Orquest Interview with McDonald’s Cyprus

Orquest has partnered with McDonald’s Cyprus to tranform their restaurant operations. By streamlining scheduling processes, Orquest empowers McDonald’s 23 restaurants to focus on what truly matters: exceptional customer experiences and a positive work environment. This collaboration aligns perfectly with McDonald’s commitment to community impact, innovation, and team care, enhancing overall operational efficiency across the island.

As the rollout of Orquest approaches completion across all McDonald’s Cyprus restaurants, we sat down with Antonis Hadjiyiannis, Learning & Development Manager, and Savvas Savva, Operations Consultant, to discuss their experience with Orquest. Both Antonis and Savvas have been key players in numerous initiatives throughout the company. In our conversation, they shared insights into why Orquest stands out as a top-tier solution.

The transition from manual scheduling to Orquest’s AI-powered solution has been a smooth process, with strong support from the Orquest team. As 18 out of 23 restaurants are now live, feedback has been overwhelmingly positive, particularly for the system’s user-friendliness and accessibility. Orquest’s ability to streamline scheduling while ensuring compliance with Cyprus’ labor laws has enabled McDonald’s Cyprus to reduce complexity, save time, and optimize operations. Antonis and Savvas are confident that, as the full rollout is completed, the long-term benefits of Orquest will continue to enhance productivity, improve team morale, and support managers in focusing on customer experience.

1. Can you please introduce yourself, your current job title, and how many years you have been with McDonald’s? 

A. H.: My name is Antonis Hadjiyiannis, and I am the Learning and Development Assistant Manager at McDonald’s Cyprus. I’ve been with the company for 12 years, and I’ve had the opportunity to work on various projects during my time here.

S. S.: I’ve been with the company for 20 years now. I’m an Operations Consultant and am responsible for four restaurants. As Antonis mentioned, we have had the chance to be involved in various projects, including this one with Orquest.

2. Before implementing Orquest, what challenges did your team face when scheduling for the restaurants?

S. S.: First of all, the scheduling was done manually by our scheduling manager. It was very time-consuming. Sometimes taking between 6 to 8 hours, or even more, depending on the restaurant. It was especially frustrating when we were short-staffed and the demand was high. It was very frustrating for the store managers and for us, and we had to ensure that the schedule complied with the country’s laws and regulations, as well as the company’s rules. The scheduling manager had to account for all of this to create a schedule, and it took time every Monday or Tuesday. It was never on time, and I think Antonis would agree. Our time frame was supposed to be by Wednesday, but it was often delayed until Friday.

A. H.: I completely agree with Savvas. Just to highlight two points: sometimes we lacked control over labor costs, and the whole process was really time-consuming.

3. How has Orquest helped streamline your operations compared to your previous scheduling methods?

A. H.: Actually, Orquest has been a game-changer for us because it automated many of the time-consuming tasks that were previously done manually, saving us significant hours each week. Now, the system automatically adjusts based on actual restaurant needs, helping us allocate resources more efficiently. This has enabled us to focus on operational aspects that matter, like customer service and team morale.

S. S.: I totally agree with Antonis. I just want to add something that’s very important for our market. Switching from manual scheduling, which we had been doing for the last 27 years, to using AI-based software was a big challenge for us. In every market, especially in ours, there are both old-school and new-school managers, so we had to combine these approaches to get the best results. At the beginning, we had our doubts about how it would work, since we had been doing it manually for 27 years. The main challenge was the people involved in the process. But as we’re rolling out, by next month, all the restaurants will be live with Orquest. We see that our lives have become easier, and our managers now have more time to focus on other things, rather than spending three or four days continuously working on the schedule.

4. How has Orquest helped with calculating restaurant needs by station and ensuring the right staff is in the right position?

S. S.: First of all, Orquest does a fantastic job analyzing the data, uploading historical data to the current time we are using it. The staff forecasting is very important for us because we are based on guest counts. This feature helps us a lot by ensuring the right staff is placed in the right positions at the right times, whether in the kitchen, on the front line, or in the drive-thru. The software ensures that each station has enough staff to handle peak hours and specific tasks. One of the main things is that Orquest increases productivity by putting the right staff in the right stations and helps reduce labor costs, which is one of our main targets.

