You’re probably wondering…what does fast food have to do with PMOs and project management? Bear with me. The secret behind McDonald’s success isn’t just the burgers; the systems, processes, and scalability ensure consistency across thousands of locations. And that same approach can transform how your PMO operates.
If you weren’t aware, McDonald’s is a global powerhouse, serving over 69 million customers daily in over 100 countries. It began in 1940, when Richard and Maurice McDonald opened a small drive-in restaurant in San Bernardino, California. In 1954, Ray Kroc, a milkshake machine salesman, saw the potential in their efficient “Speedee Service System” and helped transform McDonald’s into a franchising juggernaut.
If you’ve seen The Founder (2016) – which I highly recommend – you’ll remember how Ray Kroc turned a small California burger stand into a global powerhouse, not by reinventing the burger but by perfecting the process behind it. McDonald’s “Speedee Service System” ensured that every burger, fry, and shake was delivered quickly, efficiently, and consistently, regardless of location.
Imagine applying that same standardisation, efficiency, and scalability to your PMO or project delivery?
Today, with over 40,000 locations worldwide, McDonald’s is a masterclass in consistency, efficiency, and operational excellence, turning a simple burger shop into a global empire. Imagine bringing that same structured efficiency to your PMO or project delivery. McDonald’s doesn’t grow by accident; it thrives because of repeatable systems that work every time.
“If you can’t describe what you are doing as a process, you don’t know what you’re doing.” W. Edwards Deming
One of McDonald’s most powerful lessons, the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) Playbook, can be applied to your PMO or project management approach. An SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) Playbook is a structured guide outlining repeatable processes, ensuring consistency and efficiency.
McDonald’s SOP Playbook: The Secret to Scalability
McDonald’s doesn’t leave anything to chance. Every task, from flipping burgers to cleaning the kitchen, follows a clearly defined, repeatable process. Employees know exactly what to do, how, and when to escalate issues. This approach ensures:
- Consistency – A Big Mac tastes the same in New York or Sydney because the process is standardised
- Efficiency – New employees can be onboarded quickly without reinventing the wheel
- Scalability – The company can open new locations with minimal disruption
“Systems run the business, and people run the systems.” Michael Gerber
How This Applies to Your PMO or Project
Imagine if your PMO or project team had an SOP Playbook for:
- Project Governance – Clear approvals, risk management, and reporting steps.
- Decision-Making – Defined criteria for escalating issues vs. handling them independently.
- Stakeholder Engagement – A structured approach to communication, so every project gets the right level of visibility.
- Resource Management – A system for onboarding new team members and quickly getting them up to speed.
Much like McDonald’s SOP, a well-defined PMO Playbook eliminates confusion, reduces wasted effort, and allows your team to focus on delivering value rather than firefighting.
Leveraging McDonald’s Ways of Working for your PMO
The ‘Drive-Thru’ Model: Efficient Project Intake & Prioritisation
McDonald’s drive-thru isn’t just about speed; it’s about structured flow. Customers glide through ordering, paying, and collecting food without bottlenecks because each step is crystal clear. That’s the kind of seamless process your PMO needs.
Sidenote – who doesn’t love flow, I say this as I write this article at 3 am on a Thursday.
PMO Insight: Your PMO’s project intake should function like a well-designed drive-thru: structured, efficient, and without bottlenecks. This ensures:
- Projects move through approval gates efficiently (and don’t get stalled at the front door too long)
- No unnecessary back-and-forth (it’s clear once it’s there, what must happen next)
- Work is prioritised based on capacity and strategic alignment (which is pre-determined based on the size of your PMO/Project resource pool)
Action: Define a transparent Project Intake Process so teams know how to submit and track proposals.
Standardised Training: Onboarding & Knowledge Management
McDonald’s makes it easy for new employees to get up to speed quickly because they follow a structured training program. For example, a new worker in Tokyo follows the same burger-flipping SOP as one in London. Regardless of their experience, they could have been the best burger flipper at Burger King. You are still going through the same onboarding!
