AI, they’re also recognizing the diverse risks associated with the technology. These can range from data management risks such as data privacy, bias, or intellectual property (IP) infringement to model management risks, which tend to focus on inaccurate output or lack of explainability. A third big risk category is security and incorrect use.

Respondents to the latest survey are more likely than they were last year to say their organizations consider inaccuracy and IP infringement to be relevant to their use of gen AI, and about half continue to view cybersecurity as a risk (Exhibit 7).

Conversely, respondents are less likely than they were last year to say their organizations consider workforce and labor displacement to be relevant risks and are not increasing efforts to mitigate them.

In fact, inaccuracy— which can affect use cases across the gen AI value chain , ranging from customer journeys and summarization to coding and creative content—is the only risk that respondents are significantly more likely than last year to say their organizations are actively working to mitigate.

Some organizations have already experienced negative consequences from the use of gen AI, with 44 percent of respondents saying their organizations have experienced at least one consequence (Exhibit 8). Respondents most often report inaccuracy as a risk that has affected their organizations, followed by cybersecurity and explainability.

Our previous research has found that there are several elements of governance that can help in scaling gen AI use responsibly, yet few respondents report having these risk-related practices in place. 4 “ Implementing generative AI with speed and safety ,” McKinsey Quarterly , March 13, 2024. For example, just 18 percent say their organizations have an enterprise-wide council or board with the authority to make decisions involving responsible AI governance, and only one-third say gen AI risk awareness and risk mitigation controls are required skill sets for technical talent.

Bringing gen AI capabilities to bear

The latest survey also sought to understand how, and how quickly, organizations are deploying these new gen AI tools. We have found three archetypes for implementing gen AI solutions : takers use off-the-shelf, publicly available solutions; shapers customize those tools with proprietary data and systems; and makers develop their own foundation models from scratch. 5 “ Technology’s generational moment with generative AI: A CIO and CTO guide ,” McKinsey, July 11, 2023. Across most industries, the survey results suggest that organizations are finding off-the-shelf offerings applicable to their business needs—though many are pursuing opportunities to customize models or even develop their own (Exhibit 9). About half of reported gen AI uses within respondents’ business functions are utilizing off-the-shelf, publicly available models or tools, with little or no customization. Respondents in energy and materials, technology, and media and telecommunications are more likely to report significant customization or tuning of publicly available models or developing their own proprietary models to address specific business needs.

Respondents most often report that their organizations required one to four months from the start of a project to put gen AI into production, though the time it takes varies by business function (Exhibit 10). It also depends upon the approach for acquiring those capabilities. Not surprisingly, reported uses of highly customized or proprietary models are 1.5 times more likely than off-the-shelf, publicly available models to take five months or more to implement.

Gen AI high performers are excelling despite facing challenges

Gen AI is a new technology, and organizations are still early in the journey of pursuing its opportunities and scaling it across functions. So it’s little surprise that only a small subset of respondents (46 out of 876) report that a meaningful share of their organizations’ EBIT can be attributed to their deployment of gen AI. Still, these gen AI leaders are worth examining closely. These, after all, are the early movers, who already attribute more than 10 percent of their organizations’ EBIT to their use of gen AI. Forty-two percent of these high performers say more than 20 percent of their EBIT is attributable to their use of nongenerative, analytical AI, and they span industries and regions—though most are at organizations with less than $1 billion in annual revenue. The AI-related practices at these organizations can offer guidance to those looking to create value from gen AI adoption at their own organizations.

To start, gen AI high performers are using gen AI in more business functions—an average of three functions, while others average two. They, like other organizations, are most likely to use gen AI in marketing and sales and product or service development, but they’re much more likely than others to use gen AI solutions in risk, legal, and compliance; in strategy and corporate finance; and in supply chain and inventory management. They’re more than three times as likely as others to be using gen AI in activities ranging from processing of accounting documents and risk assessment to R&D testing and pricing and promotions. While, overall, about half of reported gen AI applications within business functions are utilizing publicly available models or tools, gen AI high performers are less likely to use those off-the-shelf options than to either implement significantly customized versions of those tools or to develop their own proprietary foundation models.

What else are these high performers doing differently? For one thing, they are paying more attention to gen-AI-related risks. Perhaps because they are further along on their journeys, they are more likely than others to say their organizations have experienced every negative consequence from gen AI we asked about, from cybersecurity and personal privacy to explainability and IP infringement. Given that, they are more likely than others to report that their organizations consider those risks, as well as regulatory compliance, environmental impacts, and political stability, to be relevant to their gen AI use, and they say they take steps to mitigate more risks than others do.

Gen AI high performers are also much more likely to say their organizations follow a set of risk-related best practices (Exhibit 11). For example, they are nearly twice as likely as others to involve the legal function and embed risk reviews early on in the development of gen AI solutions—that is, to “ shift left .” They’re also much more likely than others to employ a wide range of other best practices, from strategy-related practices to those related to scaling.

In addition to experiencing the risks of gen AI adoption, high performers have encountered other challenges that can serve as warnings to others (Exhibit 12). Seventy percent say they have experienced difficulties with data, including defining processes for data governance, developing the ability to quickly integrate data into AI models, and an insufficient amount of training data, highlighting the essential role that data play in capturing value. High performers are also more likely than others to report experiencing challenges with their operating models, such as implementing agile ways of working and effective sprint performance management.

About the research

The online survey was in the field from February 22 to March 5, 2024, and garnered responses from 1,363 participants representing the full range of regions, industries, company sizes, functional specialties, and tenures. Of those respondents, 981 said their organizations had adopted AI in at least one business function, and 878 said their organizations were regularly using gen AI in at least one function. To adjust for differences in response rates, the data are weighted by the contribution of each respondent’s nation to global GDP.

Alex Singla and Alexander Sukharevsky  are global coleaders of QuantumBlack, AI by McKinsey, and senior partners in McKinsey’s Chicago and London offices, respectively; Lareina Yee  is a senior partner in the Bay Area office, where Michael Chui , a McKinsey Global Institute partner, is a partner; and Bryce Hall  is an associate partner in the Washington, DC, office.

They wish to thank Kaitlin Noe, Larry Kanter, Mallika Jhamb, and Shinjini Srivastava for their contributions to this work.

This article was edited by Heather Hanselman, a senior editor in McKinsey’s Atlanta office.

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