Leave management system case study JDO leave dates

When the team at JDO decided it was time to level up their leave management system, Studio Coordinator Lizzie Read expected to endure months of trial and error before finding the best solution for their global business. What she found with Leave Dates was a system that ticked all the boxes and dramatically reduced her workload.

JDO is the creative agency behind branding, strategy, and design for some of the world’s most recognisable brands in beauty, food and alcohol. With iconic brands like Absolut, Hawaiian Tropic and Cucina Moderna in their extensive (and impressive) portfolio, it is no surprise that they receive many prestigious awards.

With their success, the team has expanded beyond the UK to New York and, most recently, opened its doors in China. Their Shanghai-based squad wasted no time making their mark; their stunning packaging design for plant-based milk brand MoFree earned a silver PKG Award, placing the young branch among the best in the business.

Of course, with the team at JDO focussed on being a brand-building powerhouse, they needed an efficient method for managing holidays with multiple departments across all three countries, and we warmly welcomed them to Leave Dates.

Better leave management for a growing team

Lizzie led the switch from their previous system. She was looking for a scalable solution with a modern and user-friendly interface as well as more accurate reporting of data for the 80+ staff.

"We were getting inaccurate data, some people said they had booked holidays, and it wasn't showing. It was such a multi-step process; some things were being missed, some things weren't being recorded as accurately as we wanted them to be, and it needed a lot of work. The interface on the system we were using was very dated."

When her colleague, Vicky, initially found Leave Dates on Google, they jumped in, booked a demo, and created a free account to conduct a test run with five employees. First impressions and feedback were that it was simple, easy to navigate, and fresh looking; they tried the system with less tech-savvy employees and found that everybody loved the experience.

JDO Global Staff Party
The JDO team are known for their commitment to positive team culture with time together and making the most of their time off.

Simple and scalable holiday tracking across the globe

A primary challenge for the business was finding software that the whole team could use in any region. The freedom to configure multiple locations and departments and customise settings for individual team members has been one of the deciding factors in choosing Leave Dates. In addition, the flexibility of the desktop and mobile apps gives their team peace of mind, knowing that it will meet their needs for years to come.

More time for creativity

One of the most delightful outcomes for Lizzie is that she has put her team's talents to better use since onboarding Leave Dates, "We went from having three people managing our annual leave system. Now it's down to me... that's how simple Leave Dates is."

JDO is getting bigger by the week with no signs of slowing down, and Leave Dates is enabling Lizzie and her team to do more of what they love, letting the creatives stay creative.

Time to reduce your HR admin and get back to what you love doing? Create your Leave Dates account today and download our app for iOS and Andriod.


Che

Author

Ché manages our marketing, communications and partnerships. She helps people find Leave Dates and make sure it is right for them. Her favourite weekly task is sending thank you messages to customers who review us.