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Launch Plan
Payroll Processing Automation
[YourCompany.com] · Finance Department · Prepared by FullSpec · [Today's Date]
This Launch Plan covers everything that happens between now and the moment your payroll automation goes live. It sets out what is being built, how the four-stage build process works, what FullSpec needs from you before work begins, and what your role looks like once the automation is running. FullSpec handles all technical build and testing work end to end. Your input is limited to providing tool access, confirming one configuration decision, and reviewing outputs at key checkpoints.
01What you're launching
Every pay period, your finance manager currently spends close to five and a half hours chasing timesheet data from managers, reconciling hours against the schedule, applying leave and deduction rules, calculating gross pay, preparing an approval summary, and re-entering approved figures into Gusto. A single late timesheet or last-minute correction can delay the entire run, and errors that slip through create costly reprocessing. This automation replaces nine of the eleven manual steps with three purpose-built agents. The finance manager's role shifts to reviewing flagged exceptions only. The business owner retains the approval step, which is a deliberate and permanent control point.
Process
Payroll Processing
Trigger
Payroll period close date is reached according to the configured payroll schedule
Final output
Approved payroll data pushed to Gusto via API, journal entries staged in QuickBooks, and a Slack confirmation sent to the finance channel
Agents being built
3 agents: Timesheet Collection Agent, Reconciliation and Calculation Agent, Approval and Submission Agent
Tools involved
Deputy, Google Sheets, QuickBooks, Gusto, Slack, Gmail
Volume
Approximately 26 payroll runs per year (bi-weekly cycle)
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02How the build works
The build follows four stages: Connect, Build, Test, and Launch. Each stage has a defined owner, a clear set of actions, and a handoff point before the next stage begins. FullSpec manages all technical work across every stage. Your involvement at each stage is limited to providing access, reviewing outputs, and confirming decisions that only you can make. The total delivery window for the Standard build is three to four weeks from the close of the Connect stage.
Complexity level: Moderate. This build involves API connections to Deputy and Gusto, conditional exception logic, approval routing, and a parallel run review before go-live. Estimated delivery is 3 to 4 weeks in business days. The delivery clock starts at the close of Connect, not payment.
1Connect
Days 1 to 3 (business days)
FullSpec
Conducts the onboarding session, audits your Deputy and Gusto API access, reviews your leave and deduction rules, confirms the pay schedule configuration, and documents any data gaps that must be resolved before the build begins.
You
Attend the Connect session (typically 60 minutes), provide API credentials or admin access for Deputy, Gusto, QuickBooks, Google Sheets, Slack, and Gmail, and confirm the one configuration decision listed in Section 03.
2Build
Days 4 to 14 (business days)
FullSpec
Builds all three agents in sequence: Timesheet Collection Agent (Deputy API pull, Slack and Gmail reminders), Reconciliation and Calculation Agent (schedule comparison, leave and deduction rules, Google Sheets summary output), and Approval and Submission Agent (Gmail approval flow, Gusto API push, QuickBooks journal staging, Slack confirmation). Internal unit tests are run after each agent is completed.
You
Remain available to answer questions about deduction rules or edge cases if they arise. No technical input is required. FullSpec will contact you via email if a decision is needed mid-build.
3Test
Days 15 to 18 (business days)
FullSpec
Runs the full automation in parallel with your manual process for one complete pay cycle. Reconciles the automated outputs against your manually produced payroll summary. Resolves any discrepancies and confirms the system is producing accurate results before sign-off.
You
Run your normal manual payroll process as usual during the parallel cycle. Review the side-by-side comparison summary that FullSpec provides at the end of the parallel run and confirm you are satisfied before the automation goes live.
4Launch
Days 19 to 20 (business days)
FullSpec
Switches the automation to live mode for the next scheduled pay period, deactivates any test configurations, confirms all monitoring and alert channels are active, and delivers the full SOP and runbook to your finance manager.
