Grain and Bake Co finds the secret ingredient to workforce efficiency

A food manufacturing business with a passion for efficiency

Nestled in Melbourne’s Moorabbin Airport precinct, Grain and Bake Co has grown from a proudly Australian-owned family business into a premier contract manufacturer of toasted muesli, muesli clusters, muesli bars and granola. Operating from an impressive 10,000-square-metre facility, they produce high-quality muesli products for a diverse clientele based across the retail and food service sectors, both locally and internationally. ​

At the heart of this operation is Trudy Mortaruolo, the company’s HR Manager. With extensive experience in human resources, Trudy has a deep understanding of HR compliance and workforce management. Recognising the need for more efficient systems to support the company’s growth, she spearheaded the implementation of Employment Hero.​

“We needed a system that could handle complex award rates, automate payroll processing and improve how we managed time and attendance. Employment Hero ticked all those boxes and more.”

The need for a smarter HR and payroll solution

Before adopting Employment Hero, Grain and Bake Co faced significant challenges with manual processes. Payroll processing was a labour-intensive task, relying heavily on paper timesheets and spreadsheets, leading to inefficiencies and increased risk of human error.

“Payroll was a three-day process. We’d chase staff for timesheets, manually input hours and double-check for errors. It wasn’t sustainable.”

Beyond payroll, managing employee information, compliance and communication was equally challenging. Trudy knew that for the business to run efficiently, it needed a centralised system that could eliminate manual processes, streamline approvals and empower employees.

“The level of manual work we were doing meant we were constantly at risk of mistakes. In an industry where compliance is key, that’s not something you can afford.”

Real-time time and attendance tracking

One of the biggest transformations for Grain and Bake Co was the shift to Employment Hero’s integrated time and attendance system. Employees now clock in and out digitally, with real-time data feeding directly into payroll.

“We no longer have to chase employees or managers for timesheets. Everything is tracked automatically and we can see exactly who is working, when and where.”

This change has not only reduced errors but also improved compliance. With Employment Hero, award rates and overtime calculations are automated, helping simplify compliance and reduce errors.

“Food manufacturing operates under strict award conditions. The fact that Employment Hero automates these calculations means we can be confident in our payroll accuracy every single time.”

Payroll processing in record time

Before Employment Hero, Trudy and the Finance team relied on manual data entry, with an employee dedicating their Fridays to just inputting timesheets into an Excel spreadsheet.

“Our payroll used to take probably three days, with someone sitting and entering timesheets into Excel. That time’s gone.”

With Employment Hero payroll now seamlessly integrated into time and attendance, their payroll processing time has reduced to just 3 hours. The automation of hours, allowances, and leave balances has transformed payroll from a cumbersome task to a streamlined process.

“Now, it’s probably a few hours. Obviously, the click of a button is pretty quick, but by the time you review everything, it’s still only taking three hours instead of three days.”

This newfound efficiency means payroll is no longer a bottleneck, freeing up Trudy and the finance team to focus on higher-impact tasks.

“Employment Hero has educated me along the way too. I’ve learned so much by using it, and now we’re in a position where more than one person knows how to process payroll. That means we can take leave without worrying about payroll getting stuck.”

Beyond the time savings, the system also provides greater visibility for the finance team. Our Management and cost accountant now has access to detailed labour cost data, improving reporting accuracy and ensuring all financial information is correctly coded.

“Our Management and cost accountant, was really looking forward to having all that extra information for her reports – especially for tracking labour costs and making sure everything is coded correctly from a finance perspective.”

With streamlined processes, increased transparency and reduced administrative burden, payroll at Grain and Bake Co. has never been more efficient.

Keeping the team connected with announcements 

In a fast-paced food manufacturing environment, clear and timely communication is key. With multiple shifts and employees working across different hours, Grain and Bake Co needed a way to streamline company-wide updates without relying on noticeboards or word-of-mouth. The platform’s announcements feature was the perfect solution.

“We’ve used the announcements feature a lot, and it’s been so helpful. We recently had some changes around public holidays, and rather than sending out emails that might not get read, we put the announcement straight into the Employment Hero Work App. That way, everyone could see it in real time.”

This has been particularly beneficial for urgent updates and company-wide notices. Instead of relying on managers to pass information down through multiple layers, employees can receive notifications directly on their phones.

“If something’s important, we know it’s getting seen. It’s so much easier than hoping a printed notice gets read or that the message is passed along correctly,” Trudy explains. “It’s just another way Employment Hero is helping us keep things simple and efficient.”

Employee engagement and morale boost

With a self-service portal, employees now have direct access to payslips, rosters and leave balances. The transparency has built trust and improved morale across the workforce.

“With the Employment Hero Work app, everything is centralised – employees can see their leave balance instantly before they even apply, rather than searching through payslips. It’s also helped educate our staff on managing their leave, helping them plan for both now and future time off.” 

Trudy adds, “Our machine operators stand on their feet all day, so it’s crucial that admin tasks don’t take up their time. With Employment Hero, they have ownership over their details, can get straight to work and focus on production.”

Beyond accessibility, Employment Hero has created more accurate processes for their team. By tracking shifts and overtime, employees feel confident they are being paid correctly for their work.

“It brings a level of professionalism to our team – moving away from paper and manual processes makes everything look more polished. More importantly, it helps us capture the right information without adding extra hassle for our staff, who are already working long, demanding shifts in food manufacturing.”

The management perspective: better decision-making

For leadership, having real-time workforce data has been a game-changer. With clear visibility into labour costs, overtime trends and attendance patterns, Grain and Bake Co’s management team can make more informed decisions.

“The reporting is incredibly useful. We can see where we might be overstaffed, track absenteeism trends and plan accordingly. That kind of insight is invaluable.”

The ultimate solution for food manufacturing

In a fast-paced, high-compliance industry like food manufacturing, businesses can’t afford inefficiencies in workforce management. Employment Hero has allowed Grain and Bake Co to:

• Reduce payroll processing time from three days to three hours.
• Improve compliance and accuracy with automated modern award interpretation.
• Enhance employee engagement and trust through self-service tools.
• Provide leadership with better workforce insights for strategic planning.

“Managing a large team can be challenging, but this system ensures fairness and consistency. Everyone follows the same processes, and it helps us build a stronger, more unified team.”

For food and beverage manufacturers looking to streamline operations and reduce payroll stress, Employment Hero is the answer.Book a demo today and see how Employment Hero can transform your business.