McDonald’s is testing automated drive-thru ordering technology in 10 Chicago locations.
Restaurants are increasingly looking for ways to revolutionize their processes and streamline operations. Drive-thru operations, in particular, are ripe for change, with many companies implementing mobile ordering.
McDonald’s is taking it a step further, testing automated voice-ordering tech, according to CNBC. So far, the pilot program is seeing 85% order accuracy, with only a fifth of orders needing to be handled by a person.
“Now there’s a big leap from going to 10 restaurants in Chicago to 14,000 restaurants across the U.S., with an infinite number of promo permutations, menu permutations, dialect permutations, weather — and on and on and on,” said CEO Chris Kempczinski.
If McDonald’s is able to make a go of automated ordering, it would give the company a major competitive advantage over competing fast-food chains. Relying on automated ordering tech could help the company cut down on cost. It could also serve as a template for other companies looking to do the same.