McDonald’s expands initiative to deploy generative AI, leading-edge tech

McDonald’s Corp. is partnering with a global consulting firm to transform operations with next-generation technology.

The fast-food giant is expanding an existing strategic partnership with Accenture to help execute its strategy to leverage the latest edge technology and apply generative AI solutions across its restaurants worldwide in an effort to improve operations and customer experience. McDonald’s also intends to enhance the digital capabilities of its employees.

This partnership is part of McDonald’s broader technology strategy, which aims to leverage scale and deliver greater speed and efficiency throughout the enterprise. Strategic imperatives include accelerating equipment automation and enabling restaurant general managers to effectively spot and enact solutions to reduce business disruptions.

Accenture will help train and support McDonald’s global workforce by using its learning and development programs, online training courses and boot camps for emerging talent to help ensure the retailer’s workforce is skilled in utilizing the latest technology.

Other efforts contained in McDonald’s technology strategy include partnering with Alphabet’s Google Cloud to connect the latest cloud technology and apply generative AI solutions across its restaurants worldwide.

In addition, beginning in 2024, McDonald’s will begin to deploy new, universal software that all of the company’s customer and restaurant digital platforms will run on. The customer operating system will enable restaurants to roll out innovation even faster, with less complexity and more stability, according to McDonald’s.

“In order to unlock the opportunity in our ongoing digital investments, we chose Accenture, our long-time partner who has helped us build our digital foundation, to work with us on this next phase of innovation,” said Brian Rice, executive VP and global CIO, McDonald's. “Accenture’s deep understanding of our business, our industry, and of course technology, will allow us to leverage the full potential of the cloud and generative AI solutions by implementing advanced practices to quickly leverage those technologies as well as to nurture and empower the talent within our organization. Lifelong learning and digital upskilling are at the heart of our culture and long-term growth plans – and embedding this across our workforce will enable greater business agility and performance.”

McDonald's is the world's largest global foodservice retailer with over 40,000 locations in over 100 countries. Approximately 95% of McDonald's restaurants worldwide are owned and operated by independent local business owners.

“We are incredibly proud to continue to partner with McDonald’s as they reinvent the customer experience, stay ahead of their customers’ changing needs and reimagine what a restaurant can be,” said Julie Sweet, chair and CEO, Accenture. “This new work will be a leading example across industries of innovating with tech data and AI at the core, across the cloud continuum, all the way to the edge. And doing so in a way that keeps their people in the forefront, building the skills they need to meet and delight their customers in new ways every day.”