Food & Beverage Manufacturing Success Story

East Coast Bakehouse

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Employees

sq ft Facility

Platform

East Coast Bakehouse, Europe’s newest large-scale biscuit manufacturer, transformed its workforce operations with HR Duo’s all-in-one platform. The business simplified rota management, improved payroll accuracy, and reduced compliance risks in a fast-paced production environment.

East Coast Bakehouse HR Duo

Overview

  • CompanyEast Coast Bakehouse
  • LocationIreland & International
  • IndustryFood & Beverage Manufacturing

Explore this case study if:

  • You manage a large-scale food or beverage production workforce.
  • You want to reduce payroll errors and improve attendance tracking.
  • You’re seeking HR software to ensure compliance with employment regulations.
  • You need scalable workforce management software that can grow with production demands.

East Coast Bakehouse

To maintain growth and meet compliance obligations in the food and beverage industry, East Coast Bakehouse needed a smarter HRMS and workforce management solution.

Founded in 2015 by Michael Carey and Alison Cowzer, East Coast Bakehouse brought large-scale biscuit manufacturing back to Ireland with a purpose-built, 50,000 sq ft facility in Drogheda, County Louth. The site is home to the largest biscuit oven in Europe and produces up to 20,000 tonnes of biscuits annually for both its own brand and private-label customers.

With over 200 years of combined management experience in biscuit manufacturing, the business combines innovation, efficiency, and sustainability, with a strong focus on Origin Green standards and the use of high-quality ingredients.

But managing a 24/7 food production workforce posed challenges. Manual scheduling, fragmented HR processes, and time-consuming payroll reporting created inefficiencies.

What Was Needed

Running a large-scale food manufacturing facility requires workforce precision and strict compliance.

East Coast Bakehouse needed to:

  • Centralise HR Operations: Replace fragmented systems and spreadsheets with one HR platform to manage employee records, contracts, and schedules.
  • Improve Time-Tracking and Attendance: Eliminate manual clock-ins and timesheet errors to improve payroll accuracy and ensure production coverage.
  • Simplify Shift Scheduling: Manage complex rotas for round-the-clock production while adapting quickly to seasonal peaks and demand fluctuations.
  • Ensure HR Compliance: Meet strict employment law requirements, working time rules, and food sector compliance standards.
  • Streamline Payroll Reporting: Automatically link time and attendance data into payroll reports, saving time and improving accuracy.
  • Support Employee Engagement: Enable staff to access rotas, policies, and HR documents via a mobile app, keeping communication simple.

Where We Came In

HR Duo delivered a comprehensive HRMS and workforce management solution designed for high-output, compliance-intensive industries such as the food and beverage manufacturing giant East Coast Bakehouse.

With automated time-tracking, digital rotas, integrated payroll reporting, and compliance templates, East Coast Bakehouse gained full visibility of its workforce and reduced the risks and inefficiencies of manual systems. With HR Duo, East Coast Bakehouse achieved:

Automated Time-Tracking and Attendance

Employees clock in and out via mobile or site-based devices, ensuring accurate workforce data.

Smart Shift Scheduling and Rotas

Managers can build rotas in minutes, adapt to production demands, and notify staff instantly of updates.

HR Compliance Tools

Digital contracts, model HR policies, and audit trails ensure compliance with employment law and industry standards.

Integrated Payroll Reporting

Attendance and rota data flow directly into payroll reports, reducing manual input and payroll disputes.

Mobile Self-Service for Employees

Employees can check rotas, request leave, and view HR policies directly from their phone.

Real-Time Workforce Insights

Managers access live dashboards for attendance, overtime costs, and shift coverage, helping to improve workforce planning.

Our Services

East Coast Bakehouse benefited from several HR Duo modules and innovative features, including:

Workforce Management Tools

Time-tracking, digital rotas, and attendance management designed for food manufacturing environments.

Recruitment & Onboarding

A built-in applicant tracking system and digital onboarding to help recruit and train production staff quickly.

