Dynamic Yield is a tech startup from Israel, emphasizing on aspects like decision logic and customization. McDonald’s has now purchased the company for a whopping $300 million as per reports as per mastercardchin wall. The fast-food behemoth will be deploying these technologies for building customized consumer-facing experiences. These include digital and outdoor drive-through menu offerings/displays that will change as per factors like the weather, time, present traffic at the restaurant, and trending items on the menu.
The technology underwent initial testing at multiple restaurants owned by McDonald’s in the U.S. back in 2018. It is now planning a launch of the same throughout all its U.S. outlets. It will then foray into global markets with these features as well. The company is also planning an integration of this technology into its touch points for digital consumer experiences. These include its global app and kiosks for self-ordering.
This is a new play in the fast-food category, while McDonald’s has stated that it is a pioneer in terms of offering decision-based technologies into POS (points of sale) within its offline outlets/locations. McDonald’s is not a big acquirer of entities, although this deal is a vital part of its future strategy. It also comes within the aegis of the Velocity Growth Plan of the company. This plan focuses on enhancing overall consumer experiences.
McDonald’s has already been implementing various tech upgrades, with self-ordering kiosks installed at 17,000 outlets/restaurants by end-2018. It has also integrated digital boards (menus) for 21,000 outlets, while adding ordering and payment apps for 22,000 outlets. The company has already pumped in $6 billion for revamping its current stores, with a view towards making them more tech-friendly. The industry is unsurprised by McDonald’s new-found emphasis on technology. It had already dropped hints about its upcoming drive-thru experiences, while rolling out several tech-driven innovations over the last few years.
However, the company has been lagging due to manpower shortage, and also due to things like the all-day breakfast. There are other premier offerings which require more time to create as well. It once had the poorest timings in the drive-thru segment, amongst the top-10 brands in the space. 273 seconds was the average timeline for the brand. In comparison, 193 seconds was the average timeline for its biggest rival, Burger King. The technology solutions from Dynamic Yield will help outlets tweak outdoor menu offerings, based on several parameters. It will integrate smoothly into any existing outlet or order, demonstrating popular items to customers as well.