Albert Heijn Asten

From Excel to Greater Transparency

“Six years ago, we were still relying on spreadsheets,” says Luc. “Workforce planning was cumbersome and inefficient. We knew we had to make a change.” After a selection process in which various WFM solutions were compared, AH Asten chose R&R. With the introduction of R&R Insights, corporate management took on a whole new dimension.

With R&R Insights, Luc has access to up-to-date data at all times, allowing him to respond quickly. “With just one click, I can see the expected results. That makes a lot of things much easier.” This helps not only with staffing planning but also with major strategic decisions. “When we stopped selling tobacco, we knew, of course, that it would affect revenue and productivity. With Insights, we can see exactly what the impact will be. It also shows us which levers we can pull to achieve the desired outcome.”

Decisions That Make a Difference

Luc uses R&R Insights to make decisions based on facts rather than gut feelings. “In the past, we only realized after the fact what impact working more or fewer hours had. Now we can schedule additional hours in advance to handle peak times, and we see the effects immediately.”

At the weekly meeting, he discusses the bottlenecks from the previous week with the managers—for example, a high volume of customers on Friday evening or Saturday morning. R&R Insights can be used to calculate the potential impact of adding extra hours during these times. Based on this, a decision is made as to whether to schedule 10 or 20 additional hours. This gives managers more responsibility and makes decisions less dependent on Luc’s direct assessment.

“Last year, we also implemented many changes in the market and carried out a restructuring. At the same time, R&R Insights showed us in which areas hours were lost and what impact that had on our bottom line. We were also able to see how our productive hours were faring and where there was still room for improvement. Through these optimizations, combined with the changes in the market, we were able to track the impact on productivity directly in Insights.

"We were able to increase our productivity by 2 percent. That may not sound like much, but on an annual basis, it's enormous."

Decisions That Make a Difference

Luc uses R&R Insights to make decisions based on facts rather than gut feelings. “In the past, we only realized after the fact what impact adding or reducing hours had. Today, we can schedule additional hours in advance to handle peak times, and we see the effects immediately.”

At the weekly meeting, he discusses the previous week’s bottlenecks with the department heads—for example, a high volume of customers on Friday evening or Saturday morning. R&R Insights can be used to calculate the potential impact of adding extra hours during these times. Based on this, a decision is made as to whether to schedule 10 or 20 additional hours. As a result, managers take on more responsibility, and decisions are less dependent on Luc’s direct assessment.

“Last year, we also implemented many changes in the market and carried out a reorganization. At the same time, R&R Insights showed us in which areas hours were being lost and what impact that had on our bottom line. We were also able to see how our productive hours were faring and where there was still room for improvement. Through these optimizations, combined with the reorganization, we were able to track the impact on our productivity directly in Insights.”

The Future of Efficient Corporate Management

For Luc, one thing is certain: R&R Insights has become an indispensable part of his daily work. “It provides greater transparency, saves time, and helps us make better decisions. It’s just very satisfying to be able to make decisions based on facts and data,” he says.

His advice to other store managers? “If you still have doubts, just give it a try. You’ll see how much more transparency you gain and how much more peace of mind it brings to your staff scheduling.”

Luc is convinced that entrepreneurs can take a big step forward with R&R Insights. “The information should come to you, not the other way around. If you have to go looking for information first, there’s a risk that you won’t have time for it in your day-to-day work and will end up making decisions based on gut instinct. Of course, gut instinct plays a role, but with facts and data, you can either confirm your decisions after the fact or better assess them in advance. That way, you know what to expect and what impact the decisions you make today will have.”

For Luc, R&R Insights provides a solid foundation for tackling any challenge: “Every supermarket has its own challenges—whether it’s high sick-day costs or low productivity. Insights shows you exactly which levers to pull to address these issues. It gives you transparency and opportunities. What you do with that is up to you.”

With his knack for numbers and his hands-on approach, Luc demonstrates that technology can be a true game-changer—not only at corporate headquarters, but above all directly in the marketplace.

Success stories we're proud of:

EDEKA Schliermann

From Excel to a Better Overview: EDEKA Schliermann Now Always Works with an Up-to-Date Duty Roster

Luc Verberne, AH Asten, with R&R Insights

Albert Heijn Asten

Data-Driven Decisions and Increased Productivity: AH Asten Optimizes Store Performance and Boosts Profitability with R&R Insights.

ALDI Netherlands

Smart workforce planning, higher employee retention, and better management capabilities. ALDI Netherlands is achieving impressive results with R&R Workforce Management.