A. H.: Just to highlight again, Orquest helps us reduce employee labor by placing people during peak hours and reducing downtime. This allows us to reduce labor costs while increasing employee productivity.

5. Are there any specific metrics you can highlight, such as time saved or improvements in team productivity?

A. H.: We monitor employee labor every day, and we can say that, market-wide, labor costs have decreased by almost 0.9%. We believe that the results will improve even more in a few weeks, as 18 out of 23 restaurants are already live with Orquest. So, we expect better results soon. I don’t know if Savvas wants to add anything.

S. S.: After analyzing the needs and making the correct distribution, we adjusted the numbers. Now we see that we’re down by 1.2%, but we have increased productivity, which was around 3.9 to 4%. It’s still a bit low, but now it’s close to 4.5%.

6. Is Orquest meeting your expectations? What do you like most about it?

A. H.: Orquest has exceeded our expectations in many ways. What I like most is its simplicity and how it allows for a much more flexible and agile approach to scheduling. The system is responsive to changes in demand, helping us adjust schedules in real-time with minimal effort.

S. S.: At the beginning, I was a bit doubtful because, as I mentioned, it’s not easy to transition from what we’ve been doing for the last 27 years. But in three months, we had to make a drastic change, and it was a challenge for us. However, we believed in the process, and we received tremendous support from the Orquest team, especially during the training sessions. We still receive that support, and we’d like to thank you very much for that.

7. What feedback have you received from your restaurant teams regarding their experience with Orquest since its implementation?

A. H.: The feedback we received from our team has been absolutely positive. The system is very user-friendly, and they love how easily they can submit shift requests or indicate availability. The balance between shifts is also great, and overall, the feedback from the team is completely positive.

S. S.: I agree with Antonis. Just one comment from some of our colleagues—when we first started in September—is that Orquest is accessible from anywhere. Some colleagues, especially those who are more tech-oriented, love that they can work from home if they have 30 minutes or an hour. They can access Orquest, make changes, and apply them easily.

8. How would you describe the implementation process? How was the collaboration between your in-house team and the Orquest team during the implementation?

S. S.: For us, one of the key things that reduced complexity during this process was our collaboration with the Orquest team, especially with Susanna, Laís, and Pablo. They are very knowledgeable and have specific roles, so they know how to address any issues that arise. This made the process much smoother for us. We always knew who to reach out to, whether it was Susanna, Pablo, or someone else responsible for that specific task.

A. H.: I would also add that the implementation process was very smooth due to the strong collaboration between our team and the Orquest experts. Thank you again for your support.

9. How does the legislative framework in Cyprus impact your scheduling? How has Orquest’s ability to handle different contracts and legal restrictions improved your scheduling efficiency?

A. H.: Every country has its own labor laws, and in European countries, especially, there are many regulations. In Cyprus, we have several labor laws to comply with, especially regarding working hours and rest periods. Orquest has made it much easier for us to navigate these legal complexities. It automatically takes into account legal requirements such as rest periods, overtime, and contract terms, ensuring that we never face compliance issues. This has streamlined our scheduling process and given us peace of mind, knowing everything is in line with the law. 

S. S.: I also want to mention that we had a very strong collaboration with our HR department regarding contracts and other legislations. Their input was crucial, and we learned that no matter how good the software is, if you don’t input the correct data, you won’t get the best results. The HR team worked closely with us to ensure everything was aligned with Cypriot labor laws.

10. Would you recommend Orquest to other businesses? If so, why?

S. S.: Definitely, yes. We see the long-term benefits, and it’s going to be huge for us. One of the things we aim to do is reduce complexity and save time for our managers when dealing with people. Implementing a system like Orquest is one of the best decisions we could have made at this point. I completely agree with Antonis.

A. H.: I’m sure you know the answer. I would definitely recommend Orquest to other companies, especially in the restaurant sector. It’s a simple, user-friendly system that helps us reduce labor costs, increase productivity, and, most importantly, it’s very easy to use.

11. Any additional thoughts on Orquest?

A. H.: Just again, thank you for everything. We will continue to work with you to complete the rollout plan, and once again, thank you for the excellent collaboration.