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SPOTLIGHT: Optimising Workforce Management in the Fast-Paced Retail Sector

Grosvenor Technology provides comprehensive workforce management solutions to 5 of the top 10 major UK retailers.

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Ben Lagden - Commercial Director of Grosvenor Technology

Ben Lagden


Commercial Director

Grosvenor Technology provides comprehensive workforce management solutions to 5 of the top 10 major UK retailers.  

The UK retail landscape is a demanding environment. Large retailers with numerous locations across the country face the complex task of managing thousands of employees, each with varying shift patterns, roles, and responsibilities. This complexity presents a unique set of workforce management challenges that can impact efficiency, costs, and employee satisfaction. 

Common Challenges Faced by Major UK Retailers: 

  • Diverse Workforce: Managing a large and diverse workforce across multiple locations, with varying roles, contracts, and skill sets, requires sophisticated systems and processes. 
  • Complex Scheduling: Creating efficient schedules that accommodate fluctuating demand, employee availability, and diverse shift patterns can be a logistical challenge. 
  • High Turnover: The retail industry often experiences high employee turnover, leading to increased recruitment and training costs, as well as potential disruptions to operations. 
  • Labour Cost Control: Maintaining strict control over labour costs is crucial in a competitive market, requiring accurate time and attendance tracking and efficient payroll processing. 
  • Compliance and Security: Ensuring compliance with labour laws, data protection regulations, and security protocols is essential for protecting both the business and its employees. 
  • Employee Engagement: Creating a positive and engaging work environment for retail employees can be challenging, especially in a fast-paced and demanding industry. 

Our solutions help retailers address their challenges and optimise their operations: 

  • Automated Time and Attendance: Our time clocks automate time tracking, eliminating manual processes and reducing errors. This ensures accurate payroll processing, minimises compliance risks and helps control labour costs. 
  • Streamlined Scheduling: Our solutions offer tools for creating and managing complex schedules, optimising shift patterns, and ensuring adequate staffing levels across all locations. 
  • Enhanced Communication and Engagement: Our advanced devices allow for messages and communication to be shared with employees and managers, building a more engaged and informed workforce. 
  • GTServices: Our GTServices offering provides proactive remote management and support for your time clocks, minimising downtime and reducing the need for engineer visits. This ensures systems are always running smoothly and employees can focus on their core tasks. 

Results and Benefits: 

By implementing Grosvenor Technology’s solutions, retailers can achieve: 

  • Improved Efficiency and Cost Savings: Reduced payroll errors, optimised labour costs, and streamlined processes contribute to significant cost savings and improved operational efficiency. 
  • Enhanced Compliance: Automated tracking and reporting ensure adherence to labour laws and data protection regulations, minimising compliance risks. 
  • Increased Employee Satisfaction: Empowered employees, streamlined processes, and improved communication contribute to a more positive and engaging work environment. 

Grosvenor Technology’s workforce management solutions empower retailers to overcome their industry challenges, optimise their operations, and create a more informed and productive workforce.  Discover them here.

Ben Lagden

Written by Ben Lagden, Commercial Director

Before joining Grosvenor Technology, Ben’s background was in engineering before he joined a data capture manufacturer for the retail industry. He has a unique blend of in-depth industry knowledge from both a technical and commercial perspective. Ben joined Grosvenor Technology in April 1999. 

Expertise

After closely working with HCM partners for many years, Ben has extensive knowledge of the Human Capital Management market and the environments it serves. Over this extensive time at Grosvenor, he has worked in many other roles within the business, including running development teams, professional services consultancy, and management. Most recently, he is focused on product direction and strategy whilst leading the commercial team towards the company’s future goals. In recognition of his commercial expertise, Ben was promoted to Commercial Director in July 2022.

New technologies, teamwork and determination inspire Ben, particularly when they’re combined and deliver time and cost savings to the customers.

Ben puts the success of the company down to the team’s flexibility and agility. It enables the company to uniquely deliver precisely what the market and customers require, utilising new technologies for customers across a variety of languages, countries, and cultures. He finds it satisfying when creativity combined with product knowledge and experience within the business repeatedly brings to the market innovative and unique solution that resolve incumbent dissatisfaction.