McDonald's uses geofencing technology to improve mobile order efficiency

McDonald's has been nominated for Digital Initiative of the Year at the RG Excellence Awards following the implementation of its ‘Ready on Arrival’ technology. The system utilizes geofencing to detect when an app user is approaching a restaurant, alerting the kitchen to prepare orders at the optimal moment.

Courtney Barnett, McDonald's head of technology deployment and testing, stated that the initiative aims to reduce friction in the Mobile Order & Pay process. By ensuring orders are neither started too late nor left waiting too long, the company seeks to improve convenience and operational capacity.

According to Barnett, the company measures success through a combination of operational and customer metrics, including reduced wait times, increased customer satisfaction scores, and higher repeat usage of digital channels.