FS-DOC-01Operations
Launch Plan
Leave and Absence Management
[YourCompany.com] · HR Department · Prepared by FullSpec · [Today's Date]
This Launch Plan gives you a clear picture of what is being built, how the build progresses from Connect through to go-live, what FullSpec needs from you to stay on schedule, and what your ongoing role looks like once the automation is running. FullSpec handles every technical step of the build, testing, and deployment. Your role is to provide access to your existing tools and to confirm a small number of policy decisions before build begins. Nothing in this document requires technical knowledge on your part.
01What you're launching
Today, every leave request at [YourCompany.com] passes through eleven manual steps across five tools, with HR spending up to 130 minutes per request logging, checking balances, chasing manager approvals, and updating records in BambooHR, Gusto, and Google Calendar by hand. Two bottlenecks, the manual calendar conflict check and the unstructured manager approval email, routinely stretch a simple request into a two-to-three-day wait. The automation being built replaces ten of those eleven steps with three coordinated agents that handle intake, approval routing, and post-approval sync automatically. The only step that stays human is the manager's approval decision itself, which is deliberately kept in human hands because it involves operational judgement about team coverage.
Process
Leave and Absence Management
Trigger
An employee submits a standardised leave request form
Final output
Leave balance updated in BambooHR, payroll logged in Gusto, calendar event created, and employee and team notified via Slack, all within the same workflow run
Agents being built
3 agents: Leave Intake and Balance Agent, Approval Routing Agent, Post-Approval Sync Agent
Tools involved
BambooHR, Gusto, Google Calendar, Slack, Gmail
Volume
Approximately 40 leave requests per month
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02How the build works
The build is structured into four sequential stages: Connect, Build, Test, and Launch. FullSpec leads every stage. Your involvement is limited to a short kick-off call in Connect, responding to any policy questions the FullSpec team raises during Build, and participating in a brief sign-off call in Test before go-live. Each stage has a defined set of actions on both sides so you always know what is happening and what, if anything, is waiting on you.
Complexity level: Moderate. Estimated delivery: 15 business days end to end. The delivery clock starts at the close of Connect, not payment. Connect cannot close until all tool credentials and the policy confirmation in Section 03 are provided.
1Connect
Estimated time: Days 1 to 3
FullSpec
Sends a secure credential request for BambooHR, Gusto, Google Calendar, Slack, and Gmail. Reviews your leave policy documentation and confirms API access is active on your BambooHR and Gusto account plans. Maps all leave types, entitlement rules, notice periods, and approval hierarchies into the build specification.
You
Provides credentials and admin access for each tool listed in Section 03. Confirms the leave policy details (leave types, blackout dates, concurrent absence limits, and approval chain) so the FullSpec team can configure conflict detection correctly. Responds to any clarifying questions within one business day to avoid delaying the delivery clock.
2Build
Estimated time: Days 4 to 10
FullSpec
Builds the employee leave request form and connects it to the automation platform. Configures the Leave Intake and Balance Agent to query BambooHR and scan Google Calendar. Builds the Approval Routing Agent with the Slack approval app and Gmail fallback. Configures the Post-Approval Sync Agent to update BambooHR, create the Google Calendar event, log leave in Gusto, and send Slack notifications to the employee and team.
You
No action required during Build unless the FullSpec team contacts you with a policy edge case or an access issue. You may receive one or two short questions by email. These typically require a two-sentence answer and take under five minutes.
3Test
Estimated time: Days 11 to 13
FullSpec
Runs end-to-end tests across all leave types including approved, declined, insufficient balance, and calendar conflict scenarios. Verifies that BambooHR balances update correctly, Google Calendar events appear, Gusto receives the payroll log, and Slack messages deliver to the right people. Produces a test report and schedules a 30-minute sign-off call with your team.
You
Attends the sign-off call, reviews the test report summary, and confirms the automation behaves as expected. Raises any adjustments needed before the go-live date is confirmed. Your HR Manager submits at least one test request from the employee side so the experience feels familiar before day one.
4Launch
Estimated time: Days 14 to 15
FullSpec
Switches the automation to live, monitors the first five real requests end to end, and confirms all records sync correctly across BambooHR, Gusto, and Google Calendar. Delivers the SOP and Runbook to your HR Manager and confirms the support channel at support@gofullspec.com is active for your account.
