McDonald’s French Kiosks

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In February this year, Acrelec and McDonald’s France set up the 1,500th self-order kiosk in the restaurant in Checy – the company’s 400th establishment to be fitted out. Invented by Acrelec – a specialist in interactive digital solutions for catering and distribution – the self-order kiosks have been tested since 2003 and deployed since 2008 in McDonald’s French restaurants.
 
Following in the footsteps of Acrelec’s founders, who came from the world of fast-food catering, self-order kiosk technology was developed in partnership with McDonald’s France. McDonald's, for whom new technologies represent a key element in development, quickly saw the advantages of this new way of ordering.
 
Designed to meet activity peaks, the kiosk’s objective is to speed up the flow of queues and improve customer satisfaction. The consumer is advised by a hostess, and can then take his time to read through the order on the kiosk, before placing it. Once he has paid, the consumer collects his order at a specially dedicated counter. In peak hours, up to 30% of McDonald’s sales are made by self-service order kiosks.
 
Following the success of the first installation in a McDonald’s restaurant in Eragny (95) in 2003, the company chose to extend this technology to several restaurants in France. In 2008, the company sped up deployment and 400 restaurants in France are currently equipped with a total of 1,500 kiosks. This number should increase to 800 establishments by the end of 2010.
 
Acrelec is also accompanying McDonald’s in its installation projects on international markets. The software is thus translated and adapted to the specificities of different countries, and Acrelec’s subsidiaries are then responsible for the installation and maintenance of the equipment.
 
Simplifying the taking of orders to speed up the flow of queues
Two vital factors are central to the success of this technology: simplicity of use and time saved by the customer. With an intuitive and user-friendly interface, a customer can use the order kiosks to place their order, pay by credit card and then collect the meal at a dedicated counter.
 
Orders can be placed in less than 3 minutes, meaning that waiting areas are less crowded, attendance is greater and staff are more available to serve customers.
 
According to Jacques Mangeot, Acrelec’s Director, “The kiosks are perfectly suited to a company like McDonald’s in which each restaurant has to manage very busy periods. They help them to avoid losing customers or making them wait. Customers no longer have to wait and can order in a more relaxed manner.”

Acrelec’s technology in McDonald’s strategy
 
These kiosks fit into McDonald’s strategy as the company is aiming to make its restaurants places where customers can spend their time. The time saved during the order contributes towards customer well-being as there is more time to eat meals or to surf the internet using the Wifi which is available free of charge.
 
With advances in Acrelec’s technologies and developments made on customer interfaces and the internal organisation of restaurants, new services have become possible – such as the issuance of a money-off coupon or table service which is currently in the test stage in several restaurants.
 
Outdoor Kiosks and In-Store Digital Signage
The collaboration between Acrelec and the world leader in fast-food catering is not only in order kiosks, but also through the renewal of Drive Thru order kiosks, optimising this mode of ordering by enabling users to visualise the products ordered and improving sound quality. These kiosks are present in McDonald’s restaurants in 35 countries around the world.
 
Acrelec has also participated in the development of in-store Menu Boards. These dynamic display solutions are located above the check-out lines, enabling rapid visualisation of a company’s offerings. This technology also assists and guides the customer in their choice.