PMO Insight: Many projects fail due to a lack of onboarding. PMOs must transfer knowledge seamlessly, so teams don’t waste time reinventing the wheel. Don’t get me started on the hiring delays, but once the hire is made, the time it takes to have new starters ready sometimes takes days, not hours!
Action: Create a Project Onboarding Kit with:
- Clear documentation on processes.
- Checklists for new project managers or teams.
- Training materials to ensure everyone follows proven practices.
Just as structured onboarding keeps new McDonald’s employees productive from day one, a well-defined PMO induction prevents wasted time and misalignment.
Supply Chain Management: Resource & Vendor Alignment
McDonald’s doesn’t just focus on the restaurant…it ensures the efficiency of its entire supply chain. Everything from bun deliveries to meat quality is optimised. They leave nothing to chance. They also don’t have single points of failure, in case of a potato shortage (yes, this actually happens!).
PMO Insight: Project teams must align internal resources and external vendors as carefully. Disruptions in resource planning can derail timelines just as a missing ingredient can ruin a burger.
Action: Implement a Resource Forecasting Model to predict availability and avoid last-minute gaps.
Take Action: Build Your PMO Playbook
If you don’t already have a structured playbook, start small:
- Identify repetitive processes that need clarity
- Document them in a simple, step-by-step format
- Automate or standardise where possible to remove friction
The more repeatable your PMO’s processes, the more scalable and efficient your project execution becomes, just like McDonald’s.
“Great things are done by a series of small things brought together.” Vincent Van Gogh
Common Pitfalls to Avoid
Depending on location, a McDonald’s franchise can set you back $ 2 M or more. The cost of a franchise varies around the world. Despite the global appeal and brand recognition of McDonald’s, some restaurants do fail. Like struggling franchises, PMOs can fail due to poor execution.
Draw parallels to what McDonald’s does right:
Lack of Consistency = Confusion & Waste
- McDonald’s Fix: SOPs ensure the same quality every time.
- PMO Fix: Use templates and checklists for governance, reporting, and approvals. Automated where possible.
Overcomplication = Slow Execution
- McDonald’s Fix: A simple, scalable model.
- PMO Fix: Remove unnecessary bureaucracy and focus on essential governance. Start lean and build up from there. And always align with the level of maturity.
Poor Visibility = Misalignment
- McDonald’s Fix: Real-time tracking of inventory and orders.
- PMO Fix: Use project dashboards to give leadership instant visibility. First, focus on the most important metrics, working with leadership to determine what matters most and remove everything else.
Measuring Success
McDonald’s tracks everything, from order speed to customer satisfaction. I notice this every time you are in the drive-thru, and the minute you have paid, they ask you to wait in the waiting bay. This resets the drive-thru timers, which drive metrics they get measured on for performance and other factors. PMOs must do the same with project performance.
Key PMO Metrics to Track (Like McDonald’s Does)
- Cycle Time: How long does moving from project initiation to delivery take?
- Project Success Rate: What percentage of projects deliver expected outcomes?
- Stakeholder Satisfaction: Are sponsors and teams happy with the PMO’s support?
- Adherence to Standards: How consistently do teams follow pre-defined processes?
For example, I measured when a new hiring request came in, how quickly it was advertised and recruited, the number of interviews, the time to offer, and so much more. Why? Because we continued to find bottlenecks in the process between the enterprise PMO, which would approve the roles, HR, which would recruit them, the agencies providing candidates, and the decision makers interviewing. It was messy, and I needed to get to the bottom of where the delays were. To later follow the process.
Action: Set up a PMO Dashboard to track these metrics and improve decision-making.
McDonald’s doesn’t grow by accident; it thrives because of repeatable systems. Imagine your PMO as a franchise – every project team should be able to operate independently without losing quality or control.
What’s your Perspective?
What’s one process in your PMO that could benefit from McDonald’s approach to standardisation? Let’s discuss in the comments!
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