Right in the heart of Amsterdam lies Melkweg, an iconic pop venue that has been a breeding ground for music, art, and culture for over 50 years. What began as a squatted building in the 1970s has grown into a versatile and multidisciplinary cultural center. In addition to concerts, Melkweg also hosts film screenings, exhibitions, and club nights, setting it apart from other music venues in the Netherlands.

“Thanks to the scheduling and time registration features, I’d say Nostradamus really is the engine of Melkweg.”

From chaotic planning to clarity and efficiency

With such a large workforce and a wide variety of events, a clear and efficient planning solution was essential. Before switching to Nostradamus, Melkweg’s workforce scheduling was spread across various channels: some used a different scheduling tool, others relied on Excel, or even email. This led to a lack of structure and oversight. “The complete picture was missing,” says Fridtjof. “We wanted all our salaried staff to be scheduled using one system. We were no longer satisfied with the current software, so we started looking around and approached several providers.”

Why Nostradamus?

Melkweg sought a software solution that could centralize planning and improve internal communication. “Nostradamus is the full package. We did pretty thorough research and checked with other companies, but there’s really nothing else like Nostradamus.” One decisive factor was the ability to centralize and instantly share information with the team. “What really convinced us was the ability to share information from Nostradamus directly through the Employee App,” says Fridtjof. “We use Nostradamus not only to share newsletters but also for policy updates. That way, we ensure the right information consistently reaches everyone.”

Nostradamus also offers a flexible shift-swapping function. “Employees can submit swap requests themselves in the Staff App, which only need approval from a supervisor. That saves us an enormous amount of time and effort.” It’s now been three years since Melkweg started using Nostradamus for workforce planning, and they wouldn’t want to go without it. “Thanks to the scheduling and time-tracking features, Nostradamus really is the engine of Melkweg.”

“Nostradamus is the full package. We did pretty thorough research and checked with other companies, but there’s really nothing else like Nostradamus.”

Daily benefits

Melkweg uses Nostradamus extensively for scheduling, time registration, and internal communication. Leave registration has also significantly improved: “What used to be a chaotic mess is now streamlined, and employees can view their own time-off balance, which is great.”

Another big plus is the integration with Yesplan. “We no longer have to constantly switch between systems. All the basic data is now readily available during scheduling,” says Fridtjof. Both the Management App and the Employee App have been well received at Melkweg. “The apps are much more intuitive. Everything can be arranged via your phone, which is super convenient.”

An unexpected bonus was the ability to customize employee records. “We now also track who received which items, like laptops or keys. It gives us more control in our administration.” Melkweg is also looking at future expansions, such as using the BI tool in Nostradamus for analytics and strategic decision-making.

“The close collaboration is incredibly valuable. We meet every year to discuss development requests. There’s always open and honest communication.”

An indispensable partner

Nostradamus has proven to be an essential tool for Melkweg. “The close collaboration is incredibly valuable. We meet every year to discuss development requests. There’s always open and honest communication,” Fridtjof concludes. “We did pretty thorough research, also at other companies, but there’s just nothing else like Nostradamus.” Thanks to Nostradamus, Melkweg now not only has control over workforce planning, but also the flexibility and clarity to operate efficiently in a dynamic industry.

Are you also interested in efficient workforce scheduling, time tracking, and forecasting? Request a free demo now—and who knows, you might end up with a success story just like Melkweg.