LYON, France, and MIDDLETON, Wis. — March 25, 2026 — Esker, the leading AI Automation Suite for the Office of the CFO, today announced that McDonald’s Force, the Economic Interest Group (EIG) responsible for advertising operations for McDonald’s restaurants in France, has transformed its finance operations to manage 150 advertising campaigns per year with just an eight-person Finance team. Through a partnership spanning more than 10 years, McDonald’s Force has leveraged Esker’s automation technology to support growth, secure financial workflows and prepare for France’s 2026 e-invoicing mandate.
A long-term partnership driving operational excellence and regulatory readiness
In 2014, a McDonald’s global directive introduced strict traceability requirements for media purchases, the EIG’s largest budget category. For McDonald’s Force, the challenge was significant: Absorb a 50% increase in supplier invoice volume without increasing headcount. To meet these requirements, McDonald’s Force selected Esker Accounts Payable to automate invoicing and establish a reliable audit trail.
What initially began as a response to constraints quickly evolved into a broader digital transformation strategy. Following AP automation, McDonald’s Force expanded the partnership in 2015 by automating its purchasing cycle with Esker Procurement. In 2022, the collaboration extended further with the implementation of Esker Supplier Management, enabling the company to eliminate its remaining paper-based processes and further strengthen financial controls.
Since 2025, McDonald’s Force has also been actively preparing for France’s upcoming e-invoicing reform, relying on its long-standing partnership with Esker and the agility of its solutions.
AI and automation supporting performance and financial security
Seamlessly integrated with its Cegid ERP system, Esker’s solutions have helped redefine operational efficiency across McDonald’s Force’s financial processes. Today, 80% of purchases are covered by purchase orders, helping to accelerate accounting processes while providing greater visibility into financial commitments.
Beyond efficiency gains, security has also dramatically improved. By automating supplier management, McDonald’s Force has standardized the verification of bank details and legal information, significantly reducing exposure to fraud risks. This digital foundation allows McDonald’s Force to approach France’s e-invoicing reform with confidence, as part of its ongoing optimization journey.
By leveraging Esker’s technologies, McDonald’s Force has achieved measurable improvements in financial performance, including:
- Faster invoice processing and payment cycles
- Improved internal collaboration with standardized purchasing and invoicing workflows
- Secure transactions through systematic bank account verification
- Greater visibility and control over financial commitments
- Improved readiness for regulatory requirements, including upcoming e-invoicing mandates
“Esker has been supporting us for more than 10 years with solutions that have evolved alongside our needs,” said Cyrille Maton, Financial Control Manager at McDonald’s Force. “Automation allows us to eliminate paper, secure our financial commitments and accelerate accounting processes. This partnership helps us anticipate market developments while continuing to create value for our restaurants.”
“McDonald’s Force’s journey reflects exactly what we aim to accomplish at Esker: Help Finance teams become drivers of resilience and growth,” said Thomas Honneger, Head of Sales France at Esker. “Over the past decade, we’ve helped them solve a traceability need to deliver intelligent, end-to-end automation. Supporting a company of this scale as it prepares for the 2026 e-invoicing reform shows how trust and innovation can drive real financial performance.”
About McDonald’s Force
McDonald’s Force is an Economic Interest Group (EIG) established in 1979. It organizes advertising and promotional operations for McDonald’s restaurants in France. Each year, the EIG manages more than 150 national campaigns with a Finance team of eight people.
About Esker
Esker’s AI Automation Suite for the Office of the CFO leverages the latest in Agentic AI and automation technologies to optimize working capital and cashflow, enhance strategic decision-making, and improve human-to-human relationships with customers, suppliers and employees. Esker’s Source-to-Pay and Order-to-Cash solutions automate any business process while supporting long-term growth strategies. Offering 40+ years of industry knowledge, Esker operates in North America, Latin America, Europe and Asia Pacific with global headquarters in Lyon, France, and U.S. headquarters in Madison, Wisconsin. To learn more about Esker, visit http://www.esker.com, follow us on LinkedIn and join the conversation at esker.com/blog.
Press Contact: Brian Jaeger
Tel: (352) 682-7636 | eskerpr@walkersands.com
