Have you ever noticed that as soon as it feels like you’ve hit your stride in brewery operations management, something breaks? It’s not just bad luck when manual processes in small businesses fail, and you’re not alone in this feeling!
The truth is, increased volume multiplies coordination, not effort. More volume means more tasks, SKUs, staff, handoffs, and chances to fail. As your brewery grows, your systems need to change accordingly to avoid the problems of scaling a bar.
Of course, manual workflows make scaling a brewery more difficult. Let’s break down how.
Scaling Bar Operations Can Turn “We Got This” Into “We’re Out of Control!”
In the early days of scaling a brewery, the nuances of manual workflows are likely lodged in your own brain. When building your own business, it feels like a baby that only you know how to care for properly. This makes sense at low volume, but not during the growth phase of your brewery.
It’s incredibly rewarding to see more guests, more staff, and more Friday-night-level volume in your taproom after all the hard work it took to get there. But if you’re still using manual workflows, there’s a moment when your brewery operations begin to feel out of your control.
Here’s Why Manual Workflows Break for Growing Breweries
The truth is, increased brewery volume increases not only tasks, but handoffs too. Depending on spreadsheets, notes, and memory makes it impossible to scale across shifts. At a higher volume, one forgotten update compounds errors overnight.
Let’s review where things can go wrong.
Workflow Inefficiencies To Avoid As You’re Scaling a Brewery
#1: Tracking inventory “later”
It can be tempting to save manual tracking for another time, especially when you have warm bodies in the taproom. The problem lies there: You shouldn’t have to choose between important data tracking and improving the guest experience.
Manual workflows prevent multitasking when your hands are needed elsewhere. The risk of tracking inventory “later” can greatly impact your guest experience:
- Empty kegs show as available
- Bartenders sell products that aren’t in stock
#2: Inconsistently applying menu or pricing updates
Manual system updates overcomplicate menu and price changes. Since those changes have to be made in multiple places—physical and digital menus, taproom menu boards, online stores—it usually causes inventory errors and guest confusion.
There’s nothing worse than a guest being surprised by the prices on their bill, or trying to order something that’s no longer available. Not only are guests upset, but your staff members have an extra to-do on their list, and their tips may suffer. What a headache!
#3: Staff doing workarounds instead of workflows
Your team is smart and wholly focused on your taproom guests. So when something goes awry during peak traffic, it’s not surprising that they’ll find a workaround to keep pours flowing.
However, workarounds becoming the norm is a slippery slope. When your team trains new staff on workarounds instead of workflows, it increases the likelihood of brewery systems breaking.
#4: Relying on brewery owners as the end-all, be-all system
You deserve to kick up your feet and enjoy a beer off the clock. But when all of the important brewery information and manual workflows live in your head, you can never have your phone on DND.
Reliable, automated systems, on the other hand, mean more R and R for brewery owners!
The Real Cost of Failed Manual Workflows Due to Increased Volume & Operational Inefficiencies
Failed manual workflows lead to not just mistakes, but also other issues that can hinder scaling bar operations:
- Increased stress: There’s enough stress as is in brewery operations management. Workflow inefficiencies make your job harder than it already is, and add stress to your team, too.
- Slower service: It’s plain and simple: Manual processes in small businesses lead to slower service. This can fly for a mom-and-pop shop, but when you’re trying to quench the thirst of a full taproom, these manual workflows present operational bottlenecks. Slow service doesn’t make your guests want to return.
- Lost confidence: If your staff is constantly tackling bar operations challenges, they’re waiting for the other shoe to drop. Losing faith in the taproom running smoothly isn’t good for staff retention.
While these problems aren’t necessarily monetary, they have a direct impact on your brewery’s ROI. As a brewery owner and operator, you should be celebrating your hard-earned growth, instead of feeling like scaling bar operations makes everything harder.
To keep your guests and staff happy and maintain your own sanity, you must review your operational inefficiencies.
Remove Your Operational Bottlenecks: Scaling Bar Operations By Eliminating Workflow Inefficiencies
Don’t worry: We’re not about to pitch an AI robot to you. But it’s worth noting that if you have an aversion to technology in your taproom, it will ultimately hinder your growth in the modern brewery landscape.
Instead of viewing brewery operations management tools as “tech adoption,” frame these automation possibilities as stress relievers. Having automated tools work in the background frees up valuable time for you to shake hands on the taproom floor or plan for strategic investments down the road.
Operational bottlenecks mean there are too many tools, unclear ownership, and systems that fail during peak rushes. So when you’re actively scaling a brewery, it’s paramount that you optimize the tools and systems in place.
Here’s the solution: Shift from manual, memorized tasks to repeatable workflows:
- Automated inventory management: Sync your POS with inventory so keg levels update in real time. Then you know exactly when to plan production and prevent last-minute shortages during busy weekends.
- All-in-one staff scheduling: Manage shifts through your POS platform to streamline scheduling, shift swaps, and more.
Tech-savvy brewery operations management is proven to make taprooms run better, resulting in happier staff and returning guests.
Invest in Brewery Operations Management You Can Trust
Arryved is the most trusted POS and Brewery Operations platform for a reason: It makes scaling a brewery easier. Get access to the industry-tested tools and support you need to navigate the growth phase, and then quadruple it.
Request a free demo from an Arryved expert today and learn how to eliminate bar operations challenges.