Software Innovations

Service system based on inubit BPM enables transparent report management

Keys to the successful introduction of a service platform for McDonald’s Deutschland

McDonaldʼs has nearly 1,480 restaurants in Germany, of which around 80 percent are operated by licensees. This makes the company not only the largest food services supplier on German soil, but also a significant player in the real estate sector. Until recently, whenever building issues arose, the company relied on a wide range of different communication channels to discuss them with its restaurant operators. Introducing the standardized ODST communication platform and a highly integrated service system has allowed the fast-food retailer to increase the transparency of the reporting process for its 1,480 or so McDonald’s restaurants in Germany, and make the ensuing clarification process much more effective.

Need for action, and objectivesEach year, between 1,500 and 1,600 real estate and construction-related incidents are registered by the almost 1,480 restaurants in Germany, which averages out to 1.5 reported incidents per restaurant. Since 80 percent of McDonald’s restaurants are operated by licensees, with McDonald’s owning the property in most cases, incidents of reported damage often lead to discussions as to who must carry the cost. Until 2011, this dialog was conducted through a variety of communication channels such as phone, fax, and e-mail. What was lacking, however, was a transparent operational structure and processing method.

In December 2011, it was decided that a platform for receiving and communicating reported incidents of property damage was required, and by March 2012 this platform was ready to be presented to the franchisees. The objective was to create a communication platform for all restaurant operators that would eventually offer the following: Standardized, easy to use, and transparent system for

licensees and company-owned restaurants Control function Traceability

These requirements led to the creation of the ODST (Operator Development Service Tool) Service System, which is based on inubit BPM.

Keys to successKeep it simple – according to Dieter Opitz, Manager Development Strategies & Analysis, this is an important success factor for a project of this kind, particularly at the outset. Experience shows that it is much more efficient to take a straightforward approach in the early stages and incorporate deeper insights as the project progresses on an iterative basis. This method is better than trying to account for and model all eventualities in advance.

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Prerequisites for ensuring the speedy and successful imple-mentation of the project included: Short time to market thanks to the KISS principle (Keep

It Short and Simple) Ease of integrating software in order to avoid silo solu-

tions Use of master data from the in-house ERP system Precise mapping of business processes thanks to coop-

eration between IT team and department Dynamic modeling to accelerate and complete process

data

The Challenge

1.480 restaurants – 270 restaurant operators – 1 communication platform for reporting incidentsODST was initiated by one of the members of the McDon-ald’s Deutschland executive board with a view to offering restaurant operators more services, speeding up process-es, keeping barriers to using the system as low as possible, and being able to gradually incorporate other processes. The following requirements were issued by departments and IT staff, some of which became apparent only once the system was operational: Transparency and convenient data entry The system should enable all parties to find out the cur-

rent status of their case, so that problems such as water damage can be fixed quickly.

Highly integrated system The system should enable all parties to find out the cur-

rent status of their case, so that problems such as water damage can be fixed quickly.

Control function Managers should be able to use the system to determine

key indicators. Balanced Scorecard A balanced scorecard was progressively tied in so that

the repair work carried out by commissioned service providers could be measured and evaluated.

The software solution

Including its testing phase, the plan was to have the communication platform up and running within a very short time to market of only three months, which “caused a fair amount of project stress from the outset,” according to Dieter Opitz. In the initial stages, the team also evaluated other systems that seemed more powerful in terms of their basic functionality. However, time to market for these systems was substantially longer, or their integration options proved to be much more limited. Thanks to the XML technology used in inubit and the many connectors available, the current platform is quick and easy to connect and integrate with other technical systems. This

is indispensable for the ODST project, and does exactly what McDonald’s Deutschland needs. For example, a service function was used to integrate a reporting system for managers and to install a construction application that allows architects, surveyors, and contractors to be commissioned. All in all, the team was able to construct a fully integrated system without silos.

ODST in transition – platform growth to meet requirements

At the beginning of the ODST project, the main objective was to channel and capture the more than 1,500 requests received each year through various communication media. Each restaurant operator was able to use the first-generation ODST to fill out a report, specify the restaurant number, describe the problem, attach any necessary files and submit the report for processing. The system sent an e-mail to confirm that the operator’s request was being processed. In this sense, the process resembled a ticket system, except that from the very start it offered a variety of other possibilities by gradually integrating other systems. Its simple structure ensured that the rapid time to market requirement was met – from idea to finished product was just a short step. The first ODST generation was only used internally by the departments (March 2012), but after receiving positive feedback, training for franchisees and a Germany-wide rollout followed shortly thereafter (April 2012).

„Since inubit BPM was introduced, we’ve hardly evercome up against a process requirement from the departments that we’ve not been able to fulfill.“Dieter Opitz, Manager Development Strategies & Analysis

First generation of ODST processes

McDonald’s Deutschland – Keys to the successful introduction of a service platform | 3

In the next stage, McDonald’s Deutschland uses services provided by Bosch Software Innovations to carry out final tests on the new process. In difficult moderation rounds, Bosch Software Innovations prefers to be included in the approval phase alongside the departments in a bid to minimize sources of error as early as possible.The technical workflow is then modeled and implemented by the company’s own IT department. Doing this in house allows the company to respond more quickly if something goes wrong, and significantly reduces the amount of work, for example whenever a remodel is required.Final system inspection and approval is once again carried out in conjunction with the department so that errors can be identified and corrected more quickly. This approach ensures that as little time as possible elapses between determining the requirements and fulfilling them.

