By Gavriel Shohet, RTN workers author – 8.12.2025
McDonald’s is enterprise a multi-year transformation geared toward bettering the shopper expertise, strengthening loyalty engagement, and modernizing how its eating places function. Talking on the corporate’s second-quarter earnings name, CEO Chris Kempczinski outlined how know-how is changing into central to those efforts, shaping each front-of-house and back-of-house processes.
A big a part of this transformation facilities on McDonald’s partnership with Google Cloud to carry edge computing into its eating places. The corporate has already deployed the system in lots of of U.S. places, with worldwide markets now coming on-line. By processing knowledge domestically relatively than sending every part to a central knowledge heart, the brand new infrastructure permits sooner decision-making and extra responsive operations. One instance is the “Prepared on Arrival” program, which makes use of geofencing to sign kitchen workers when a cellular buyer is approaching. This permits orders to be ready at exactly the precise second, lowering wait instances for pickup by greater than half in U.S. pilot places. This system is being rolled out throughout the corporate’s high markets.
Digital engagement is one other main space of focus. McDonald’s set a goal in 2023 to achieve 250 million 90-day lively loyalty customers by the tip of 2027. The corporate has already reached greater than 185 million loyalty members throughout 60 markets. Loyalty prospects have been proven to go to extra regularly, with U.S. members averaging 26 visits within the yr after becoming a member of in comparison with 10.5 visits earlier than. This improve in repeat visits underscores the potential of well-integrated loyalty applications to drive sustained income progress, notably when mixed with personalised presents and promotions delivered by way of the McDonald’s app.
Behind the scenes, McDonald’s is changing lots of of legacy know-how techniques with standardized world platforms. These embrace a brand new finance system, a contemporary human capital administration system, and IoT-based gear monitoring instruments. The IoT know-how offers early alerts about upkeep wants, enabling preventive servicing and lowering downtime. Standardized techniques additionally make it simpler to coach and onboard staff, enhance knowledge accuracy, and be sure that operational practices are constant throughout markets.
The corporate’s second-quarter monetary outcomes counsel these initiatives are contributing to regular efficiency positive aspects. Internet revenue for the quarter ended June 30 was $2.25 billion, up 11 % from the identical interval final yr, whereas revenues rose 5 % to $6.84 billion. Comparable restaurant gross sales grew by 3.8 % globally. Whereas these positive aspects mirror a wide range of elements, the continued funding in know-how is enjoying a job in bettering effectivity, buyer satisfaction and gross sales.
Within the broader quick-service restaurant trade, McDonald’s isn’t alone in making large-scale digital investments. Rivals together with Burger King, Wendy’s, and KFC are all increasing cellular ordering capabilities, experimenting with AI-driven personalization, and investing in kitchen automation. What distinguishes McDonald’s is its capacity to use these initiatives throughout an enormous world community whereas sustaining a steadiness between standardization and market-specific adaptation.
For different restaurant operators, the corporate’s strategy illustrates the rising significance of integrating know-how throughout your entire worth chain. Efforts that hyperlink guest-facing digital channels with operational techniques within the kitchen and provide chain can yield measurable advantages in pace, consistency, and buyer engagement. McDonald’s progress additionally highlights the significance of a phased, scalable strategy—deploying know-how in choose markets, measuring the outcomes, and refining the mannequin earlier than rolling out extra broadly.
Because the QSR sector turns into extra aggressive and buyer expectations for pace, comfort, and personalization proceed to rise, the power to leverage know-how successfully might be a key determinant of long-term efficiency. McDonald’s present trajectory suggests it views these investments not as one-off tasks, however as a part of an ongoing evolution in the way it operates and serves its prospects. This long-term perspective, mixed with the assets to execute on a worldwide scale, will probably form how the model competes within the years forward.
