Paid for itself in no time
How the Recker Landbäckerei, owned by the Remke family, has been managing staff scheduling and mobile self-services across 19 locations and a 160-person sales team with SEAK since 2019.
Recker Artisan Bakery at a Glance
Recker Landbäckerei was founded by the Remke family in 1970 and remains family-owned to this day. The business is now in its second generation, led by brothers Andreas and Michael Remke. With 19 locations across the region between Recke (North Rhine-Westphalia) and the Lower Saxony border, Remke is one of the most established bakeries in the greater Osnabrück area.
Team
Around 200 employees, 160 of whom work in retail branches
Branch Network
19 branches across the region – Ankum, Bevergern, Bramsche, Espel, Hopsten, Hörstel, Ibbenbüren, Lengerich, Lotte, Mettingen, Recke, Riesenbeck, Saerbeck, Schapen, Westerkappeln
Market Segment
Artisan Bakery & Patisserie – Freshly Baked Breads, Rolls, Cakes & Tortes
Brand Promise
Artisan baking traditions with proprietary recipes, house-made sourdough, and slow fermentation – combined with modern techniques in the bakery
Location & Year Founded
Founded in 1970 in Recke-Espel, North Rhine-Westphalia
Management
Andreas and Michael Remke
Customer since
2019
Deployed SEAK Modules
Workforce Demand Planning, Staff Scheduling, SEAK TEAMS (Mobile Service Portal)
Numbers, Data, Facts
Reduced labor costs across branches — the investment paid for itself in no time.
Locations Staffed Through SEAK Workforce Scheduling
Sales Team Members with Mobile Service Portal
Remke Manages Workforce Deployment and Mobile Operations with SEAK
The Challenge
Gut-Feel Scheduling – Overstaffing and Understaffing Flying Under the Radar
Even in smaller retail teams – as is typical in the bakery industry – overstaffing and understaffing can become a recurring problem. At Remke, staff scheduling across branches was driven almost entirely by intuition. Managing Director Andreas Remke suspected things weren't running as efficiently as they could be – but without solid data, there was no way to know for sure.
Five specific pain points were holding the business back:
Gut-feel planning
Workforce scheduling driven almost entirely by gut feeling — with no underlying data to back it up.
Lack of Transparency
Scheduling processes and change management lacked clear, traceable documentation.
Missing Requirements
Store managers lacked clear guidelines and a consistent planning framework.
Paper-Based Error Risk
Shift schedules and last-minute changes were managed manually on paper — with all the risks that come with it.
Frequency reference missing
Customer footfall wasn't consistently factored into staffing decisions — over- and understaffing went undetected.
Andreas Remke – Managing Director – Recker Landbäckerei
"In the past, a branch would be staffed with two sales associates from 6 AM to 12 PM and three from 12 PM to 6 PM — and nobody really questioned it. On Christmas Eve, some locations would schedule five associates, even though foot traffic on that day is barely different from a regular Saturday. Four is plenty. But back then, there was no way to see these instances of over- or understaffing."
The Decision: A Recommendation from a Bakery Trade Publication
The trigger was clear: labor costs across the branches needed to be brought under control. In 2019, a trade publication for the bakery industry led Remke to a bakery in Mannheim that was already using SEAK — described by Andreas Remke as "an excellent reference." No lengthy search was required. The decision was straightforward: SEAK was the right choice.
The Execution: Clear Head Office Guidelines, Decentralized Branch Planning, Mobile Self-Services
Workforce scheduling is managed at the branch level — but within clear guidelines set by head office. Any deviations require central approval. Within the demand planning module, SEAK calculates hourly and staffing requirements based on three key targets: revenue, labor costs, and hourly productivity. The system distinguishes between high-traffic and low-traffic days and accounts for customer flow patterns throughout the day. Employee preferences are easy to incorporate.
Time tracking runs directly at the checkout terminals in each branch — staff clock in and out via touch key. Data is automatically transferred to accounting through integrated interfaces. With SEAK TEAMS, branch employees can access their schedules, time tracking, and vacation requests directly from their smartphones.
What the software actually covers
Annual Planning
Staffing needs throughout the year – accounting for seasonal fluctuations, public holidays, school breaks, and promotional campaigns.
Demand by Revenue, Cost, and Productivity
Staffing requirements are calculated based on your revenue targets, labor cost budgets, and hourly productivity goals.
Day-of-Week and Time-of-Day Frequency
Peak days versus slow days, hourly traffic patterns throughout the day — both are factored directly into shift planning.
Automated Schedule Suggestions
Tailored to daily demand across every location — with employee preferences effortlessly taken into account.
Qualifications & Features
Required qualifications and staff roles are built into the planning process.
Contract & Preferences
Contractual hours and personal preferences are automatically factored into every scheduling decision.
Touch-Key Time Tracking at the POS
Sales staff clock in and out with a simple touch-key — data is seamlessly transferred to payroll via interface.
SEAK TEAMS on Mobile
Shift schedules, time tracking, and leave or absence requests — all mobile-ready for your store teams.
Andreas Remke
"When it comes to demand planning and shift scheduling, we follow the system — and that's what makes it so simple. During workforce planning, the system calculates the hours and headcount required while factoring in our key targets, such as revenue, labor costs, and productivity per hour."
The Result: What Has Changed Since Then
3–4% Reduction in Labor Costs, Greater Transparency, Better Payroll Processing
Business Management
Controls
People & Sales
Compliance
Andreas Remke
"We were able to reduce personnel costs by three to four percent — meaning the investment paid for itself in a very short time."
Which Components Remke Uses
Andreas Remke
"What I appreciate most is that there's always a solution, and that announcements and commitments are actually kept. They do what they say. That's so SEAK: they're always in great spirits — you actually look forward to calling them."
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.
Recker Landbäckerei – Baking Tradition Since 1970
In July 1970, Josef and Ursula Remke took over the Rieke grocery store and its adjoining bakery in Recke-Espel, near Osnabrück. From day one, their offering went well beyond the daily loaf: a diverse range of breads and rolls, complemented by cakes and pastries. Backstube Remke quickly built a reputation that extended far beyond the local community.
Today, the business — now in its second generation under Andreas and Michael Remke — employs around 200 people, 160 of whom work across 19 branch locations throughout the region between Recke (North Rhine-Westphalia) and the Lower Saxony state border. At the heart of the Remke philosophy is a passionate commitment to traditional artisan baking: proprietary recipes, house-blended doughs, in-house sourdough cultures, and the time-honored practice of slow fermentation and careful proofing — all supported by modern technology, both in the bakery and across the workforce management processes that keep the business running smoothly.