Case Study: Schloss Elmau cuts inventory time by 60%
Discover how the luxury resort Schloss Elmau reduced bar inventory from 8 to 2.5 hours with BarBrain. Digital inventory for hotels – book your demo now.
75%
less
inventory time
320
items
per inventory
0
minutes of
post-processing
At a glance
- Business: Schloss Elmau – Luxury Spa Resort & Cultural Hideaway
- Industry: 5-star hotel / Luxury resort
- Location: Elmau, Upper Bavaria
- Use case: 2 hotel bar locations (Schloss + Retreat)
- Result: Over 60% time savings on beverage inventory
| Metric | Before | With BarBrain |
|---|---|---|
| Inventory time (2 bars) | 6–8 hours | 2–3 hours |
| Post-processing time | 1–2 hours (Excel) | 0 minutes |
| Recording errors | Regular (open bottles) | Virtually eliminated |
| Staff motivation | Low (frustration) | High |
| Inventory frequency | Monthly (reluctantly) | Monthly (routine) |
About Schloss Elmau
Schloss Elmau is one of Germany’s most renowned luxury resorts. G7 summits have been held here; the guest list reads like a who’s who of business, politics and culture. The resort includes two bars with an extensive spirits portfolio: one bar in the castle itself and a second in the adjacent Retreat. Keven McFarland, the bar manager, is responsible for stock management at both locations.
The challenge: 8 hours for a single inventory
Before BarBrain, the monthly inventory was the most time-intensive administrative task in Keven’s routine. Two bars, hundreds of spirits, dozens of wines, beers, soft drinks — every bottle had to be recorded by hand, noted down and later transferred into Excel.
“We used to spend six to eight hours on inventory. It was dreadful — nobody enjoyed doing it.”– Keven McFarland, Bar Manager, Schloss Elmau
The problem wasn’t just the time involved. Manual recording led to errors with open bottles, duplicate counts and post-processing time of another 1–2 hours. In a luxury resort where staff hours are expensive and service excellence is non-negotiable, this was a tangible financial issue.
Why BarBrain
Keven evaluated several solutions. The decision fell on BarBrain for three reasons: the app was specifically developed for beverage inventory in hospitality — not a generic warehouse management tool. The slider for open bottles eliminated the need for awkward weighing or guessing. And parallel counting made it possible to inventory both bars simultaneously.
BarBrain’s digital inventory app could be set up within a day. Keven’s team didn’t need additional hardware — a smartphone or tablet was sufficient. All features at a glance shows what BarBrain covers in detail.
Implementation
Setup was straightforward. BarBrain digitised the product portfolio of both bars — including all spirits, wines, beers and soft drinks. Within a week, the team was trained. The first digital inventory could take place at the following month-end.
“The app is intuitive. My staff understood it in 15 minutes.”– Keven McFarland, Bar Manager, Schloss Elmau
Results
The measurable changes after three months with BarBrain:
“This app is brilliant because it motivates the staff to do the inventory again. What used to be a tedious task is actually fun now.”– Keven McFarland, Bar Manager, Schloss Elmau
Operational Impact
Beyond the pure time savings, the switch to BarBrain had wider-reaching effects. Automated inventory reports go directly to controlling, increasing transparency over the bars’ cost of goods. Shrinkage is detected more quickly. Order quantities can be planned more precisely because stock data is current and reliable. For a property like Schloss Elmau, where two bars work with premium spirits, this adds up. If a bottle of Macallan 18 isn’t recorded correctly, we’re not talking about small change.
About BarBrain
BarBrain is the fastest digital inventory solution for the hospitality industry. Over 1,000 businesses — from independent restaurants to restaurant chains — use the app for their monthly stocktake. Setup takes less than a day, and the 30-day trial is free.
