Economics Focus
The economics part of the research has focused on the importance of two-way communication systems at businesses that feature drive-thru components. Such businesses are dominated by fast food restaurants which represent one of the largest segments of the food industry with over 200,000 restaurants and $120B in sales in the U.S. alone. Fast food restaurants, also known as quick service restaurants (QSRs), are noted for their short food preparation time. Some of the largest players in this category include international giants like McDonald's and Yum!Brands, national chains such as Wendy's and Burger King and regional players like Jack In The Box and Sonic.


Conclusions
According to QSR magazine, the leading industry analyzer, the main factors responsible for the increase in revenue are low prices, menu innovation and quick service.
In its recent report QSR states that at a typical McDonald's restaurant drive-thru sales account for more than 60 percent of the overall revenue and more than 80 percent of the lunch revenue. The report also points out to the importance of communication accuracy in the ordering process making it clear that saving a few seconds at the kiosk can significantly increase sales and customer satisfaction.
As the traffic and business volume at quick service restaurants increases it becomes clear that in order to meet the demands of a highly lucrative trade there is room for improvement in the communications area. The key equipment component that facilitates the exchange of information between the customer and the sales person is the kiosk. Investigating the factors that alter the communication process and looking into ways to improve this process are the main purposes of the IPRO 344 project and we hope to develop a viable and affordable solution that will address this issue.