FS-DOC-01Operations
Launch Plan
Staff Scheduling and Rostering
[YourCompany.com] · Operations Department · Prepared by FullSpec · [Today's Date]
This Launch Plan gives you a clear picture of what is being built, how the build is structured, what FullSpec needs from you to get started, and what your role looks like once the automation is live. FullSpec handles every part of the technical build, testing, and deployment. Your involvement is focused on two things: providing access to your existing tools during the Connect stage, and approving the draft roster each week once the system is running.
01What you're launching
You are automating the weekly staff scheduling and rostering cycle. Today, your Operations Manager spends four to five hours every week sending availability requests by hand, chasing responses, building a roster in a spreadsheet, checking it for award and overtime conflicts, resolving gaps by phone, publishing the roster to Deputy, and then re-entering approved hours into Xero at pay-period close. Three automated agents will handle every step in that sequence except one: the manager still reviews and approves the draft before it is published. Everything else, from the first availability email through to the Xero payroll export, runs without manual input.
Process
Staff Scheduling and Rostering
Trigger
Recurring weekly timer fires at the start of each new scheduling period
Final output
Published Deputy roster, personalised staff shift notifications via Slack and Gmail, and Xero timesheet entries ready for payroll
Agents being built
3 agents: Availability Collection Agent, Roster Drafting Agent, Roster Publication and Payroll Agent
Tools involved
Deputy, Google Sheets, Gmail, Slack, Xero, Google Calendar
Volume
Approximately 4 roster cycles per month with 8 to 25 staff
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02How the build works
The build is broken into four sequential stages: Connect, Build, Test, and Launch. FullSpec leads the technical work at every stage. Your involvement is lightest during Build and heaviest at Connect, where you provide tool access and confirm your award and shift rules so the agents can be configured correctly. The total delivery window is four weeks from the close of Connect.
Complexity: Moderate. Estimated delivery: 4 weeks. The delivery clock starts at the close of Connect, not payment. Build cannot begin until tool access is confirmed and the shift rules document is signed off.
1Connect
Business days 1 to 3
FullSpec
Sends the tool access checklist and the shift rules intake form. Schedules a 60-minute rules mapping session to document shift patterns, award conditions, overtime thresholds, and availability form structure. Confirms the automation architecture and any tool-specific configuration decisions.
You
Provide API credentials or admin access for Deputy, Google Sheets, Gmail, Slack, and Xero. Complete the shift rules intake form before the mapping session. Attend the mapping session and confirm the one configuration decision required before build begins.
2Build
Business days 4 to 15
FullSpec
Builds and tests all three agents in sequence: Availability Collection Agent (timed form sends, Google Sheets logging, 24-hour follow-up reminder); Roster Drafting Agent (shift demand logic, award rule encoding, Slack conflict alerts); Roster Publication and Payroll Agent (Deputy shift creation, Slack and Gmail staff notifications, Xero pay-period export).
You
Remain available by email for any clarification questions on award rules or staff notification preferences. No active tasks are required during this stage beyond responding to FullSpec queries within one business day.
3Test
Business days 16 to 18
FullSpec
Runs two full simulated roster cycles end to end. Validates award rule outputs against known scenarios. Confirms Deputy shift data and Xero timesheet entries are accurate. Produces the QA sign-off report and prepares the SOP handover document.
You
Review one simulated roster output to confirm it matches your expectations. Flag any discrepancies in shift allocation or notification format. Sign off on the test results before Launch proceeds.
FullSpec
Activates the live automation environment. Confirms the weekly timer is set to the correct scheduling period. Monitors the first live roster cycle and provides a go-live summary report within 24 hours of the first run completing.
You
Give staff a brief heads-up that shift notifications will now arrive automatically via Slack and Gmail. Review the draft roster when the Roster Drafting Agent posts its first conflict summary to Slack, and approve or request adjustments as normal.
