Reducing a drive-thru wait by 30 seconds can mean a lot to a franchisee's bottom line. As this New York Times article reports, new technology introduced by Hyperactive Technologies, Inc. (and currently being tested by Pittsburgh area McDonald's franchisees) promises to do that by identifying not only the volume of customers waiting in line but also their potential orders. Using rooftop cameras, the system known as Hyperactive Bob currently estimates volume by judging that mini-vans will likely have larger orders than sports cars. (Editor's Note -- Mini-van drivers are also more likely to drive slowly in the passing lane). The predictive system currently available only in simulations is impressing operators by claiming to predict which customers are likely to order chicken sandwiches and which will order cheeseburgers. Even as the system is now operating -- predicting only volume, operators claim that they have reduced their waste by 50% and have reduced wait times by 25 to 40 seconds per customer.
Posted by franchiselawblog at September 8, 2004 12:05 PM