The impact of computer system has had on McDonalds fast food resturant - Essay Example

McDonalds got us to throw away our trash and banks converted us from using tellers to ATM's. Retail customers are increasingly choosing to serve themselves. Kiosks are becoming common. Customers can determine/verify product pricing, view on-line promotions and advertising, locate products, and access frequent shopper program information. With kiosks, customers can view a much wider assortment of merchandise than can be accommodated on the sales floor. Retailers can offer more colors, sizes, flavors and options.

Kiosks allow for offering complementary products to standard store offerings. Customers can also quickly find what they want. The retailer can provide additional product information - including specifications, price comparisons and product reviews. Customers can perform transactions such as buying a gift card or applying for a credit card on a kiosk. Handheld computers can read barcodes on products in the store, and calculate a running total of the bill as customers shop. More customers can be served quicker by fewer people when self-checkout systems are implemented, resulting in a long-term cost savings.

Self-checkout is an example of how technology has increased margins for retailers."3 Currently McDonalds is testing the use of new technologies such as RFID and barcode-selling in some countries. For example, in South Korea, customers can buy their food through their cell phones which rings when the order is ready4 but it is said that "this trial is much more an RFID effort than a traditional mobile experiment. Most of the phone's communications capabilities and its display are barely used, with customers having to download a McDonalds application into their phone.

"5 However the system works easily for the people with compatible cell phones. "At each table, there is an RFID reader and a menu that has built-in RFID chips. Customers plug the reader into their mobile phones and point them at the item on the menu that they wish to eat or drink. The bill is charged through the mobile phone. When the meal is ready, the system sends a short message to the phone so the customer can pick up the ready tray at a designated counter."6 In order for McDonalds to implement a secure RFID and barcode system, they consider all the security measurements for these technologies.

"There are a number of fundamental design features necessary in automatic data collection systems and good database design."7 "Not surprisingly, FRIDs poor system design, whether capturing RFID tag information, bar code information or keyboard-entered data will create vulnerabilities."8 In other words, initial RFID is a system with weaknesses and in order to use this system, McDonalds needs to resolve some security issues. Researchers state that "RFID systems as a whole are often treated with suspicion, but the input data received from individual RFID tags is implicitly trusted.

"9 Viruses and worms are known threats that can influence these systems with ease. Currently McDonalds is cooperating with security companies to provide maximum security tools and protocols to