“We have achieved all our goals.” SEAK at Hubmann – Interview with Managing Director Florian Hubmannhttps://www.seak.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/FlorianHubmann-FotoAugenblickAt.jpg1000667Workforce Management im Handel | SEAK Software GmbHWorkforce Management im Handel | SEAK Software GmbH//www.seak.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/seak-logo-claim-dark.svg
“Simple” and “fast” are descriptors that are used again and again when talking to entrepreneur Florian Hubmann about his experiences with SEAK’s workforce management. But it is not only in terms of user-friendliness that the system for staff scheduling and time management scores points in the two Hubmann businesses: The company has also made a big leap forward in terms of productivity and efficiency since the introduction of the SEAK solution.
“When stylish fashion, authentic living spaces, a wide selection of modern clothing brands and appealing offers, uncompromising service ethics and open-minded people come together, shopping becomes a special kind of experience.” This is the claim in the two Hubmann fashion stores in Stainz and in Eibiswald (Styria/Austria).
For the Hubmanns, fashion consulting means helping customers to present their personality as authentically as possible. With openness and honesty, they provide advice that is appropriate for each style and type. Visitors should be able to enjoy the time in which their needs are carefully attended to.
“Taking exactly the right measures.” SEAK at Schuhhandel Förstemann – Interview with Daniel Förstemannhttps://www.seak.de/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/foerstemann-schuhhandel-mit-seak2.jpg900617Workforce Management im Handel | SEAK Software GmbHWorkforce Management im Handel | SEAK Software GmbH//www.seak.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/seak-logo-claim-dark.svg
Achieving the perfect fit: the Förstemann family’s 18 Rieker stores use SEAK Software IT solutions and significantly simplify staff scheduling, optimise the number of employees in terms of customer frequency and make further opportunities for improvement visible at a glance with smart analysis tools.
The “shoe family” Förstemann (company headquarters: Ahnatal near Kassel) operates 18 Rieker monobrand stores in Germany. Kerstin and Jürgen Förstemann form the management together with son Daniel and daughter Nina, as well as the only non-family member, Jonas Roth, who heads the controlling department.
“No unnecessary paperwork and very transparent for all stakeholders” SEAK at Bäckerei SIPL – Interview with Franz Sipl, CEOhttps://www.seak.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/12/baeckerei-sipl.jpg1000667Workforce Management im Handel | SEAK Software GmbHWorkforce Management im Handel | SEAK Software GmbH//www.seak.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/seak-logo-claim-dark.svg
How SIPL, an Upper Bavarian bakery,uses SEAK’s IT-based support tools to schedule shifts for around 600 employees.
Sipl in Denkendorf represents baking tradition at its best: When Franz Sipl came to Denkendorf from the Altmühltal in 1914, he bought a small house in which he sold baked goods and groceries. Today, more than a hundred years later, the fourth generation of Sipl is still devoted to the baking craft – eschewing ready-made baking mixes and frozen goods.
When the old bakery in the town center of Denkendorf became too small in 1998, Luise and Franz Sipl sr. built a modern production facility in the industrial park, which was enlarged several times until 2017. Today, in addition to the bakery and pastry shop (with more than 500 recipes for cakes and pies), the building also houses administration and logistics on a total of 4,000 square meters.
In addition to its own 50 stores in the Altmühltal region from Eichstätt to Kelheim and near Ingolstadt and Regensburg, SIPL now supplies numerous supermarkets and delicatessen stores. The company is also an important regional employer: the Sipl family has around 600 employees, including eight drivers and a building services and cleaning team.
To control this large number of employees effectively, the Sipl family appreciates sophisticated software support. For around 20 years now, the company has relied on the expertise of SEAK Software, Reinbek. The solutions currently in use are SEAK pro HR as well as the Mobile Shift Rota and Mobile Staff Scheduling apps. We asked Franz Sipl, the head of the company, a few questions.
Which issues did you aim to solve with SEAK?
Franz Sipl: I still remember the days when we planned using Excel sheets. Then we moved on to a self-made software solution. However, we needed a scalable solution that would reliably grow with our company.
In which areas and stores are you currently working with SEAK solutions?
Sipl: We use SEAK pro HR for staff scheduling in production management, sales management, business management, organisational management, administration and payroll. All employees use the Mobile Shift Rota with monthly, weekly and daily overviews. Additionally, the store managers and department heads can see how each store is staffed every day, as well as which employees are still available for planning. The stores each use Mobile Staff Scheduling on tablets.
