BWG Foods: optimised workforce management and streamlined payroll

Pandemic challenges and controlling HR costs

The COVID-19 pandemic underscored the critical need for robust HR support within the retail sector. Government regulations were constantly changing, making it challenging for retailers to manage their staff effectively.

Another significant challenge for BWG Foods was controlling costs. In a highly troubled financial situation like the pandemic, the retail industry had extremely tight margins, so even small cost increases would hurt profits.

To respond to all of these requirements, BWG Foods created H2R, an initiative to provide comprehensive HR guidance, from recruitment and onboarding to payroll and compliance. The goal was to provide a platform to support all the retailers within the group during these difficult times.

Operational benefits from GeoClock and Query Manager

BWG Foods started building its new platform, selecting SuccessFactors as its core. To address time and attendance, they chose EPI-USE Labs’ GeoClock solution.

GeoClock is an efficient management application that allows employees to capture their attendances, while equipping supervisors to make schedule changes. It allowed BWG Foods to have full visibility over the hours worked by employees, which is crucial in the retail business.

The initial integration, relying solely on duration data, limited reporting capabilities within Employee Central (EC). This necessitated a more robust approach, leading to the development of an OData2 API for GeoClock.

This API, combined with Query Manager, enabled the extraction of data from both systems (Employee Central and GeoClock), facilitating the creation of accurate cost estimation reports.

Beyond cost estimation, the GeoClock and Query Manager integration empowered BWG Foods with significant operational benefits:

• Onboarding automation: automated welcome emails and manager notifications streamline new hire processes.
• Payroll optimisation: proactive checks against Time Valuation Results and Pay Components in Query Manager enable early identification and resolution of potential payroll issues, preventing delays and ensuring timely employee payments.

This integrated solution demonstrated the value of a robust HR technology stack, enabling BWG Foods to streamline operations, improve efficiency, and enhance employee experience.

Effective time management and report automation

The success of BWG Foods' HR2 platform, evident in its sustained use by retailers even after the pandemic, demonstrates the critical reliance of retail businesses on consistent and comprehensive HR support.

With Query Manager and GeoClock’s report automation, managers gained valuable information to make more strategic business decisions and proactively identify possible concern areas before they became a problem.

GeoClock’s dynamic rostering and real-time updates have significantly improved efficiency and provided leadership with the data-driven insights they need to achieve those tight margins.

Currently used by 3,000 employees, GeoClock is projected to scale to support a significantly larger workforce in the coming years. This scalability ensures BWG Foods can effectively support its growing workforce while maintaining operational efficiency.

About BWG Foods

Part of BWG Group, BWG Foods UC is a leading retail and wholesale business. BWG Foods owns and operates the SPAR, EUROSPAR, MACE, LONDIS and XL brands in the Republic of Ireland, working in partnership with independent retailers with over 1,000 stores serving local communities right across the country.