McDonald’s Success Story

The Challenge

As a second-generation McDonald’s owner-operator overseeing 10 restaurants, Leigh Chamness knows that labor is the single biggest lever in restaurant performance.
And the hardest to get right.

Between rising labor costs, manager burnout from manual scheduling, compliance risks around minor labor, and retention challenges driven by poor schedule visibility, Leigh needed more than another workforce tool. She needed a partner that understood the realities of restaurant operations.

The Decision

As part of McDonald’s MTech board and an early deployment group for new workforce management systems, Leigh took a data-driven, operator-first approach.

She invited her mid-managers and GMs to review demos and vote on their preferred solution.

The Result: Her team overwhelmingly chose Harri.

“Harri stood out because they didn’t just offer software. They offered a partnership.”

The Deployment Experience

Harri’s hands-on implementation validated the decision immediately.

Rather than a “drop-and-go” rollout, Harri worked side-by-side with Leigh’s team, ensuring the right training, processes, and ongoing support were in place. Even today, Leigh’s organization meets monthly with their Harri Customer Success Manager to refine workflows and continuously improve.

The Results: Measurable ROI
Within months of full deployment, Leigh’s organization saw clear, bottom-line impact.

Labor Cost Reduction

  • Nearly a 2% reduction in crew labor year-over-year

  • Achieved while remaining fully staffed and operationally strong

“This is a meaningful improvement that directly impacts our bottom line.”

Manager Time Saved

  • Before Harri: 6 hours/week spent building schedules

  • With Harri: Just over 1 hour/week

  • 5 hours saved per manager, every week

That’s time managers now spend leading teams and running great shifts—not stuck behind a desk.

Improved Retention

Scheduling-related turnover dropped significantly.

With mobile access to schedules, easy shift swapping, and greater transparency, crew members feel their time is respected. And they stay longer.

“Keeping great people is one of the smartest business decisions any of us can make.”

Operational Wins That Matter

Beyond the numbers, Harri transformed day-to-day operations:

  • Mobile scheduling & shift swapping reduced last-minute chaos

  • Labor forecasting improved staffing efficiency

  • Compliance visibility for minor labor helped managers prevent violations before they happen

  • Integrated communication tools simplified team coordination

Especially in a low-compliance market, real-time alerts and visual indicators gave managers confidence and control on every shift.

A True Partnership

What sets Harri apart, according to Leigh, is the commitment to listening and evolving.

Harri actively incorporates feedback from owner-operators, corporate stakeholders, and frontline teams, embracing a true “three-legged stool” approach that benefits everyone.

The Bottom Line

“Harri has delivered clear results, improved our operations, and most importantly, made life better for our people.”

For Leigh Chamness and her organization, Harri isn’t just a workforce platform:
It’s a competitive advantage.

And as she puts it best:

“When you take care of your people, they’ll take care of your business.”