“Scheduled shifts for employees depend on the expected customer frequency, which in turn depends on the time of day or the day itself. Staff scheduling is done comfortably from a tablet directly at each store.”
Franz Sipl, CEO Bäckerei Sipl
How have SEAK’s software solutions changed your operational processes?
Sipl: Planning across several hierarchical levels has been made a lot easier. All stores receive specific instructions from the head office, which are based on our daily turnover plan. Scheduled shifts for employees depend on the expected customer frequency, which in turn depends on the time of day or the day itself. Staff scheduling is done comfortably from a tablet directly at each store.
In production, our management specifies the staffing requirements. The head of the department creates the staff schedule. This schedule is then checked by production management and submitted for approval. Thus management has an overview of important key figures throughout the entire process.
Everything runs largely without the need for paperwork and is very transparent for everyone involved. The employees can see the final shift rota live on their smartphone .
Sipl: Our employees are satisfied because the shift rota is available early and quickly. The “fairness” factor is also accounted for during the staff scheduling process without much extra effort. In addition, the necessary productivity level can be planned quickly, easily and precisely.
How do the software solutions by SEAK influence communication with your employees?
Sipl: The store and department managers know the goals they should achieve. The actual key performance indicators are displayed quickly and transparently for each day. The hour logs show how many staff hours were actually spent. That makes the discussions simpler in the long-term.
Is there any evaluation you regularly like to check out?
Sipl: The target / actual comparisons through which we check the planning quality, but I also like to look at the statistics on time accounting and absences. When I want to do a business analysis, I also look at the evaluations for accrued over- and under-hours, as well as holidays.
On what hardware do you use the solutions?
Sipl: I use SEAKproHR on my desktop PC. I also use the Mobile Shift Rota on my smartphone and Mobile Staff Scheduling on my tablet.
SEAK aims to harmonise the goals of companies and employees with the expectations of customers in terms of service, product availability and consultation. Do you feel that this is being achieved?
Sipl: Yes, it works really well.
What value do you get from the legal certainty that Staff Scheduling by SEAK offers?
Sipl: It is a good feeling when you know that all legal aspects are comprehensively covered.
Could you give us an impression of your experience with SEAK’s support team?
Sipl: The service is exemplary. As most companies do, we also use systems from various different IT suppliers. Among our suppliers in this field, SEAK tops the satisfaction scale.
What stands out for you in your collaboration with the SEAK team?
Sipl: Always familiar contact persons, no voicemail, and quick support if required. Exactly what we want.
What would you consider „quintessentially SEAK“?
Sipl: Solid solution, good service.
What are your future plans and where do you see a need for action?
Sipl: We want to further exploit the possibilities of the mobile SEAK solutions. There is still untapped potential here.
We would like to thank Franz Sipl for the interview. It was conducted by retail journalist Bruno Reiferscheid.
Learn more about staff scheduling + time management in bakeries here.
Or get in touch with us directly. We are looking forward to meeting you!
“Communication and the flow of information are now much more efficient.” SEAK at Mode Weber (St. Gallen, Switzerland) – Interview with Lukas Weberhttps://www.seak.de/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/mode-weber.jpg1000686Workforce Management im Handel | SEAK Software GmbHWorkforce Management im Handel | SEAK Software GmbH//www.seak.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/seak-logo-claim-dark.svg
SEAK’s workforce management, which is used by retailers to control staff scheduling, is not a cold cost-cutting tool, but a system that also integrates the interests of employees. This holistic approach can be felt and experienced in daily work with the SEAK system – says Lukas Weber, fashion retailer from St. Gallen (Switzerland). The entrepreneur also benefits from additional time resources that the system frees up at management level.
„This software is compatible with our DNA.” SEAK at L & T – an interview with HR manager Daniel Wesselhttps://www.seak.de/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/lengermann-trieschmann.jpg1000750Workforce Management im Handel | SEAK Software GmbHWorkforce Management im Handel | SEAK Software GmbH//www.seak.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/seak-logo-claim-dark.svg
L&T, Lengermann & Trieschmann, is a top address in German fashion retail. Insights and actions generated here in Osnabrück tend to attract the attention of the wider German retail sector. L&T has approximately 630 employees.
The company is especially keen to attract “responsible employees who actively use available opportunities for participation”, says the Head of HR Daniel Wessel. This particularly applies to questions related to staff scheduling.