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03What FullSpec needs from you
FullSpec needs only access to your existing tools. No technical knowledge is required from you or your team. All integrations are built and tested by the FullSpec team using the credentials you provide. The table below lists every tool, what access is needed, and when to have it ready.
Deputy
Admin-level API access or an API key from your Deputy account settings. Needed to read shift templates and publish rosters.
Before Connect closes
Google Sheets
Editor access to the Google account or Workspace used for the availability spreadsheet. A shared service account is preferred.
Before Connect closes
Gmail
OAuth authorisation for the Gmail account used to send availability requests and shift notifications to staff.
Before Connect closes
Slack
A Slack bot token with permissions to post to the manager's alert channel and send direct messages to staff members.
Before Connect closes
Xero
OAuth connection to your Xero organisation with payroll read/write permissions enabled.
Before Connect closes
Google Calendar
Access to the calendar account used to set the recurring weekly scheduling timer.
Before Connect closes
One configuration decision must be confirmed before the Connect stage closes: How should the Roster Drafting Agent handle an unresolvable gap, specifically a shift where no available staff member can be assigned without breaching an award rule or overtime threshold? You must tell FullSpec whether the agent should leave the shift unfilled and flag it to the manager, or fill it with the least-cost option and flag the breach. This choice is encoded into the agent logic and cannot be changed without a rebuild.
04Your role once live
Once the automation is live, the day-to-day rostering workload shifts almost entirely to the agents. The table below sets out what you and your team are responsible for and what you no longer need to touch.
Role
Ongoing responsibilities
What you no longer touch
You (business owner / Operations Manager)
Review the draft roster when the Slack conflict summary arrives each week. Approve or adjust the draft before it is published. Handle any genuine exceptions that fall outside the configured rules. Notify FullSpec of any changes to award conditions, staff numbers, or shift structure.
Sending availability requests. Chasing staff responses. Building the roster by hand. Checking award and overtime rules manually. Publishing shifts to Deputy. Sending shift notifications to staff. Re-entering hours into Xero at pay-period close.
FullSpec
Monitors the automation platform for errors or missed runs. Responds to support queries at support@gofullspec.com within one business day. Applies any rule or configuration updates you request. Provides a monthly summary report for the first three months after launch.
Not applicable. FullSpec manages the technical layer in full.
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05What success looks like
The table below sets out the milestones you should expect to see at each stage after go-live. If anything falls short of these markers, contact the FullSpec team at support@gofullspec.com and we will investigate the same day.
Timeframe
What to expect
Sign of success
Week 1
The first live roster cycle runs end to end. Availability forms are sent automatically on schedule. Responses are logged to Google Sheets without manual input. The Roster Drafting Agent produces a draft and posts any conflicts to Slack. The manager approves the draft and the roster is published to Deputy. Staff receive personalised shift notifications via Slack and Gmail.
Zero manual steps required between the timer firing and the approved roster reaching Deputy.
Month 1
Four roster cycles have completed without intervention beyond the manager approval step. Availability response rates are consistently high due to the automated 24-hour follow-up reminder. No missed Xero timesheet exports at pay-period close. The manager's rostering time has dropped from four to five hours per week to approximately 20 to 30 minutes.
Manager time on rostering is under 30 minutes per cycle, and payroll data is reaching Xero without any manual re-entry.
Month 3
The system is running reliably across varying staff numbers and shift patterns. Award and overtime rule compliance is consistent across all published rosters. The annual saving of $6,750 is on track based on hours reclaimed. Any edge cases encountered in the first two months have been tuned and the agent logic reflects real-world conditions in your business.
Rostering is no longer a weekly time cost. The $2,400 build investment has paid back in full within the four-month window, and the automation is generating measurable net savings every cycle.
Next step: forward your tool access details and the completed shift rules form to support@gofullspec.com to open your Connect session. The FullSpec team will confirm a time for the 60-minute mapping call and the four-week delivery clock will start from there.
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