Last week, we focussed on the importance of creating a process, and cited MacDonald’s as a great example (they make a terrible product, with average people, but always deliver on promise and service; remember?).

But it’s not always been Big Mac, fries to go.

Back in 2013, they were getting twitchy about SUBWAY with its ‘eat fresh’ promise and ambitious expansion plans.

So, in a bid to attract a younger clientele, they launched the McWrap; a “healthy” wrap with a choice of fried or grilled chicken, cheese, bacon, a selection of sauces, and a couple of ingredients that had never before been served at McDonald’s, like cucumbers.

And this is where it went horribly wrong.  The McWrap was incredibly labour-intensive to prepare – employees had to steam the tortilla, chop ingredients, stuff and roll the wrap, and fit it inside a cardboard sleeve. And this was at a time when the fast-food chain had just added the all-day-breakfast to the menu; placing added stress on employees.

The positive from this? It took a few years, but MacDonald’s realised the mistake, amended it by culling the McWrap from the menu, and moved on. After all, they serve around 68 million customers daily in 119 countries across 36,538 outlets, so process is key! 

That’s a wrap from us (sorry). Have a great week and continue to focus on your processes; remember to first understand the what and then look to improve.