“Employee trust has grown noticeably. They feel taken seriously because they can easily and effectively communicate with us and integrate their wishes, as well as partially manage and take care of any concerns themselves.”
“Our plans are more efficient and we have achieved our results faster than ever.” SEAK at Kaufhaus Ahrens – an interview with Ulrich Mücke and Alexander Marczochhttps://www.seak.de/wp-content/themes/blade/images/empty/thumbnail.jpg150150Workforce Management im Handel | SEAK Software GmbHWorkforce Management im Handel | SEAK Software GmbH//www.seak.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/seak-logo-claim-dark.svg
At the Ahrens department store in Marburg, a lot is moving along well recently. Key indicators show a development toward increased productivity. This can be attributed to a better shopping experience for customers – thanks to optimised staff scheduling and working times. Further evolving and reinventing the company again and again is also part of Ahrens’ history in Marburg.
„The TPM makes discussions at each store much easier.“ Interview with Salamander Austria: Making information transparent and available on mobile devices with the TPMhttps://www.seak.de/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/salamander-oesterreich-eingang-1024x683.jpg1024683Workforce Management im Handel | SEAK Software GmbHWorkforce Management im Handel | SEAK Software GmbH//www.seak.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/seak-logo-claim-dark.svg
„In our field, this software is unrivalled.“ SEAK at CAMP DAVID | SOCCX – Interview with Michael Erdmannhttps://www.seak.de/wp-content/uploads/2019/02/michael-erdmann-soccx-camp-david.jpg1000700Workforce Management im Handel | SEAK Software GmbHWorkforce Management im Handel | SEAK Software GmbH//www.seak.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/seak-logo-claim-dark.svg
The SEAK approach in action at CAMP DAVID | SOCCX fashion stores: how to successfully harmonise business targets, employee requirements and customer expectations in fashion retail.
The CLINTON Großhandels-GmbH is an owner-managed fashion company based in Hoppegarten near Berlin. Their menswear label CAMP DAVID and the womenswear label SOCCX, make it one of the most important companies for casual and sportswear in German-speaking countries. The more than 250 retail stores in Germany are managed both independently and by their partners.
„Our hourly productivity has increased.“ SEAK at GANT – Interview with IT-Director Stephan Speckmannhttps://www.seak.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/03/GANT-Stephan-Speckmann-1000.jpg1000700Workforce Management im Handel | SEAK Software GmbHWorkforce Management im Handel | SEAK Software GmbH//www.seak.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/seak-logo-claim-dark.svg
SEAKWorkforce Managementprovides a significant relief for managers at GANT stores as well as more transparency with regard to staff performance and the available hourly budget. But most importantly: hourly productivity has increased since the software was introduced.
The original American premium lifestyle brand GANT is the epitome of European elegance combined with American sportswear since 1949. Founded in 1949 near Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut – and famous for the legendary Oxford button-down shirt popular with students and professors at American elite universities, the label continues to represent the East Coast lifestyle to this day.
The GANT collection series offers high-quality clothing for men, women and children, as well as watches, sunglasses and home wares. The GANT brand is a symbol and a promise – of authenticity, passion and innovation, according to the company’s motto “Never Stop Learning”.
„The software solutions are extremely retail-oriented.” SEAK at Globetrotter – Interview with Omid Soltani, Manager for Workforce Managementhttps://www.seak.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/Koeln_4-globetrotter.jpg1000668Workforce Management im Handel | SEAK Software GmbHWorkforce Management im Handel | SEAK Software GmbH//www.seak.de/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/seak-logo-claim-dark.svg
On why the outdoor specialist has been using SEAK Software IT tools for staff scheduling and time management since 2006. And how the company reduces bureaucracy for both managers and the HR department, by promoting self-organisation for employees.
Globetrotter – that is one of the really big names in German outdoor retail. In 1979 the company was founded in Hamburg as “Northern Germany’s first specialist shop for expeditions, safaris, survival, trekking”. With its at times spectacularly staged adventure shopping worlds, Globetrotter has since become one of the largest outdoor retailers in Europe.
Sustainability is an important part of the company’s DNA. It comes with a strong commitment to nature and the environment as well as efforts to ensure fair working conditions in the global supply chain, improving their “ecological footprint” and an increase in the proportion of organic products.
As the central marketing tool, the Globetrotter magazine provides information and reports on all aspects of travel, equipment and the outdoors. It is sent out quarterly with a circulation of around 400,000 copies.
