A heritage steam train rolls over a historic bridge, connecting ancient, verdant hills in the Welsh Valleys. The bridge is branded with the name of the town’s oldest brewery – a source of immense local pride and a draw for international tourists.
Operating nine pubs across different locations, Rhymney is known for its traditional ales, its vibrant pub atmosphere and the richness of its history. But its future was at stake. Managing a dispersed workforce with varied shift patterns was taking its toll. Each pub employed multi-skilled workers who needed to clock in and out at different venues, leading to complex and time-consuming manual processes for tracking attendance and managing payroll.
Staff attendance was recorded manually across multiple pubs, leading to errors, inconsistencies, and lengthy reconciliation processes. This was causing dissatisfaction and conflict between employees and managers and adding significant administrative burdens to an already stretched team.
Our solution
Our mission was to streamline workforce management across the organisation, driving increased efficiency and productivity while reducing administrative effort.
We did this by moving from an unreliable paper-based shift tracking system to Nextra’s innovative Time and Attendance solution, which we tailored to the requirements and ambitions of our client.
First, we automated the time-tracking process, eliminating the need for manual processes. This significantly reduced errors and saved administrative time – instantly taking a weight off the shoulders of time-poor management. Attendance data was updated in real-time, ensuring accurate and up-to-date information for payroll processing.
Next, we implemented cutting-edge geolocation technology to automatically detect which pub each employee was clocking in and out of, without the need for additional input. This allowed staff who worked at several different pubs to easily move flexibly between workplaces without having to worry about the accuracy of their attendance data.
We also accommodated various shift patterns, making scheduling and adjustments straightforward. By giving employees access to a user-friendly interface, we empowered them to view their schedules, request shift changes and manage their availability without the need for management support. This data synchronised seamlessly with the payroll system, reducing discrepancies and ensuring that payments were both timely and accurate.
And it wasn’t just about speeding up processes. By accurately and safely tracking employee data, our system also improved compliance with labour laws and regulations, protecting the company’s reputation and minimising the risk of penalties.
We built the team a proof of concept solution, giving them the chance to try our Time and Attendance system out before using it for real. They became “hooked” from day one on the system – instantly seeing the benefits it would bring to their business in terms of accuracy, efficiency and compliance.
The results
Our market-leading Time and Attendance solution generated significant improvements for Rhymney Brewery – driving efficiency across the organisation and empowering its employees to work flexibly without jeopardising the accuracy of their data.
By automating timesheets and attendance tracking, we slashed administrative time by a significant amount, allowing its management to focus on running the business and planning for its future. Data was tracked in real time, and previously cumbersome processes were automated – instantly eliminating errors and delivering a highly accurate payroll run every time.
Beyond the numbers, though, Nextra’s solution had a profound impact on the organisation at a cultural level. By giving Rhymney’s employees the ability to clock in and out using geolocation technology, we gave multi-skilled workers flexibility like never before – boosting employee satisfaction and streamlining operations across multiple locations.
Rhymney Brewery’s adoption of Nextrasoft’s Time and Attendance solution transformed their workforce management practices. By automating timesheets and leveraging geolocation for clocking in and out, Rhymney Brewery overcame the challenges of manual processes, varied shift patterns, and multi-location management. This resulted in increased efficiency, improved accuracy, and enhanced employee satisfaction, positioning the brewery for continued success in the competitive pub industry.
