How Locked manages shift planning with Smartplan
“We quickly fell for Smartplan because it seemed very intuitive and user-friendly, and it was easy to get started with. As a new company, it was important to find something that didn't take long to get started with.”
Anna
/
Founder & Co-owner
Locked
A need for automatic shift planning
Before Locked started using Smartplan, they created rotas in Excel. Each month, they would take a screenshot of the rota and send it to employees. However, every time shifts were swapped, new screenshots had to be taken, which quickly led to a need for more automated shift planning.
“Smartplan meets our needs, and I actually think it meets most people's needs because it's simple. Basically, you need to get employees to show up for work and they need to get the right pay. Smartplan ensures that in an easy and effective way.”
Martin
/
Founder & Co-owner
Locked
How a typical rota looks at Locked
Each of Locked's departments has a manager responsible for rota planning. Rotas are usually planned one or two months at a time. A typical week in a rota at Locked looks like this:
A quick and clear overview
With Smartplan, Locked can easily access the exact information they need. Whether it’s administrators checking who is working on a specific day, employees wanting to swap shifts, or communicating with a specific colleague - everything can be done with just a few clicks.
Locations
Managing absences
Time attendance
“Shift planning has become much easier because you can use the template to copy the rotas from month to month, so you don't have to sit and create everything manually. In addition, it's easy to change times and shifts, and employees can clock in and out themselves. As an administrator, you don't have to spend as much time as before.”
Anna
/
Founder & Co-owner
Locked
A realistic experience
Whether you visit one of Locked's escape rooms or try their teambuilding concept, you can be sure to have an experience that feels close to reality. At Locked, they always strive to make their scenarios as realistic as possible.
From school project to business
Since February 2019, Locked has been using Smartplan for their rota planning. We recently met with the company’s two owners, Anna and Martin, to talk about the journey Locked has been on. We also gained insight into how they use Smartplan in their daily operations.
When Anna and Martin were studying to become engineers, they undertook a student project to investigate the types of experiences available in Central and Western Jutland. They quickly realized there was a lack of unique activities for people, which led to the idea for Locked.
We started by market testing and made a Facebook post that said, ‘Can you guess where Herning's next escape room will open?’ along with a picture of a potential location we could rent. The demand was much greater than expected, and suddenly we were incredibly busy.
Shortly after, they were contacted by a newspaper that wanted to know more about the project and when they planned to open. This prompted Anna and Martin to quickly sign the lease, and they began creating escape rooms—even though they knew very little about them at the time. But within 4-5 weeks, they had built their first location.
Today, Locked focuses on escape rooms, which are the core of their business and the foundation of the company. However, they also sell teambuilding experiences off-site. Their experiences are sold to families, friends, and businesses alike.
We don’t have customers. We have guests. They should feel like they’re visiting their grandmother’s house. We even think about this when it comes to the decor—it should have a slightly creepy yet cozy vibe.
Locked draws inspiration for their escape rooms primarily from the film industry. They focus on what’s trending and the latest themes. This is evident in their most popular room, "The Undead," which is based on the series The Walking Dead.
The feedback they receive from guests often emphasizes the decor. Their escape rooms are designed to include multiple sub-rooms within a single room, and they also feature lounge areas where guests can relax before and after the experience.
We put a lot of focus on the overall experience. For instance, in Aarhus, we have 400 square meters, with 200 dedicated to escape rooms and the other 200 to lounge and intro areas. It’s important that guests have a space to gather both before and, especially, after the experience. People are so focused during the activity that there are often a lot of aha moments afterward.
.png)
Get Started in 2 Minutes — It's Free for 14 days
Why Smartplan is the right choice for you:
