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Launch Plan
Bank Reconciliation Automation
[YourCompany.com] · Finance Department · Prepared by FullSpec · [Today's Date]
This Launch Plan covers everything you need to know about how your Bank Reconciliation automation moves from confirmed process map to a live, running system. It is written for the business owner and finance lead, not a technical audience. FullSpec handles the entire build, testing, and deployment end to end. Your role is limited to providing tool access, confirming one configuration decision before build begins, and reviewing exceptions once the system is live.
01What you're launching
You are automating your bank reconciliation process. Today, a bookkeeper downloads bank statements, reformats the data, manually matches hundreds of rows against the Xero ledger, chases exceptions by email, and files a summary report. That cycle takes close to five hours each week and leaves no reliable audit trail. After this build, the bank feed and ledger are pulled and matched automatically on a schedule. Confirmed matches are posted straight to Xero. Genuine exceptions are pre-filled into a Google Sheet for a single human review step of around twenty minutes. The finance lead receives a Slack summary and the period close record is written to Xero as soon as exceptions are cleared.
Process
Bank Reconciliation
Trigger
Scheduled bank feed pull (daily or at month-end), or manually triggered for an out-of-cycle run
Final output
Reconciled transactions posted to Xero, exceptions surfaced in Google Sheets, Slack summary to finance lead, and a period close record written to Xero
Agents being built
3 agents: Bank Feed Sync Agent, Matching and Exceptions Agent, Notifications and Close Agent
Tools involved
Plaid, Xero, Google Sheets, Slack, Gmail
Volume
~400 transactions/month, running daily or weekly with a full run at month-end
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02How the build works
FullSpec follows a four-stage delivery process for every automation build. Each stage has a clear handoff point, defined actions for both sides, and a confirmed output before the next stage begins. You do not need to manage or coordinate the build. Your only active moments are at the Connect stage, where you provide tool access and confirm your matching preferences, and at Launch, where you approve the go-live. Everything in between is handled by the FullSpec team.
Complexity level: Moderate. Estimated delivery window: 15 business days from the close of Connect. The delivery clock starts at the close of Connect, not payment. Providing tool credentials and configuration decisions promptly at Connect keeps the timeline on track.
1Connect
Estimated time: Days 1 to 3
FullSpec
Sends a credential request checklist covering Plaid, Xero, Google Sheets, Slack, and Gmail. Reviews your existing matching rules and exception categories. Documents the account and currency formats in use. Confirms API scope and permissions are sufficient before build begins.
You
Provide admin access or API credentials for each tool listed in Section 03. Confirm the reconciliation schedule (daily, weekly, or month-end). Confirm the confidence threshold for automatic matching versus flagging as an exception. Confirm the finance lead's Slack handle and email address for notifications.
2Build
Estimated time: Days 4 to 11
FullSpec
Builds the Bank Feed Sync Agent to pull and normalise data from Plaid and Xero on the confirmed schedule. Builds the Matching and Exceptions Agent, calibrating fuzzy match thresholds against three months of historical transaction data. Sets up the Google Sheets exceptions template with pre-filled bank reference, amount, and suggested category columns. Builds the Notifications and Close Agent to send the Slack summary, Gmail confirmation, and Xero period close posting. Wires all three agents together in the orchestration layer.
You
No action required during the Build stage. Remain available to answer any clarifying questions from the FullSpec team about edge cases in your transaction history. Response within one business day keeps the timeline on track.
3Test
Estimated time: Days 12 to 14
FullSpec
Runs the full automation in parallel with your existing manual process for two complete reconciliation cycles. Compares automated outputs against manually produced results line by line. Tests normal matches, probable matches, genuine exceptions, duplicate entries, and out-of-cycle manual triggers. Fixes any edge cases identified. Shares a QA summary report confirming the system is ready for go-live.
You
Review the QA summary report provided by FullSpec. Confirm that the exceptions sheet format meets your bookkeeper's review requirements. Sign off on go-live readiness. No technical review is needed, only a check that the outputs look correct from a finance perspective.
4Launch
Estimated time: Day 15
FullSpec
Switches the automation to live mode on the confirmed schedule. Monitors the first two live runs and confirms all outputs are posting correctly to Xero. Delivers the full documentation set including the Process Runbook, Integration and API Spec, and Test and QA Plan. Hands over operating instructions to your bookkeeper and finance lead.
