Quick Service Restaurant Chain Vapiano: Optimized Staff Scheduling with Workforce Management by InVision Software

Lisle, IL / Ratingen (Germany), November 11, 2009 – Vapiano SE, an internationally operated quick service restaurant chain, will optimize the deployment of around 750 employees of the 15 Vapiano-owned restaurants across Germany with InVision Enterprise WFM from InVision Software , one of the leading international providers of enterprise-wide workforce management solutions. The employees will be scheduled for several activities in the kitchen, for service, cash points and cleaning. By centrally controlling the workforce management for all 15 restaurants from the site in Bonn, complemented by fine-tuning at the local sites, Vapiano intends to ensure optimal efficiency, excellent service quality and therefore high customer satisfaction.

Mirko Silz, CEO of Vapiano SE, explains why the company selected the solution InVision Enterprise WFM : “We were looking for a software system with a user-friendly operating interface to enable demand-oriented staff scheduling incorporating various factors such as weather conditions and the different sizes of the restaurants. We also wanted to ensure the satisfaction of our employees with regard to the planning of their leisure time. Moreover, it was very important to us being able to create schedules that are fully compliant to all relevant legal and contractual requirements. Step by step, the restaurants of our franchisees in Germany will be connected as well, after their approval, in order to ensure optimized scheduling of the staff in all Vapiano restaurants.”

By using the ForecastPro module of the InVision solution, the planners at Vapiano create detailed forecasts for the staff requirements based on historical data such as cash transactions and order processing. This data is imported into the workforce management system from the external cash system via a specific interface. With the module AutoScheduler optimized schedules are created at a push of a button, considering all planning parameters. As all employee skills as well as legal and corporate parameters are pre-defined in the system, and employees’ master and payroll data are integrated via an interface, these factors are considered automatically when creating the staff schedules.

“Our software InVision Enterprise WFM meets the needs of Vapiano in an ideal way as the schedules at all times conform as closely as possible to the actual requirement. Therefore, expensive overtime is reduced and sales will be increased”, says Peter Bollenbeck, CEO of InVision Software. “With the help of the integrated forecasting features, our solution ensures that the Vapiano staff is present to match exactly the pattern of trade. Thus, waiting times for customers are minimized and service quality is increased.”

The start of the pilot project is planned for January and the roll-out will be completed by middle of next year.