McDonald’s drive-thru
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© Terrence Antonio James / Tribune News Service
Self-service kiosk at a
McDonald’s restaurant
cDonald’s stunned a lot of people
when it announced its biggest
acquisition in 20 years.
No, McDonald’s didn’t buy
a competitor.
It bought a tech company.
That’s right—McDonald’s has reached an
agreement to acquire Dynamic Yield, an Israeli
startup that specializes in “decision logic”
technology. This tech uses data acquired from
previous purchases to recommend additional
purchases. (Think: the “customers like you also
bought” suggestions when shopping on Amazon,
for example.)Streamlining the drive-thru experience
McDonald’s stated it will use its new technology
to provide more personalized customer experiences.
For example, the company has tested digital
drive-thru screens that show food based on various
factors, including time of day, weather and trending
menu items. Additionally, the technology can
instantly suggest and display items customers might
want, based on their current selections.Just think of the implications of this. When
you’re at a McDonald’s drive-thru, your order screen
could suggest items that are especially popular with
other McDonald’s customers. If it’s a cold day, the
menu could feature a coffee or tea, front and center.
And what about rush hour, when the drive-thru
line tends to get out of control? Well, then the
order screen could feature items that are especially
quick to prepare, which could help reduce overall
wait time.
These developments are already potential game
changers. But we’ve barely scratched the surface.Tech innovator?
This move was surprising for many, but it
shouldn’t be.
If you’ve been following the company the past
few years, you know that it has invested heavily in
technology by bringing stores up-to-date with
self-serve kiosks, building a very popular mobile
app and even providing delivery.
The acquisition of Dynamic Yield will further serve
McDonald’s overall strategy as a tech innovator.u by Justin Bariso © 2019,
Mansueto Ventures, LLC.
Distributed by Tribune
Content Agency, LLC.
PAGE DESIGN BY OLIVE CHUWhy McDonald’s bought
a little-known startup for
$300 million10201505Technology
2019 SEPTEMBER 2, 3
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