Globetrotter’s online shop offers more than 35,000 products from over 1,000 brands. The company (part of the Swedish Fenix Outdoor International) currently operates 16 branches across Germany. Including the logistics and shipping facilities in Ludwigslust, the company employs around 1,100 people.
Globetrotter works with IT partner SEAK Software in the areas of staff scheduling and time management.
Rather exceptionally, this partnership goes as far back as 2006. Omid Soltani has been on board since the beginning. Initially in the Product Service / QM / HR Administration & Projects department, he is now responsible for retail at Globetrotter as manager for Workforce Management. We asked the expert a few questions.
Omid Soltani, Manager Workforce ManagementRetail at Globetrotter
What convinced Globetrotter to work with one and the same software partner for staff scheduling and time management for 14 years?
Omid Soltani: The SEAK philosophy. It is strongly geared towards customer satisfaction. The SEAK management takes great interest in ensuring that everything runs smoothly. That’s why both managing directors, Andreas Knüpfer and Patrick Rogalski, are personally available for discussions. That is remarkable.
The software solutions are completely trade-oriented. I know a lot of other providers. But nobody has the breadth and depth of the people who work at SEAK.
About staff scheduling á la SEAK software: who works with this solution at Globetrotter and what are your experiences?
Soltani: Staff scheduling is done by our sales units managers, who are the department heads of individual stores. The system is indispensable when it comes to planning the right number of employees at the right time in the right place, equipped with the right knowledge and at the optimal cost-level.
With its analysis functions and plan / actual comparison, the software promotes clarity and simply enables better decisions. That helped us a lot after the takeover by the Swedish Fenix group, because our parent company attaches great importance to numbers-driven corporate management. That’s why we need a system like the one SEAK Software offers.
In addition to the full versions of staff scheduling, time management and access control, you have been working with the SEAK Employee Service Portal, ESP, since 2018. What problems did you aim to solve with the ESP?
Soltani: There are indeed some points that have been resolved with the introduction of the Employee Service Portal, such as the paperwork and the associated folder management, confusion with holiday requests, booking entries and corrections, as well as hour corrections.
Who applied when for what and was it approved? At some point it became very difficult to keep track of things. Insufficient transparency in terms of staff scheduling, working hours, free time or days off or absences – all of that is now a thing of the past.
Globetrotter Stuttgart
What are the benefits for you?
Soltani: The employee service portal is completely web-based and makes taking care of all those time-consuming processes such as holiday requests, forgotten bookings, plan corrections and enquiries about the time balance or holiday status easier and faster.
Time recording, requests, the approval workflow, etc. – how many of the available functions do you use?
Soltani: We use the employee service portal more and more. We aim to make use of all its functions.
This gives employees the opportunity to take care of many processes themselves – even via smartphone. Requests are approved by the supervisor and the relevant data are automatically transferred to time management.
With the employee service portal, employees can also find out about the current status of their applications, time balances and holiday status at any time. This way of self-organisation relieves managers and the HR department.
What do the employees say?
Soltani: At first people were skeptical. But we took the time to introduce and establish the system, and after various training courses, employee satisfaction with it has made a big leap forward.
Why is this so important to you?
Soltani: Happy and satisfied employees are the best employees. To ensure satisfaction, you have to involve them as much as possible in processes that affect them personally. This requires digital tools such as the employee service portal.
Globetrotter Munich
Are you considering any next steps regarding this topic?
Soltani: Yes. SEAK’s mobile duty roster for our employees’ smartphones and tablet PCs.
What do you aim to achieve with this tool?
Soltani: It offers employees location- and time-independent access to their schedules, which makes the time-consuming communication of paper-based duty rosters and plan changes redundant. When looking for a replacement, the team leaders can immediately see which employee is available.
We want to introduce the mobile duty roster this year.
What other plans do you have?
Soltani: We want to invest in the SEAK Team Performance Monitor. I tested the system myself a few years ago. It’s even better now.
What are your expectations for it?
Soltani: This solution will help us identify the current position of the company in relation to its goals, to the previous year or other comparison parameters. With just two or three clicks, for example, you can see the key figures, and their development compared to the plan or previous year.
This is information that can usually only be obtained with great effort. SEAK makes these processes easily accessible.
Is there anything you would recommend for fellow retailers, especially during these recent times?
Soltani: Invest in software support that enables leaner processes, frees up valuable time and ensures more transparency at all hierarchical levels. It’s worth it.
We thank Omid Soltani for the interview. The interview was conducted by retail journalist Bruno Reiferscheid.
