Third Place:

McDonald’s Wireless Bump Bar

Instead of waiting for a company to develop a wireless bump bar for quick-service employees, McDonald’s developed the technology itself. Traditional versions of the bump bar, which allows for crew member communication, require wires to be run to mounting locations and can be cumbersome as crew members move around in the kitchen. So the chain developed a wireless version that allows employees to move freely about the space. The devices, which can be worn via a belt clip or lanyard, rolled out to all locations last year and have led to improved order accuracy and speed of service, says Steve Novotny, IT director for U.S.-based operations.

“Flexibility for the crew is what’s important,” he says. “It makes our crew’s life better, and the ultimate goal is to provide a happier and better customer experience.”

Honorable Mentions:

El Pollo Loco EthicsPoint Issue and Event Manager

In the past, El Pollo Loco—like many other chains—provided a hotline for employees to report violations of its Code of Business Ethics and Conduct. But as the brand grew, the chain’s human resources team realized it needed a better way to solicit and address employee concerns.

To make it easier for both users and administrators, the chain adopted the EthicsPoint Issue and Event Manager, a single system for capturing, managing, and resolving a variety of incidents dealing with corporate governance, issue management, and issue awareness. In addition to a 24/7/365 hotline for employees to report concerns or violations, the system is also integrated with a branded Web portal, El Pollo Loco’s Intranet, and the company’s public Web site. Case-management software facilitates two-way communication between employees and human resource staff members, who can monitor reports with a management dashboard that breaks down data by location, region, and issue type.

Papa John’s Text Message Ordering

The theory of providing technology in a format that’s comfortable for users was the cornerstone behind the innovation at Papa John’s. After the success of its online ordering program, launched in 2001, the Louisville, Kentucky–based pizza chain decided to give customers an even easier way to order, via text message using their mobile phones.

With 100 million users sending text messages each month, Papa John’s team decided to focus on that function rather than mobile Web applications, which are used by far fewer.

Users register for the service on Papa John’s Web site, where they are prompted to save their favorite orders, delivery address, and payment option. Once they’re set up, they just text their order (FAV1, FAV2, etc.) to 4PAPA (47272). The order is then sent to the closest Papa John’s restaurant, where it comes to the crew through the POS just the same as an online order.

Papa John’s says use of the service is growing faster than the chain anticipated, though it would not provide specific numbers.