INFORMATION SYSTEM USED IN MCDONALDS

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Information System used In McDonalds

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Information system
McDonalds being the world’s largest fast food restaurant requires what
may be referred to as an extra ordinary information system in order to
handle the daily sales and customer orders and so on. It is also the
world's number fast-food company by sales, with more than 32,500
restaurants serving burgers and fries in 117 countries. A human being
could never be able to keep track of such transaction on their own.
McDonalds use several types of information systems to help ease such
complicated processes. As mentioned above, the headquarters being in
the United States means that, most of the work is done there
itself. McDonalds use several types of information systems to help it
shine and assist in the process of it being one of top fast food restaurants
 An information system (IS) collects, processes, stores, analyzes,
and disseminates information for a specific purpose.
 An information system includes inputs (data, instructions) and
outputs (reports, calculations).
 It processes the inputs and produces outputs that are sent to users
or to other systems via electronic networks and a feedback
mechanism that controls the operation.

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Types of Information Systems:
There are basically Five types of information systems.
1. Transaction Processing System
2. Office Information System
3. Decision Support System
4. Management Information System
5. Expert System

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1. Office Information System:
Uses hardware, software and Networks to enhance workflow & facilitate
communications among the employees.
2. Transaction Processing System:
The information system that captures and processes the data generated
during an organization's day-day transactions
3. Management Information System:
An Information system that generates accurate, timely and organized
information so managers & other users can make decisions, solve
problems
4. Decision Support System:
An information System designed to help users reach a decision when the
decision making situation arises
5. Expert Systems:
The information system that captures & stores the knowledge of human
experts & then imitates human reasoning & decision making process for
those who have less expertise.

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Types of information systems That are used in McDonalds
are:
1. Transaction Processing System
2. management Information system
3. Decision Support System
4. Made for You system
5. Hyperactive bob system
6. Point of sale System
7. Touch Interface Operating System

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1. Transaction Information System (TPS)
First transaction takes place either when two people make an exchange
or while they are collecting data. Transaction processing refers to
nothing other than collecting, storing, modifying, and retrieving the
transactions of an organization. It helps in answering routine questions,
and in conducting business transactions such as payroll, employee
record keeping or paying an employee. The data brought about by TPS
must be stored safely as in most cases it involves the exchange of money
which could be very critical to an organization.
Transaction processing system also helps McDonalds in keeping track of
their suppliers as it record relevant information about suppliers such as
supplier name, address, the quality of the items purchased and finally
the invoice amount. This helps in reducing the possible complexity that
the employees may face in physically keeping contacts with all the
suppliers and so eases process of ordering when in need
2. Management Information System (MIS)
Management information system is a system that provides the
information needed to manage organizations efficiently and effectively.
Management information systems involve three primary resources:
technology, information, and people, and the most important resource
are people, as people are the customers and no business would mean
anything without its customers. The information resulting from this
system supports the routine decision making in the functional areas.
It is of great significance as it produces periodic reports such as a daily
list of employees and the hours worked, or a monthly report of expenses
as compared to a budget. The main reason why McDonalds uses
Management Information System is because the purpose of it is to
provide profitability and information to help the managers and the staff

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in understanding the business performance and to plan its future
direction
3. Decision Support System (DSS)
"Decision support system is used to model data and make quality
decision based on the data, making the right decision is usually based on
the quality of the data and one's ability to analyze the data, Decision
Support Systems are usually computer applications with a human
component. They can sift through large amounts of data and pick
between the many choices and supports the non – routine decision"
McDonalds implemented the use of wireless internet in their restaurant
in order to gather information about certain categories such as customer
practice, length of stay and sales’ levels that are then later studied and
analyzed with the help of the Decision Support System to come up with a
decision that could help in the betterment of the restaurant.
4. “Made for you” system
Made for you system is a type of information system which was, first
introduced to McDonald’s restaurants in 1998 across USA. In MYS
modern technology is utilised to operate the functions within the
restaurant. It starts as soon as an order is made, it appears on the
kitchen screen in the appropriate workstation (there are different
workstations in the kitchen such as grill side, chicken side, fries etc.).
This systems also allows to store information regarding the quantity of
each product that was sold, the hours a particular item was sold mostly
etc. These information can be used to forecasting and preparation for
another similar day. However, the MYS is mainly used to raise the
productivity and to guarantee customer satisfaction by providing quality
fresh products. The MYS also plays a vital role for the better
communication between the front counter and kitchen staff.

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5. POS system " Scale of Point system "
A cash register can be regarded as a primitive form of POS system. The
main drawback or limit of a cash register is the fact that in can only
monitor cash flow. This is where the POS system comes in handy. POS
system can categorize data into sales by type, taxation status and provide
the information regarding inventory as well .POS system functions by
using a combination different hardware and software. In most case it
requires, manual data entry however, it can functions using a scanning
device, but it is not possible with the current operation system that exist
within the restaurant. In McDonald’s restaurant POS system is attached
with in the computerised electronic cash registers, which are capable to
read and process electronic cards such as a debit card easily .It
processes and stores vital information and it can retrieves data or
transmit information to the main computers, when it is necessary for
decision making purposes. Apart from the electronic cash registers there
are other electronic mobile devices, which are also used for the same
purpose, but from the outside of the store. They are usually when there
is huge number of cars within the “drive-in through” section.
McDonald’s POS system is designed to reduce and avoid complex data
clogging up and causing confusions to an inexperienced staff. An
inexperienced part-time staff might be able to perform the transaction on
a sophisticated menu in a matter of seconds. The POS system is mainly
used to ensure customer satisfaction by increasing the speed of the
process and reducing the possibilities for the error. POS and MYS works
together for maximum efficiency within the kitchen. Every input that is
comes in, POS helps to covey them to appropriate workstation
instantaneously. It enables the payment due and also shows the time
duration after an order is made, this enables the staff to understand if
any customer is waiting on something or not.

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6. Hyperactive Bob system
Hyperactive Bob System or HBS is a simple information system which
provides very vital information for the staffs and employees of a
restaurant. HBS basically is nothing more than few roof mounted CCTV
cameras and few appropriately placed television screen connected to the
camera. The cameras are fixed outside the restaurant, and the screens
are at different stations inside the kitchen (generally only 2 screens
inside the kitchen), there is one screen inside the office as well. The
cameras scans for incoming vehicles and the visuals are 9 transmitted to
all screens simultaneously in real time. On viewing the traffic the staffs
and kitchen employees start to prepare for the orders.
For example, if there is a visual showing a huge number or cars coming
in through the “drive in through” section or parking in the “parking lot”.
Kitchen staffs will ensure everything is ready, as soon as orders come in.
For this purpose they make sure, there are enough frozen food in their
freezers, buns sauces and packing materials all are ready. In some cases,
employees are re-arranged by staffs according to the speed and ability to
perform at busy environment. The same system is also used to find out
how many cars has gone through the “drive in through” section and
parked at the parking lot. These information is later used to forecast
what kind of business to expect on similar days or situations.
7. Touch-Interface Ordering System (TIOS)
This a very new system that has the potential to transform the fast food
industry. Even though this particular system still haven’t reach
Llantrisant branch it is available for customers at Cardiff branches and
therefore the author beliefs it must also worth mentioning. This is a
machine looks very similar to an ATM or a ticket machine at railway
station. The machine allows the customer to make an order by selecting

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the desired item on a touch screen and pay for it debit or credit card to
the slots attached to it. McDonald’s believes this will help them to reduce
the labour cost, and very recently the organisation decided to fit 7000
such machines around UK.