Accurate Payroll

Consolidating time-related activities through one platform meant seamless payroll reporting and processing with accurate overtime and shift data.

Employee Engagement

A mobile app giving staff instant access to everything they need, including a way to clock-in to shifts.

HR Compliance Support

Access to a full library of HR policies, contracts, and documentation aligned to their business operations and employment laws.

HR Duo gives us the tools to manage a complex production workforce with confidence. It saves us time, improves our payroll accuracy, and ensures we stay compliant while meeting customer demands.

Brenda Flynn

HR Business Lead, East Coast Bakehouse

The Real Value

By adopting HR Duo’s workforce management software, East Coast Bakehouse reduced admin, improved compliance, and created a more efficient workforce operation.

Increased Efficiency and Productivity

Automated rotas, attendance, and payroll processes saved time across HR and operations.

Enhanced Compliance

Digital HR policies and contracts reduced risk in a highly regulated industry.

Cost Savings

Time and cost savings through automated processes and accurate payroll reporting.

FAQs

What is HRMS software for construction companies?

An HRMS (Human Resource Management System) for construction companies centralises HR, workforce management, and compliance into one platform.

HR Duo enables construction businesses like Elliott Group to manage employee records, subcontractors, time and attendance, scheduling, payroll reporting, and HR compliance across multiple sites. This replaces spreadsheets and disconnected systems with one reliable source of workforce data.

Can HR Duo manage subcontractors and agency workers?

Yes. HR Duo includes dedicated subcontractor management tools designed for construction.

Businesses can track subcontractor hours, compliance documentation, certifications, and site attendance in one system. This improves accountability, reduces risk, and ensures subcontractors meet all HR and safety requirements before stepping on site.

How does HR Duo help with HR compliance in construction?

An HRMS (Human Resource Management System) for construction companies centralises HR, workforce management, and compliance into one platform.

HR Duo enables construction businesses like Elliott Group to manage employee records, subcontractors, time and attendance, scheduling, payroll reporting, and HR compliance across multiple sites. This replaces spreadsheets and disconnected systems with one reliable source of workforce data.

What is HRMS software for construction companies?

HR compliance is critical in construction due to safety regulations and audits. HR Duo stores right-to-work checks, training records, health and safety certifications, and contracts digitally.

Automated reminders alert managers before documents expire, helping construction companies stay audit-ready and compliant with UK and Irish employment law.

Does HR Duo support multi-site construction operations?

Absolutely. HR Duo is built for multi-site construction businesses operating across regions and countries.

Managers can view workforce data across all sites in real time, standardise HR processes, and ensure consistent compliance, whether teams are based in London, Birmingham, Dublin, or Cork.

How does HR Duo improve time and attendance tracking on construction sites?

HR Duo replaces paper timesheets with mobile clock-ins and location verification. Employees and subcontractors clock in on site, giving managers accurate attendance data instantly.

This improves productivity tracking, reduces time theft, and ensures payroll data reflects actual hours worked.

How does HR Duo support project-based scheduling?

Construction projects change quickly. HR Duo’s digital rota and scheduling tools allow managers to allocate labour based on availability, skills, and site requirements.

Schedules can be updated instantly, ensuring projects remain fully staffed even when timelines shift.

Is HR Duo suitable for large construction firms as well as growing contractors?

Yes. HR Duo scales with construction businesses of all sizes. Whether managing 100 workers or several hundred employees and subcontractors, HR Duo adapts to growing headcount, additional sites, and increased compliance requirements without adding admin overhead.

How does HR Duo improve communication with site teams?

HR Duo’s mobile self-service app gives workers direct access to rotas, documents, and leave requests. This reduces reliance on phone calls and paperwork, improves clarity for site teams, and ensures consistent communication across dispersed construction sites.

Why should construction companies choose HR Duo over other HR software?

Unlike generic HR software, HR Duo is a construction-ready HRMS and workforce management platform. It combines HR compliance, subcontractor management, scheduling, time tracking, payroll reporting, and mobile access in one system.

This gives construction companies better control, reduced risk, and clearer visibility across every project.

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