Deputy Helps Masala Wok Seamlessly Manage 12 Locations Across the Country

Founded in the suburbs of Dallas in 2003, Masala Wok is a chain of fast casual Indian Asian restaurants. It’s devoted to exploring the wonders of both Asian and Indian cuisines while making it accessible to everyone.

“At Masala Wok, we strive to provide a casual and friendly atmosphere with superior service that appeals to both the quick lunch crowds as well as family and friends looking for a perfect dinner spot,” said Hitesh Sanghvi, managing partner of three Masala Wok’s in Houston, Texas. “It is our mission to help make Indian food one of the top five fast-casual cuisines in the country.”

To achieve its mission, Masala Wok must continue to grow. Today, the restaurant chain has opened 12 locations throughout Texas and Virginia, has approximately 300 employees, and is expanding at a rapid pace. In order to effectively manage its growth, Hitesh and other members of the Masala Wok leadership team soon realized the company’s old workforce management processes were no longer feasible.

“Our old workforce solution was limited,” said Hitesh. “We had to use multiple applications to keep everything streamlined and often had to deal with data problems and crashing applications. We desired a simpler, trustworthy, all-in-one mobile solution that would work across locations.”

Before Deputy, Masala Wok’s managers spent hours creating employees’ schedules via spreadsheets, which had to be manually re-done when employees changed their availability or needed to swap shifts.

One application that Masala Wok uses and enjoys is its POS solution, Square. The system is iPad based and is easy for management and employees to use. To build out an end to end solution for its workforce management on the backend, Masala Wok went on a search for a complimentary mobile application and came across Deputy – which integrates seamlessly with Square.

“Whenever we consider implementing new technology at Masala Wok, I am involved in the process,” said Hitesh. “Everything is sampled and I provide my feedback to the president. We initially tried Deputy at a few stores. After two months, I knew it was the solution for us and expanded it out to all of our stores.”

“At Masala Wok, we typically create monthly schedules to allow our employees to work consistent shifts,” said Hitesh. “It’s only natural though that changes need to be made and now, Deputy’s mobile scheduling feature allows our managers to make any necessary adjustments instantly from their smartphone. Our managers can also duplicate shifts from month to month with little to no effort – and in about five minutes.”

For the first time, Masala Wok’s managers also have increased transparency in their employees’ workflow and time clocks. Prior to Deputy, workers clocked in and out on their own, with little accountability. Now, Masala Wok’s employee’s clock in and out each day via an iPad kiosk at each store, which allows employees to submit a photo of themselves when starting or stopping shifts. Further, Deputy tracks time minute-by-minute, ensuring all employees are working exactly when they are scheduled.

“For instance, even if I am not in my store I can see, from my Deputy app, if an employee that was scheduled from 10 am – 2 pm was actually there from 10 am – 4 pm. I can then inquire why he worked two hours extra. Our other software didn’t have that capability,” said Hitesh.

Masala Wok’s managers also love the transparency and start each of their days by opening Deputy and reviewing what happened the day before in terms of labor, performance, etc. Then, if needed, can make staff scheduling adjustments in less than five minutes.

Additionally, accurate timesheets enable Masala Wok to have more accurate payroll. “When we export payroll everything is on the same page. The software gives me timecard info for each employee, and can automatically calculate extra hours and more. This efficient and accurate process has definitely helped us save valuable time and money,” said Hitesh.

Through Deputy’s integration with Masala Wok’s POS solution, Square, the restaurant chain can automatically combine business sales and labor costs from the software with staffing and timesheet management, creating total visibility and control into key functions of business management.

“Our motto at Masala Wok is to help save when we can,” said Hitesh. “Deputy truly provides us with a 360-degree view of our business and allows us to stay on top of company and labor costs in real time. For instance, I am able to take a look at our labor costs vs. sales costs from Saturday and compare that to the labor and sales costs from Monday. Then, I can use that information to better forecast and adjust scheduling over the next week.”

THE RESULTS

Ultimately, since its implementation, Deputy has provided Masala Wok with:

• Efficient mobile scheduling that enables managers to complete schedules within five minutes vs. hours, and make adjustments in real time straight from their phone or tablet.

• Streamlined payroll with Deputy’s accurate time clocks for employee hours.

• Greater transparency into employee workflow with real-time updates and personalized time clocks.

• Superior business performance and cost savings through its integration with Square.

• Enhanced customer service by empowering managers to get out of the back office and spend more face-to-face time with customers.

Hitesh notes, “I would definitely recommend Deputy to others looking to improve and streamline their performance. The software makes it easy to return your focus back on what’s really important – growing a successful business and serving customers.”