Assignment number two this week were researching the history of McDonalds and explaining which part of the SCAMPER method are evident for their success.
First things first, for those who may not know, what on earth is SCAMPER? SCAMPER is an helpful way in order of creating fun, creative and new things. SCAMPER is a mnemonic, and stands for:
- S – SUBSTITUTE
- C – COMBINE
- A – ADAPT
- M – MODIFY OR MAGNIFY
- P – PUT TO ANOTHER USE
- E – ELIMINATE
- R – REVERSE OR REARRANGE
S – SUBSTITUTE
- McDonalds started out as a small restaurant, selling slow cooked barbeque from a large menu in 1940. After world war 2, they discovered that their best selling product, actually were hamburgers. In 1948 they decided to streamline their operations and introduce their Speedee Service System, featuring 15 cent hamburgers. They substituted their barbeque restaurant, which had a drive in feature, with a self-service, drive in restaurant, with a menu that only contained nine items. This allowed them to focus on the quality of their products, and quick service.
- At McDonalds they do not offer set tables or, food served on fine porcelain plates. Here you get food ready to eat, or take out on the go, in paperwrapping or boxes. The last couple of years with sustainability finally on the rise again, they have started substituting their packaging. One of the items substituted in the name of sustainability is their straws, which now is made of paper.
- Self-service in their restaurants has now got self-checkout options, where customers can put in their own orders, instead of waiting in line for one of the cashiers to be available. They have substituted the ordering process inside their restaurants, at least for customers paying by card.
C – COMBINE
- At McDonalds they combine the sit down experience of a restaurant, with takeout either by ordering in the restaurant, or ordering in their drive through.
- We could also say McDonalds have played well with the combination game when looking at their menu. Take Filet-o-fish as an example, this is a fish product, combined with hamburgers. Or Happy meal, toys and hamburgers combined into an awesome meal/playtime for the children, and playful adults.
A – ADAPT
- McDonalds have shown that they are very good at adapting to customer demands and wishes, sometimes their attempts are met with rage from customers. The paper straws mentioned earlier, has made people loose their mind in social media. Many customers have been asking for more sustainability in their packaging, but apparently not when it comes to their straws. How McDonalds will adapt to this in the future, only time will tell.
- Also they are adapting an increase in customers asking for vegetarian products, now offering several vegetarian alternatives to meat in their menues.
- Over the years a lot of people have wished for a McDonalds delivery service here in Norway, and since 2018 they have been cooperating with Foodora to satisfy their customers hanging out at home, craving a hamburger.
M – MODIFY OR MAGNIFY
- For as long as I can remember, there has always been possible to modify, or change your order when ordering at McDonalds. Either you want something extra on your hamburger, or something removed. You can also add on extra items, and increase the size of your chosen menu. Adding the self-service checkout screens, makes it even easier. Here customers can play and explore possibilities for their eating experience at McDonalds.
- They continuously keep adding or evolving their menu, to keep customers intrigued and happy.
P – PUT TO ANOTHER USE
- The restaurant is not just a place to sit down and eat. For the wifi enthusiasts out there, they offer free wifi, with all the adventurous options free access to internet can bring.
- For the kids, going to McDonalds can be almost like going to the playground, the restaurants normally have a small miniature park or play area, great for kids to explore and play.
E – ELIMINATE
- By being a self-service restaurant, they have eliminated the need for waiters. And by adding sorting system for trash, and communicating thanks to customers who clean up after themselves, they also can keep the cleanup crew to a minimum. Their assembly line production of their products, also saves time and costs for the restaurants.
- Keeping a small menu, and continuously eliminating products that has a low turn around, allows McDonalds to save costs by having a reasonable amount of resources in stock.
R – REVERSE OR REARRANGE
- When customers pay in advance for their food, they are free to leave as soon as they have eaten their food. This can clear tables much faster then if customers have to sit around waiting to pay for their meal.
Resources:
https://www.history.com/news/how-mcdonalds-became-fast-food-giant
https://www.mcdonalds.com/no/nb-no/meny/vegetar.html
https://www.mcdonalds.com/no/nb-no/maten-vaar/baerekraft.html
https://www.mcdonalds.com/no/nb-no/hos-oss.html
https://www.dagbladet.no/mat/mcdelivery-na-far-du-mcdonalds-pa-dora/70488635
https://www.history.com/news/how-mcdonalds-became-fast-food-giant
https://www.mcdonalds.com/us/en-us/about-us/our-history.html
https://corporate.mcdonalds.com/corpmcd/about-us/history.html
Trubadilje 