Automating HR & Payroll Operations for RTS Training Group: Two Custom Systems, Zero New SaaS Subscriptions
How RTS Training Group replaced fragmented timesheets and manual leave tracking with two automated internal systems, built natively within Google Workspace.
Location
Perth, Australia
Industry
Vocational Training
Project Type
Internal Operations Automation
Platform
Google Workspace
01: About the Client
RTS Training Group
RTS Training Group is a Perth-based Registered Training Organisation (RTO) delivering nationally recognised courses in First Aid, Fire & Emergency, and Construction safety. With 826+ five-star Google reviews and over 55,000 certificates issued, RTS is one of Western Australia's most trusted workplace training providers.
They serve businesses of all sizes, from SMEs to major corporations, with a curriculum spanning CPR, confined space entry, working at heights, fire warden training, and more. Their training philosophy is built on practical skills, flexible delivery, and genuine care for every learner's outcomes.
As RTS scales their team and training volume, having robust internal operations is essential. This project was a direct investment in their operational infrastructure, freeing leadership to focus on high-impact training and business growth.
Visit RTS Training Group ↗
02: The Challenge
Operational bottlenecks across manual workflows
RTS Training Group delivers first aid, fire safety, and construction training to businesses across Western Australia. Behind the scenes, their administrative team was managing two core HR processes manually: collecting staff timesheets and coordinating employee leave requests.
Timesheets arrived via disparate email threads with varying formats. Leave requests lacked centralized tracking, structured approval flows, and real-time calendar synchronization. Managers spent valuable hours chasing missing submissions, reconciling hours, and manually keying data into payroll.
Each pay cycle and leave approval introduced administrative delays and potential scheduling conflicts. As the organisation expanded, a structured, automated solution became imperative.
03: The Solutions
An integrated payroll workflow inside Google Sheets
Rather than introducing complex standalone software, we designed an automated end-to-end workflow directly inside Google Workspace. The result is a lightweight, reliable system managing the full timesheet lifecycle from employee submission to payroll archiving.
Engineered with Google Apps Script, the system functions as a cohesive application: interactive menus, modal confirmation dialogs, automated email notifications, structured folder creation, and cross-sheet synchronization.
Employee Timesheet Portal
Each team member has a dedicated sheet to choose pay periods, log hours with automated calculations, and submit via a single button.
Manager Review Dashboard
A unified queue displays all incoming submissions by employee and pay cycle, allowing quick one-click approval or rejection.
Automated Payroll Sync
Approved hours transfer directly to the master payroll spreadsheet, automatically creating and formatting pay period tabs.
Pay Period Archiving
One-click archiving moves completed timesheets into organized Google Drive folders, maintaining a clean active workspace.
Roster Management
Adding or offboarding team members automatically provisions or archives personal spreadsheets and Drive directories.
Notification Dispatch
Automated notifications with pre-filled details keep employees informed of approvals or revision requests.
04: Project 1 Workflow
From submission to payroll in five steps
Employee Submits Timesheet
The team member opens their personal sheet, selects the active pay period, logs hours with automatic summary calculations, and clicks submit.
Instant Dashboard Aggregation
Submission data appears in real time on the central manager sheet, organized by staff member and pay cycle.
Manager Reviews & Approves
Managers review submissions in seconds. Any revision requests open an email dialog with pre-filled recipient context.
Automated Payroll Ingestion
Approved records sync immediately into the master payroll sheet, appending to the corresponding pay period tab.
Structured Record Archiving
Completed cycles are archived to designated Google Drive folders with a single click, keeping active views clutter-free.
05: Project Two · Leave & Scheduling
Automated leave tracking with calendar synchronization
Following the successful deployment of the timesheet system, RTS expanded the scope to address employee leave management. Leave requests were previously handled through individual emails without a unified calendar view.
We implemented a connected three-tier system: Google Forms for structured request capture, Google Sheets for centralized manager review, and Google Calendar API for automated event scheduling.
Dynamic Form Intake
Staff submit requests through an intuitive form. Automated triggers immediately populate the central manager queue.
Batch Approval Queue
Managers review submissions individually or approve multiple requests simultaneously during routine reviews.
Real-Time Calendar Sync
Approvals instantly generate formatted Google Calendar events with employee name, category, and date duration.
Structured Feedback
Rejection flows allow managers to include clear feedback notes, automatically dispatched via email.
Synchronized Team Roster
Updating the staff roster in Sheets automatically updates form dropdown options in real time.
State Consistency
Approved leave remains synced, while modified or declined entries automatically update the master schedule.
06: Project 2 Workflow
From request to calendar in four clear steps
Employee Form Submission
The employee selects their name, specifies leave type and dates, and submits. A background trigger logs the request as 'Pending'.
Manager Queue Review
The review spreadsheet aggregates pending requests, giving managers full visibility and bulk decision controls.
Automated Calendar Scheduling
Approved entries trigger the Calendar API to create detailed schedule blocks, keeping the team aligned.
Notification & Schedule Clean-up
If modifications are required, clear notifications are dispatched and tentative holds are cleared automatically.
07: The Outcome
Two connected systems. One client.
Operations built to scale reliably.
Automated payroll ingestion, eliminating manual data entry
Real-time calendar updates on every leave approval or revision
New software subscriptions, running entirely inside Google Workspace
Rapid staff onboarding with automated profile and folder provisioning