Summary: project success has many fathersIntroducing the inubit BPM-based ODST allowed McDonald’s Deutschland to achieve a very fast time to market. Meanwhile, the company’s modeling methods are becoming increasingly dynamic: where there used to be 15 forms to fill out for each process, nowadays it’s just one or two, with form content that dynamically adjusts to allow process data to be modelled and supplemented much faster. Although adding these dynamic elements costs more time during the modeling phase, it supports users and specialist departments extremely effectively in day-to-day business.Including the department in the modeling process is also an absolute win-win because “to a certain extent, we have very strict rules that are set, for example, by external auditors or the American parent company. The departments must be able to rely on receiving what they have ordered in the form of a product,” says Dieter Opitz.Since ODST now operates with very complicated sets of rules, McDonald’s is currently contemplating whether to develop a rule set or definition of the rules in conjunction with Bosch Software Innovations for one of the upcoming projects. Here, too, fast implementation is guaranteed, thanks to integrated connectors to the Visual Rules BRM solution.

„That’s the advantage of working with inubit BPM: you can include employees that are not particularly IT-savvy in discussions about the finer points of the procedure, and can enlist their help for process modeling. I can’t do that with Java source code.“

Subsequent releases have been considerably more complex in terms of their structure and offer new features. For example, Release 3.0 (November 2012) came with the existing construction application already fully connected. In addition, the platform was expanded to include a sophisticated escalation management component and a system for organizing vacation coverage. This means that now, for instance, tasks can also be made accessible to other persons besides the staff member primarily responsible for the case.In addition, a comprehensive reporting function was integrated into the tool to give managers an overview of all received cases and to allow them to navigate at the case level using drill-down functions. The system is also able to evaluate the many hierarchy levels and the distribution of staff over the various restaurants. This was achieved by connecting a web service to the in-house ERP system, which supplies the corresponding hierarchy data.Meanwhile, access options for users have also been considerably simplified. At the start, users could access the system only via the intranet using the existing restaurant VPN network. Today’s solution is much simpler: a web VPN enables each franchisee to access ODST via their own personal device (PC, tablet, smartphone). The thresholds for reporting incidents are also kept as low as possible without sacrificing the security guaranteed by placing the system in a VPN-protected environment.The system was extended to all restaurants, so now there is a uniform service platform for reporting incidents of property damage.

Department and IT team: collaboration for process successAt McDonald’s Deutschland, IT experts and other departments work closely together. If action is needed, the department calls a kickoff meeting. At this meeting, the department creates a workflow model for the task at hand, normally using the BOC Adonis system, but sometimes simply using PowerPoint or Visio. In this way, process data is directly provided or modeled by the department itself.

The next step has the department working together with IT to create a workflow using graphical workflow design software to ensure that the final product meets the set requirements.

Third generation of ODST processes

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McDonald’s is one of the world’s most famous brands. With almost 1,480 restaurants in Germany, the company leads its market in the German gastronomy sector. McDonald’s and its 240 franchisees employ a combined staff of around 60,000. Over 85 percent of McDonald’s restaurants in Germany are run by self-employed businessmen and -women who act as brand ambassadors in their local region. The first German McDonald’s restaurant opened on December 4, 1971 in Martin-Luther-Strasse in Munich.

About McDonaldʼs Deutschland

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Together with many partners and service providers, the company strives to live up to the motto “Good Food Fast.” In many cases, relationships with raw material suppliers go back several years. Roughly 75 percent of the purchasing volume is sourced from Germany, as is around 90 percent of the beef.

Bosch Software Innovations, the Bosch Group’s software and systems house, designs, develops, and operates innovative software and system solutions that help our customers around the world both in the Internet of Things (IoT) and in the traditional enterprise environment. We place particular focus on the topics of mobility, energy, manufacturing, and building. Our IoT platform – the Bosch IoT Suite – allows the interaction of devices, users, companies and partners on a centralized platform. This enables the development of innovative and future-oriented solutions for new business models.

With some 600 associates worldwide, Bosch Software Innovations has locations in Germany (Berlin, Immenstaad, and Stuttgart), Singapore, China (Shanghai), and the United States (Chicago).

More information can be found at www.bosch-si.com, www.twitter.com/BoschSI, www.blog.bosch-si.com.

The Bosch Group is a leading global supplier of technology and services. It employs roughly 360,000 associates worldwide (as per April 1, 2015). The company generated sales of 49 billion euros in 2014.* Its operations are divided into four business sectors: Mobility Solutions, Industrial Technology, Consumer Goods, and Energy and Building Technology. The Bosch Group comprises Robert Bosch GmbH and its roughly 440 subsidiary and regional companies in some 60 countries. Including its sales and service partners, Bosch is represented in roughly 150 countries. This worldwide development, manufacturing, and sales network is the foundation for further growth. In 2014, Bosch applied for some 4,600 patents worldwide. The Bosch Group’s strategic objective is to create solutions for a connected life. Bosch improves quality of life worldwide with products and services that are innovative and spark enthusiasm. In short, Bosch creates technology that is “Invented for life.”

Additional information is available online at www.bosch.com, www.bosch-press.com, http://twitter.com/BoschPresse

*The sales figure disclosed for 2014 does not include the former joint ventures BSH Bosch und Siemens Hausgeräte GmbH (now BSH Hausgeräte GmbH) and ZF Lenksysteme GmbH (now Robert Bosch Automotive Steering GmbH), which have since been taken over completely.