Number One on the Satisfaction Scale
How Sipl Bakery from Denkendorf has been managing 50 of its own locations and 600 employees with SEAK for nearly 20 years – workforce deployment, mobile scheduling, and mobile shift planning.
Sipl at a Glance
Sipl, based in Denkendorf, has been a cornerstone of artisan baking since 1914. Now in its fourth generation, the family business remains true to its craft — no pre-mixed compounds, no frozen products. With around 600 employees, this Upper Bavarian company is a key regional employer and the first bakery business in the industry to adopt SEAK.
Team
around 600 employees – including eight in-house drivers and a dedicated facilities management and cleaning team
Branch Network
50 company-owned branches throughout the Altmühltal region, from Eichstätt to Kelheim, as well as in the greater Ingolstadt and Regensburg areas
Market Segment
Artisan bakery and pastry shop with in-house production, supplying supermarkets and specialty food retailers
Production Facility
Approx. 4,000 m² of production, confectionery, administration, and logistics space in the Denkendorf commercial district
Catalog
Bread, rolls, and patisserie — featuring over 500 recipes for cakes and pastries, made without pre-mixed baking blends or frozen products
Founding & Location
Founded in 1914 by Franz Sipl in Denkendorf, Upper Bavaria
Customer since
nearly 20 years – Sipl was the first SEAK user in the bakery industry
Deployed SEAK Modules
Workforce Scheduling (SEAKproHR), Mobile Shift Planner (MDP), Mobile Deployment Planning (MEP)
Numbers, Data, Facts
Own branches in the Altmühltal region and the greater Ingolstadt/Regensburg area
Employees – including drivers, facilities management, and cleaning staff
Sipl Streamlines Workforce Management with SEAK – A Pioneer in the Bakery Industry
Cakes and Pastries Made from Scratch – No Pre-Made Mixes
The Challenge
Excel and Homegrown Tools — Growth Demanded a Scalable Solution
Before SEAK, Sipl relied on Excel spreadsheets and, later, a custom-built in-house solution. As the company grew, one thing became clear: Sipl needed a scalable solution that could reliably grow alongside the business.
Three specific pain points were holding them back:
Excel Planning
Workforce scheduling via spreadsheets — not scalable as your store network and headcount grow.
Homegrown Software
An in-house solution followed — but it too quickly hit its limits, as ongoing maintenance and development became increasingly costly.
Scaling challenge
What Sipl needed was a solution that could reliably scale with the business — across more locations, more employees, and more organizational layers.
Franz Sipl – Owner & CEO – Sipl Bakery
"I still remember the days when we planned everything in Excel spreadsheets. Then came a homegrown software solution. But what we really needed was a scalable platform that could reliably grow with our business."
The Decision: First SEAK Early Adopter in the Bakery Industry
Sipl was SEAK's very first bakery customer — and looking back, Franz Sipl himself is still a little surprised by what came next: "It actually took quite a while before other bakeries followed." The partnership with SEAK Software has now lasted nearly 20 years, making it one of the longest-documented SEAK customer relationships in the retail sector.
The Implementation: Multiple Hierarchy Levels, Three Devices, One Platform
HQ sets the strategy, branches plan the shifts, and production runs on a multi-level approval workflow
With SEAK, Sipl now operates seamlessly across multiple organizational levels. Production management, sales management, business management, executive leadership, administration, and payroll all use SEAKproHR. The Mobile Schedule (MDP) — with monthly, weekly, and daily views — is used by all employees, while branch managers and department heads also have visibility into branch staffing and available, deployable staff.
In branches, the Mobile Shift Planner (MEP) is used on tablets. Branches receive guidelines from headquarters based on day-accurate revenue planning, with staffing aligned to expected customer footfall throughout the day. In production, management defines workforce requirements, department heads create the shift plan, which is then reviewed by production management and submitted for approval — with key metrics always in view.
What the software actually covers
Multiple Hierarchy Levels
Production management, sales management, executive leadership, administration, and payroll — all working in SEAKproHR with clearly defined, separate roles.
Daily Revenue Planning
Branch-level targets set by headquarters based on daily revenue planning — staffing levels follow projected customer traffic.
Mobile Workforce Scheduling
Scheduling is handled conveniently on a tablet, directly in-store.
Mobile Duty Roster (MDR)
Monthly, weekly, and daily schedules for all employees — live on their smartphones.
Multi-Approval Production
Operations defines requirements, department heads plan resources, and production management reviews and approves — with full visibility for everyone involved.
Fairness Factor
Fairness in shift scheduling — built in, not bolted on.
Early and Timely Schedules
Schedules are available early and at a glance — a key driver of employee satisfaction.
Branch Staffing & Freelancers
Branch managers and department heads also see who is currently available and ready to be deployed — critical when resources are stretched thin.
Franz Sipl
"Planning across multiple levels of the hierarchy has become significantly easier. Branches receive targets from headquarters based on day-accurate revenue forecasts. Staffing is aligned with expected customer footfall by day and time of day. Employees can view their final shift schedule in real time on their smartphones."
The Result: What Has Changed Since Then
Satisfaction, Productivity, Transparency – Trusted for Over 20 Years
Employee Satisfaction
Control
Communication
Compliance
Franz Sipl
"Our employees are happier because schedules are available earlier and faster than ever before. Fairness in shift assignments is now easy to ensure without significant extra effort. On top of that, productivity planning has become simpler, faster, and more precise."
Which Components Power Sipl
Franz Sipl
"The service is exemplary. Like most companies, we work with systems from a variety of IT vendors. In that comparison, SEAK ranks number one on our satisfaction scale. Consistent points of contact, no voicemail runaround, fast support when we need it. Exactly what we were looking for."
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.
Baker's tradition since 1914 – rooted in the Altmühl Valley
Sipl, based in Denkendorf, embodies the very best of traditional artisan baking. When Franz Sipl arrived in Denkendorf from the Altmühl Valley in 1914, he purchased a small property where he sold baked goods and groceries. Today, more than a century later, the fourth generation of the Sipl family continues that craft — with no pre-made mixes and no frozen products.
When the original bakery in Denkendorf's town center became too small in 1998, Luise and Franz Sipl Sr. built a modern production facility in the local commercial district — one that was expanded several times through 2017. Today, the 4,000 m² site houses the bakery and patisserie (with over 500 recipes for cakes and pastries), as well as administration and logistics operations. In addition to its 50 own retail locations across the Altmühl Valley — from Eichstätt to Kelheim — and throughout the greater Ingolstadt and Regensburg areas, Sipl now supplies numerous supermarkets and specialty food stores.
Sipl is also a significant regional employer: around 600 staff are part of the Sipl family, including eight in-house drivers and a dedicated facilities and cleaning team. To manage its workforce effectively, Sipl has been a technology partner of SEAK for nearly 20 years — and was, in fact, SEAK's very first customer in the bakery industry.