Personnel costs reduced by over 20%
How the French retail chain Pylones has been managing staff scheduling and time tracking across its 12 German stores since 2017 using SEAK — with a measurable impact on labor costs.
Pylons at a Glance
Pylones was founded in 1985 by Jacques and Léna Guillemet in a small creative studio in France. Today, the couple helms an internationally operating company with over 110 stores worldwide – from Tokyo to Baku, from Cape Town to Hong Kong. Their focus is on fashionable accessories, souvenirs, and gift items with a flair for unconventional ideas and bold, distinctive colors.
Team Germany
around 80 employees – supplemented by temporary staff during peak sales periods such as the holiday season
Branch Network Germany
12 Stores (incl. Berlin and Cologne)
SEAK customer since 2017
Workforce Scheduling, Time & Attendance (Smart Card Tracking), Employee Self-Service Portal
Numbers, Data, Facts
Personnel Costs in Absolute Terms — Reduced Within Two Years
Pylones Stores in Germany, Planned with SEAK
Employees in Germany – plus seasonal staff during the Christmas rush
steers Pylone's workforce management and time tracking with SEAK
The Challenge
Before 2017, Pylones Germany managed workforce planning with a simple Excel spreadsheet. Prior-year revenue figures were only loosely factored in, plans were sent to headquarters, and payroll accounting handled the rest. The time tracking system lacked full transparency — for both employees and the payroll team. Jürgen Kohnen, Regional Director Germany, describes it plainly: "full of gaps."
Five specific pain points were holding them back:
Excel Planning
Staff scheduling ran on a basic Excel spreadsheet — and with every new store added, the administrative burden grew.
Prior-year revenue only a rough estimate
Prior-year revenue was only factored in at a rough estimate — with no systematic forecast of daily traffic and revenue.
Subjective, not objective
Planning was driven by gut feel rather than data—without a solid fact base or clear decision-making logic.
Gaps in Time Tracking
Time tracking and payroll processing lacked full transparency — both for employees and the accounting team.
Personally managed, never used
Headcount was being managed, but not leveraged — Kohnen's assessment before implementing SEAK.
Jürgen Kohnen – Head of Germany – Pylones
"Planning was more subjective than objective and was carried out using a basic Excel spreadsheet. These spreadsheets were sent to headquarters and processed by the accounting department for payroll purposes. The 'Personnel' resource was being managed, but not necessarily used in any meaningful way."
The Decision: A Retail Fashion Background That Shaped SEAK
Jürgen Kohnen was already familiar with SEAK from previous roles in the fashion retail industry. Having attended several SEAK training sessions earlier in his career, he arrived at Pylones with a clear understanding of the SEAK methodology and a strong conviction in its value. Leadership agreed with his recommendation — and in early 2017, Pylones invested in SEAK's workforce scheduling and time management solutions.
From Gut Feeling in Excel to Precision Frequency-Based Daily Planning
Today, Pylones plans every day against a predefined revenue target, based on estimated footfall patterns throughout the day — and staffing is scheduled accordingly. Kohnen describes the key shift as "discipline by design": some of the system's requirements initially felt restrictive, but ultimately moved the business forward.
The system also demanded greater flexibility, prompting Pylones to significantly increase its share of part-time staff. Public holidays are handled automatically: when a holiday falls in a different calendar week or month, SEAK adjusts working days, planned revenue targets, and staffing recommendations accordingly. Time tracking is handled via chip card at dedicated terminals — straightforward and transparent for every employee.
What the software actually covers
Daily Revenue by Plan
Every sales day is assigned a planned revenue target — the basis for staff scheduling, grounded in estimated customer traffic patterns throughout the day.
Moveable Holidays
When a public holiday falls in a different calendar week or month, the system automatically adjusts working days and planned revenue accordingly.
Frequency-Based Planning
Say goodbye to guesswork — staffing suggestions are driven by projected customer traffic.
Flexible Work Models
Evolving planning requirements demand greater flexibility – Pylones has responded by significantly increasing the share of part-time roles.
Smart Card Time Tracking
Employees clock in and out using a chip card at the time tracking terminal — simple, tangible, and auditable.
Employee Service Portal
Balances, leave balances, and correction requests — all online. Schedule PDFs on their smartphones. Staff love it.
Tamper-Proof Bookings
Incorrect entries are virtually eliminated — time management creates a clear, auditable data foundation.
Objective Argumentation Basis
When your team calls for additional headcount, the system provides objective data to back the conversation.
Jürgen Kohnen – Head of Germany – Pylones
"In this situation, SEAK's Employee Service Portal proved to be an outstanding solution. It enables employees to check their working time balances online, log hours, submit booking corrections, and request vacation time. Anyone who wants to can view their work schedule as a PDF on their smartphone — which, for this age group, is definitely a cool factor."
The Result: What Has Changed Since Then
The impact is felt across four dimensions: financial performance, operational control, employee satisfaction, and data quality.
Business Management
Control
Employee Satisfaction
Data Quality & Transparency
Jürgen Kohnen – Head of Germany – Pylones
"Within two years, we were able to reduce our personnel costs not just as a percentage of revenue, but by more than 20 percent in absolute terms. The system gives us a far more accurate picture of exactly how much staff we actually need."
Which building blocks Pylones uses
Jürgen Kohnen – Head of Germany – Pylones
"The software gives me the confidence of knowing that I have a system in place that captures the full complexity of real-world retail with remarkable completeness — and simply gets the numbers right. I know that this combination is exceptionally rare."
Let's talk about whether SEAK is the right fit for your business
In a 30-minute introductory call, we'll assess where your business stands today, identify which modules are the right priority for your situation, and outline a realistic implementation roadmap.
Alternatively, you're welcome to reach out via our contact form — we'll get back to you promptly. Or give us a call at: +49 40 238 348 – 000
The Trade Trusts SEAK
From fashion and food retail to building materials and specialist trade: retailers across Germany rely on SEAK to manage their workforce.
French Design Heritage with a Global Presence
Pylones is the remarkable story of Jacques and Léna Guillemet. Starting out in 1985 as designers in a small creative studio in France, the couple has since built an internationally operating company. Their focus: fashion accessories, souvenirs, and gift items with a flair for the unexpected — surprising products in unusual colors and patterns that, in the words of their own company philosophy, "would make even a rainbow turn pale with envy."
At the heart of the business is a glassblowing workshop in Colombes, near Paris. This is where the company's jewelry collection comes to life — pendants, rings, and earrings crafted to their own designs. Eight glassblowers, keepers of an age-old craft tradition, shape every single piece by mouth and torch.
Today, the Pylones store network spans the globe — from Tokyo to Baku, Cape Town to Hong Kong, and Bogotá to Singapore — with 37 stores in France, 80 across Europe, and more than 110 worldwide. The company employs around 700 people. The first German store opened in 2009, and today Regional Manager Jürgen Kohnen, together with Rob Houst and Karsten Leonhardt, oversees approximately 80 employees across 12 German locations — supported by SEAK workforce scheduling and time management solutions since early 2017.