You
Communicates the new leave request process to your team using the employee communication template provided by FullSpec. Directs employees to the new form link from day one. Monitors the first week of requests alongside FullSpec and flags anything unexpected.
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03What FullSpec needs from you
FullSpec needs only access to your existing tools, no technical knowledge is required on your part. All credentials are submitted through a secure link provided by the FullSpec team and are used solely to configure and test the automation. The table below lists every tool, what access is needed, and when it must be provided to avoid delaying the build start.
BambooHR
Admin account login or API key. API access must be enabled on your BambooHR plan. If you are on an entry-level plan, confirm API access is included before Connect closes.
Before Connect closes
Gusto
Admin login credentials or a Partner API token. FullSpec will use this to configure leave logging for payroll deductions in the Post-Approval Sync Agent.
Before Connect closes
Google Calendar
A Google Workspace admin account with permission to read and write to the shared team calendar used for absence tracking.
Before Connect closes
Slack
Workspace admin access to install a custom Slack app. This app powers the manager approval buttons and the employee and team notifications.
Before Connect closes
Gmail
OAuth access to a sending Gmail account used as a fallback notification channel when a manager cannot be reached via Slack.
Before Connect closes
Policy decision required before Connect closes: You must confirm your leave approval hierarchy before the FullSpec team can configure the Approval Routing Agent. Specifically: does every leave request route to a single line manager, or are there cases where HR, a director, or a department head must approve instead? If different leave types (for example, parental leave or unpaid leave) require a different approver, list those exceptions. This is a discovery dependency, not a technical one, and it cannot be resolved after build begins without adding delay.
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04Your role once live
Role
Ongoing responsibilities
What you no longer touch
You (business owner / HR Manager)
Review the Slack approval request and click approve or decline for each leave request. Monitor leave balances in BambooHR as your single source of truth. Update leave policy rules (new blackout dates, entitlement changes) by notifying FullSpec via support@gofullspec.com so the configuration can be adjusted. Handle any flagged exceptions, such as requests that fall outside the automation rules, using the SOP provided at handover.
Logging requests in a spreadsheet. Manually checking BambooHR balances or the team calendar. Forwarding emails to managers and chasing replies. Updating Google Calendar, Gusto, or BambooHR records after approval. Posting team absence notices in Slack by hand.
FullSpec
Monitors automation health and error logs. Responds to support queries at support@gofullspec.com within one business day. Applies configuration changes when leave policy rules change. Provides updated documentation when the workflow is adjusted.
Not applicable. FullSpec does not make approval decisions or access employee leave data beyond what is required to maintain the automation.
05What success looks like
Timeframe
What to expect
Sign of success
Week 1
The first real leave requests flow through the automation. Managers receive Slack approval messages and respond directly. BambooHR, Gusto, and Google Calendar update automatically on approval. FullSpec monitors every run and resolves any teething issues within hours.
At least five requests processed end to end without HR manually intervening. Approval turnaround drops from two to three days to under two hours.
Month 1
The full volume of roughly 40 requests per month runs through the automation. HR time spent on leave administration drops from six hours per week to under 30 minutes. Leave balances in BambooHR are accurate in real time and Gusto receives payroll logs without a manual data-entry step.
HR Manager reports no requests arriving via email or Slack DM. Zero payroll sync errors in the first pay run after go-live. Employees confirm they received their decision via Slack within the same working day.
Month 3
The automation has processed approximately 120 requests. Cumulative HR time saved is approaching 78 hours. The audit trail in BambooHR provides a complete log of every request, approval decision, manager identity, and timestamp with no additional HR effort. The payback period of four months is on track based on $9,000 in projected annual savings against the one-off build cost.
Leave balance disputes drop to near zero. No manual calendar entries or Gusto updates required. HR team confidence in the system is high enough to use it as the sole record for any leave-related payroll queries.
Next step: To start the Connect stage and confirm your go-live date, contact the FullSpec team at support@gofullspec.com. Have your BambooHR and Gusto admin credentials ready and a short summary of your leave types and approval hierarchy. The FullSpec team will send you a secure credential submission link and schedule the opening Connect call within one business day of hearing from you.
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