Question

The business I chose to write about was Mcdonald’s and to discuss their distribution channels that they use to get their product to the customer. After doing some research, to my understanding, a distribution channel is the process the good or service takes from beginning to end to reach the customer or client. This process can be done very quickly with a limited amount of steps or take an extensive amount of time. A company can also have multiple distribution channels to reach the customer or client. In the case of Mcdonald’s they have several differe4nt distribution channel and some are new to their company. One of these is simply by ordering a meal directly inside the restaurant with a cashier or employee. This is the most basic channel as the order being taken is put into the system and then made to order. Another channel is by ordering through the driver through service onto a speaker which the order being taken by an employee is put into the system and then the food is made to order. Recently, McDonald's has added technology to two of their distribution channels. One of which is where the customer can order their food on an app on their phone where the order is processed to the Mcdonald’s of their choice. This order is automatically put into the computer system and made by the employees. The food is then brought out to the customer in the parking lot where they don’t have to wait through the drive through line. The last distribution channel is the newest one at Mcdonald’s and this is called a Kiosk. These are only in select Mcdonald’s and they are located inside the lobby where the customers can manually put their order in there without speaking to an employee. Like the app, the order is placed into the computer system where the employees can see and make it. Their order number that they were given is then called out and their food is given to them. This allows the customer to not have to wait in line to place their order with a cashier.

Please respond in 150 words

Answer 1

Distribution channels are important to satisfy the consumers' needs and help organization grow. Though, these distribution channels should be flexible enough without compromising the quality of the service towards the consumers. It is the reason that McDonald has come up with the different new channels to tap customers with different needs and without coming inside the restaurant. Here, technology is working as enabler of the business that has connected consumers with the company. For example, consumers use Kiosks and submit their order that is received by the McDonald and service is delivered to that consumers. Here, McDonald has to take care that all these distribution channels should be compatible with each other and IT application used by McDonald should be able to integrate the different platforms seamlessly to become really successful and make consumers satisfy. Hence. using technology as enabler of different channels are important and helps increase the business, but it also increases the complexity that McDonald has to take care off.