You
Retire the manual reconciliation process. Confirm your bookkeeper has received and reviewed the operating instructions. Monitor the exceptions sheet after the first live run and confirm the Slack notification arrives as expected. Contact support@gofullspec.com with any questions during the first week of live operation.
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03What FullSpec needs from you
Getting this build started requires only access to your existing tools. No technical knowledge is needed on your side. You will not be asked to write any code, configure any integrations, or manage any infrastructure. The table below lists every credential FullSpec needs and when it is required. All access requests will arrive in a single checklist from the FullSpec team at the start of the Connect stage.
Plaid
Plaid account login or an existing Plaid Link token with read access to all bank accounts being reconciled. If Plaid is not yet set up, FullSpec will guide you through the connection during Connect.
Before Connect closes
Xero
Xero organisation admin login or an API-connected app credential with permission to read transactions, post reconciliation records, and access the chart of accounts.
Before Connect closes
Google Sheets
A Google account with edit access to the shared drive or folder where the exceptions sheet will live. FullSpec will create and configure the exceptions template.
Before Connect closes
Slack
The name of the finance channel where reconciliation alerts should be posted, and admin permission to add a bot or webhook to that channel.
Before Connect closes
Gmail
The email address of the finance lead who should receive the confirmation email after each reconciliation cycle. No password or API credential is required if the Gmail account is connected via Google Workspace OAuth.
Before Connect closes
One decision you must confirm before Connect closes: the matching confidence threshold. This controls whether a transaction with a probable but not exact match is posted to Xero automatically or held in the exceptions sheet for human review. A stricter threshold means more exceptions and slightly more bookkeeper time per cycle. A looser threshold means fewer exceptions but a small risk of an incorrect auto-match. FullSpec will present two or three threshold options with examples from your own transaction history so you can make an informed choice. This decision cannot be changed mid-build without resetting the calibration step.
04Your role once live
Role
Ongoing responsibilities
What you no longer touch
You (business owner / finance lead)
Review the Slack summary after each reconciliation run. Confirm that the exceptions sheet has been cleared by your bookkeeper before month-end close. Contact support@gofullspec.com if a run fails or produces unexpected results. Approve any changes to matching rules or the reconciliation schedule.
Downloading bank statements. Formatting and cleaning raw export data. Manually matching transaction rows in a spreadsheet. Chasing exception owners by email. Preparing and sending the reconciliation summary report. Filing and archiving records manually.
FullSpec
Monitors the automation platform for run failures and connection errors. Applies fixes within the agreed support window if a run fails. Manages API credential rotation for Plaid tokens and Xero OAuth on schedule. Provides updates if a connected tool changes its API in a way that affects the build.
Not applicable. FullSpec does not touch your ledger data, post entries on your behalf, or review exception decisions. The financial judgement on exceptions always stays with your bookkeeper.
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05What success looks like
Timeframe
What to expect
Sign of success
Week 1
The first two or three live runs complete automatically on schedule. The exceptions sheet populates with any unmatched items and the finance lead receives a Slack notification after each run. Your bookkeeper spends around twenty minutes reviewing exceptions rather than several hours on the full process.
First Slack notification received. Exceptions sheet populated and reviewed within the same day. No manual spreadsheet work needed.
Month 1
The automation has run across at least one full month-end cycle. Matched pairs are posting to Xero correctly. The bookkeeper's time on reconciliation has dropped from roughly three and a half hours per cycle to under thirty minutes including exception review. Month-end close completes the same day the bank feed is pulled.
Month-end close completed same day. Xero reconciliation record posted automatically. Bookkeeper confirms the exceptions volume is manageable and the pre-filled context is accurate.
Month 3
Matching thresholds have been refined based on three months of real transaction patterns. The exception rate has fallen as the rules become better calibrated to your accounts. The business has a complete, linked audit trail in Xero for every reconciliation cycle since go-live. Time saved is tracking toward 200 hours over the year and annual staff cost for this task has reduced from $13,000 to around $1,040.
Exception rate trending down. Full audit trail confirmed in Xero. Annualised saving on track. Payback period reached within the three-month window.
Next step: To begin, contact the FullSpec team at support@gofullspec.com and reference your Bank Reconciliation process. FullSpec will send the Connect checklist within one business day. Have your Plaid and Xero login details ready and confirm the name of your finance lead so notifications can be configured from day one.
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