GCP – ChromeOS: The secret ingredient for piping hot Domino’s pizza

Today’s post is by Malcolm Fisher, Director of ERP Systems, and Michael Crumley, Manager of Store Technology, both of Domino’s, with over 20,000 restaurants globally. Domino’s adopted ChromeOS powered signage and feature rich app UI experiences for stores around the world.

We locked down the formula for cheesy and delicious pizza back in 1960, when Domino’s was born. However, it wasn’t until we found ChromeOS that our in-store technology experience complemented our menu. Built on ChromeOS, we developed an all-in-one custom solution that connects the pizza production, or “makeline,” directly to the customer, helping us deliver the most consistent pizza possible.

Connectivity Provides Unparalleled Customer Experience

Domino’s prioritizes delivering pizzas hot and made to order for customers. To highlight this brand promise to customers, we needed a direct link between customers and stores that maximized visibility, output, and accuracy.

We determined a custom app built on ChromeOS was a perfect solution to deliver a seamless customer experience across applications and Domino’s restaurants. Our app generates a visual experience that keeps customers informed as their order progresses. Customers can track orders on their phones, which is also mirrored on in-store digital screens. Employees use the in-store screens to follow the step-by-step process, through stages like toppings, baking, and boxing, ensuring customizations are applied to each order. This empowers employees to serve customers quickly and accurately, while improving in-store operations.

Seamless Digital Workflows Enable More Efficient Physical Workflows

The single app has multiple experiences. Managers can customize digital screens through the app’s “Experience Launcher” based on individual store needs. There’s a setting that alerts workers when online orders are arriving, and tells managers when drivers are returning so they can run orders out to them—instead of drivers wasting time finding parking spaces. Real time information sharing between the customer experience and store makes the process run smoothly. With less wasted time running from place to place, employees can spend more time on important jobs like checking inventory and restocking ingredients.

Simplified Deployment and Support

The ability to standardize operations on ChromeOS has lowered cost of support and simplified store operations. We can remotely configure all policies and devices through the Google Admin console. In addition, we created a proprietary management layer that lets us customize the in-app experiences for each device. We can push updates and troubleshoot issues entirely remotely with Chrome Remote Desktop, minimizing disruptions for store staff. Our system seamlessly runs across devices without needing reconfiguration, reducing hassle and workload for our stores.

We can also track exactly how the app is being used: which experiences are accessed, how screens are split up, who’s using the app, and usage changes during peak business seasons. This helps us make sure we are investing in the right experiences and allows us to centrally manage and improve devices as we expand.

Capital Efficient Deployment for Franchisees

Beyond reliability, management, and provisioning, ChromeOS devices deliver significant cost savings. Franchisees can use one device to power four different displays. By utilizing this capability, we extract 60% more value from each Chromebox. This translates to fewer devices needed per store, resulting in substantial savings for both us and our franchisees. ChromeOS empowers our success. It provides the flexibility to develop custom applications, streamline device management, and grant franchisees the power to tailor each device to their specific needs. This combination fosters efficient operations and drives success for both Domino’s and our franchisees.

By developing on ChromeOS, we’ve streamlined deployment. For new devices, we use enterprise enrollment via the Google Admin console. Users login & register to our secure app which gives them access to our proprietary system. This allows us to centrally install apps on each device based on franchisee preference or local requirements. The completely automated process lets Domino’s stores get a device up and running in less than 10 minutes. Stores unpack, connect power, access the network, and they’re ready to go – no complex configuration needed. Once a device is registered, pre-configured API’s automate the day-to-day management, reducing complexity and lowering labor requirements. We have deployed over fifty-thousand ChromeOS devices across ten-thousand locations globally. This type of plug-and-play system enables us to bring new stores online quickly while ensuring they have the tools needed to effectively serve customers.

Just-in-time pizza, warm from the oven

As anyone who’s visited a Domino’s knows, stores get very busy around mealtime. We and our franchisees pride ourselves on handling rush order times without compromising quality. Layering operational efficiencies with ChromeOS devices helps employees get products to customers with greater consistency and hotter. That first delicious bite keeps them loyal to Domino’s, driving repeat business for our franchisees.