Too many small admin jobs
Availability, leave, shift changes, clock records and questions from staff all added time to what should have been a straightforward weekly rota.
Customer story · Polly’s Brew Co
One rota for the brewery, the sales team and a busy town-centre taproom.
Polly’s Brew Co uses FlowRota to take the friction out of weekly scheduling — saving managers time, giving staff a clear mobile rota and keeping availability, clock-ins, leave and shift checks together.
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The background
A scheduling job that became more complicated as the business grew.
Brewing and hospitality run on different clocks. Production shifts can begin early and follow planned brewing work, while a town-centre taproom and restaurant needs flexible cover around lunches, evenings, weekends, events and changing customer demand.
When Polly’s added Polly’s Social to its brewery and sales operation, the rota needed to work for more people, more roles and different locations. Managers had to make quick decisions without losing sight of availability, leave, actual hours or sensible shift patterns.
FlowRota gave Polly’s one place to manage that work. The system remains simple for employees, while managers get the deeper tools they need to plan, check and adjust the week properly.
One shared scheduling system
FlowRota brought brewery, sales and hospitality scheduling into one account, with separate teams and clear manager control.
Managers get time back
Staff use the live rota themselves, while managers spend less time chasing information, resending schedules and checking separate records.
How the change happened
From rota admin to one reliable weekly process.
FlowRota did not change how Polly’s makes staffing decisions. It changed how much work is needed to reach and communicate those decisions.
Before FlowRota
Managers could find themselves combining rota information from different conversations, notes and records, then answering questions after the schedule had been shared.
During rollout
Teams, roles, locations and shift patterns were added first. Availability, leave, mobile access and clocking then became part of the same routine.
Today
Staff know where to check the latest rota. Managers can plan, publish, adjust and review the week without rebuilding the process every time something changes.
The features Polly’s relies on
More than a rota — without feeling like a heavy HR system.
FlowRota keeps the employee experience deliberately simple. The feature depth sits behind the scenes for managers, where it saves the most time.
01
Availability is visible while the rota is being built.
Managers no longer need to hold every restriction in their head or search through old messages. Availability sits close to the scheduling view, making avoidable clashes easier to spot before the rota reaches staff.
✓
Useful for part-time and flexible hospitality staff
✓
Shows likely conflicts before shifts are published
✓
Reduces repeated availability messages
02
Staff always have the current rota in their pocket.
A screenshot becomes wrong as soon as a shift changes. FlowRota gives every employee access to the published rota on mobile, so changes do not create several versions of the week in circulation.
✓
Less time spent resending rotas
✓
Fewer questions about start times and changes
✓
Clear access for brewery, sales and hospitality staff
03
Clock-ins turn attendance into something managers can review.
Scheduled hours and actual hours are not always the same in a working brewery or restaurant. Clock-ons and clock cards give managers a consistent record of attendance, breaks, lateness and worked time without creating another spreadsheet.
✓
Clock on and off from supported devices
✓
Location-aware clocking options
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Manager review and approval of clock records
04
Shift-rule warnings add a useful second pair of eyes.
Busy weeks can produce awkward shift patterns, particularly where late hospitality finishes meet early starts. FlowRota’s configured checks draw attention to potential rest-period and working-time concerns before publication.
✓
Warnings appear during rota preparation
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Supports, rather than replaces, manager judgement
✓
Helps managers review difficult shift patterns sooner
“We wanted something the team would actually use. FlowRota gives us the depth we need across the brewery and Polly’s Social, but the rota itself is still quick to build and easy to understand.”
Sean Robert
Managing Director, Polly’s Brew Co
“Availability, leave and rota changes are no longer spread across separate conversations. Managers can see the information they need before a shift is published, which saves a huge amount of back-and-forth.”
Emily Kyte
Human Resources
“The taproom can change quickly, especially around busy evenings and weekends. I can adjust the rota, check cover and know that everyone is looking at the current version.”
Hannah
Taproom and restaurant manager
“The simple part matters. I can open the app, see where I need to be and know it is up to date. I am not chasing a screenshot or asking whether the rota changed.”
Arron Fellows
Sales Manager
The outcome
The time saving comes from hundreds of small jobs disappearing.
FlowRota has not simply made the rota look better. It has removed many of the interruptions and manual checks that used to surround it.
Less chasing
Staff submit availability and check shifts themselves, cutting down routine messages to managers.
Less duplication
The rota, leave, availability and attendance records no longer need to be maintained as separate weekly processes.
Faster changes
Open shifts, swaps and amendments stay attached to the live rota rather than becoming a trail of private messages.
Better visibility
Managers can compare planned work with attendance and spot potential shift concerns earlier.
Happier staff
Employees get a clean, mobile-first view of the information they need without being buried in management features.
Used across the business
Different responsibilities, one reliable source of truth.
Each person uses FlowRota differently, but they all benefit from the same live schedule and cleaner flow of information.
Emily Kyte
Human ResourcesClearer records for availability, leave, attendance and working patterns.
Sean Robert
Managing DirectorBetter oversight across the brewery, sales operation and Polly’s Social.
Hannah
Taproom and restaurant managerFaster day-to-day rota changes around service, cover and staff availability.
Arron Fellows
Sales ManagerStraightforward mobile access to working times and live rota updates.
Common questions
FlowRota for breweries, taprooms and restaurants.
Can FlowRota manage brewery and taproom staff together?
Yes. Separate teams, roles and locations can sit inside one account, with appropriate manager access for each area.
Can employees submit availability?
Yes. Availability can be maintained by staff and reviewed while a manager is building the rota.
Does FlowRota include clock-ins?
Yes. FlowRota supports clock-ins, clock-outs, location-aware options and manager review of clock cards.
Can FlowRota flag shift-time problems?
FlowRota can show configured warnings for possible working-time and rest-period concerns. The checks assist managers and do not replace legal advice.
Can staff use FlowRota on mobile?
Yes. Employees can use FlowRota on web, iOS and Android to view shifts and handle relevant requests.
Is it suitable for changing hospitality rotas?
Yes. FlowRota supports changing shifts, availability, leave, open shifts, swaps, notifications and attendance tracking.
Want the full story?
Read the complete Polly's Brew Co case study.
Discover how Polly's Brew Co transformed staff scheduling across its brewery, sales team and Polly's Social. Our in-depth case study explores the challenges they faced, how FlowRota was implemented, and the improvements the team has seen across the business.
Read the full case study →Give your managers less rota admin to carry.
Bring rotas, availability, leave, clock-ins, cover and shift checks into one clear system — with a simple mobile experience staff will actually use.
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