You
Confirm go-live readiness after reviewing the parallel run results. Notify your finance manager and any relevant stakeholders that the automation is now active. No further setup is required from your side.
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03What FullSpec needs from you
FullSpec only needs access to your existing tools. No technical knowledge is required from you or your team. All credential handling, API configuration, and integration setup is managed entirely by FullSpec. The table below lists what access is needed for each tool and when it must be provided.
Deputy
Admin login or API key with access to timesheets, schedules, and employee records
Before Connect closes
Gusto
Admin access with API permissions enabled on your Gusto plan (confirm your plan supports API write access)
Before Connect closes
QuickBooks
Admin login or accountant-level access to stage journal entries against the payroll expense account
Before Connect closes
Google Sheets
Access to the Google account where the payroll summary sheet will be created, or an existing shared Drive folder
Before Connect closes
Slack
Workspace admin permission to install the automation connection and confirm the finance channel name
Before Connect closes
Gmail
Access to the Gmail account that will send approval requests to the business owner and receive the approval signal
Before Connect closes
Configuration decision required before Connect closes: You must confirm the exception threshold rules that determine when the Reconciliation and Calculation Agent flags a timesheet entry for human review rather than processing it automatically. For example: flag any individual employee's hours that deviate more than 20% from their scheduled hours, or flag any unapproved overtime above a set value. FullSpec will propose a default set of rules at the Connect session, but the final thresholds must be confirmed by you before the Build stage begins. This is the one decision only you can make.
04Your role once live
Role
Ongoing responsibilities
What you no longer touch
You (business owner)
Review and approve the payroll summary email each pay cycle using the one-click approve link. Review any exception reports posted to Slack if your finance manager escalates an item. Notify FullSpec at support@gofullspec.com if your payroll rules, pay schedule, or employee count changes significantly.
Chasing managers for timesheets, reconciling hours against the schedule, applying leave and deduction adjustments manually, calculating gross pay and withholdings, entering figures into Gusto, submitting the payroll run, reconciling payroll to the general ledger, and notifying employees of payment.
FullSpec
Monitors the automation across every pay cycle, maintains all API connections to Deputy, Gusto, QuickBooks, and other tools, updates the build if a tool changes its API, and responds to any support queries at support@gofullspec.com.
Nothing. FullSpec handles all ongoing technical maintenance. You do not need to manage any part of the underlying automation.
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05What success looks like
Timeframe
What to expect
Sign of success
Week 1
The first live payroll cycle runs through the automation. The Timesheet Collection Agent fires on the scheduled close date, reminders go out automatically via Slack and Gmail, and the Reconciliation Agent produces the payroll summary in Google Sheets. The approval email arrives in the business owner's inbox with a one-click approve link. After approval, data is pushed to Gusto and a Slack confirmation is posted.
Payroll submitted to Gusto on the same day as period close, with no manual data entry required from the finance manager.
Month 1
Two full payroll cycles have run automatically. The finance manager's involvement has reduced to reviewing exception reports only, which typically takes under one hour per cycle. Timesheet chasing messages sent manually drop to zero. The business owner's approval email arrives consistently and includes a clear summary for real decision-making.
Finance manager reports spending less than one hour per cycle on payroll. Zero manual timesheet chasing messages sent.
Month 3
The automation is operating as a fully embedded part of your payroll cycle. Approximately 63 hours of finance manager time have been recovered. Payroll errors requiring reprocessing are rare and caught at the exception review stage before submission. The audit trail in Google Sheets provides a complete record of every pay cycle.
Approximately $2,250 in staff time recovered. Payroll consistently submitted same day as period close with a clean audit trail in Google Sheets.
Next step: FullSpec will send you a Connect session invite within one business day of receiving this document. The session runs for approximately 60 minutes and is the only meeting required before the build begins. Come prepared with admin access to Deputy and Gusto, and any documented leave or deduction rules your finance manager currently applies manually. Questions before the session? Contact the FullSpec team at support@gofullspec.com.
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