Gameology
Gameology is one of Australia's largest independent board game retailers, founded in Melbourne, VIC. Co-founder Bao Tran replaced a fragmented system of Google Sheets and manual Xero timesheets with RosterElf — cutting payroll time by 50% and eliminating errors across the team.
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Payroll time cut by 50%
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Fewer errors across rostering and timesheets
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Seamless Xero integration with no manual entry
"Payroll for me takes about 50% less time right now. How seamless it is and the integration with Xero are my favourite things about RosterElf."
How Gameology cut payroll time by 50% with RosterElf and Xero
About Gameology
Gameology is one of Australia's largest independent board game retailers, founded in 2016 by Bao Tran, Frank Zou, and John Khamtanh. Operating from a Brunswick retail store and an e-commerce platform, Gameology serves Australia's growing board game community with an extensive range of games and weekly game nights, tournaments, and RPG sessions.
Managing a retail team across changing shifts required a system that could keep up — and stay connected to payroll. For a time, the team relied on Google Sheets for rostering and had staff submit their own timesheets directly in Xero. The result was a fragmented process that was slow to reconcile and prone to errors.
After a conversation with the RosterElf support team, Bao made the switch. Today, digital rostering, time and attendance, and a direct Xero integration handle what used to take twice as long — with fewer errors and no manual data entry.
Challenges before RosterElf
Gameology was running two disconnected systems — Google Sheets for rostering and Xero for timesheets — with no automated link between them, creating a slow and error-prone payroll process.
Managing rosters in Google Sheets — manual, error-prone, and hard to share or update in real time as shift changes occurred
Staff submitting timesheets directly in Xero — inconsistent entries were time-consuming to verify and created discrepancies that had to be manually resolved
No automated connection between rostering data and payroll — every pay period required manually bridging two separate systems
Payroll taking twice as long due to manual reconciliation of shifts from Google Sheets against timesheets entered in Xero
Errors accumulating from manual data entry across multiple systems — small discrepancies compounded over time and were difficult to trace
Lack of visibility into who was rostered versus who actually worked — making it difficult to audit shifts or identify discrepancies quickly
How RosterElf helped Gameology
- Digital rostering that replaces Google Sheets — shareable, real-time, and accessible to staff on their phones
- Digital time clock for accurate shift records — staff clock in and out without entering data separately in Xero
- Seamless Xero integration — approved timesheets sync directly to Xero Payroll with no manual entry required
- Fewer errors — automated data flow from rostering to time clock to payroll eliminates the manual reconciliation that caused discrepancies
- 50% less payroll time — from shift confirmation to Xero export in one step, with no manual bridging between systems
- Built for Australian retail businesses with shift-based teams — award support, time tracking, and payroll connectivity in one platform
What Gameology says about RosterElf
1. How seamless it is and the integration with Xero
"How seamless it is and the integration with Xero."
Before RosterElf, Gameology's rostering and payroll systems didn't talk to each other. Shifts were managed in Google Sheets, and staff entered timesheets directly in Xero — two separate processes that had to be manually reconciled every pay period. The gaps between them were where errors crept in.
With RosterElf, the entire flow — from roster creation to time clock to Xero payroll — runs through one connected platform. There's no data entry duplication, no reconciliation step, and no need to chase staff for corrections. It just works.
2. Payroll takes about 50% less time
"Payroll for me takes about 50% less time right now."
This is the clearest measure of impact Gameology has seen. Before RosterElf, Bao was spending double the time on payroll — cross-referencing Google Sheets against Xero timesheets, catching discrepancies, and manually entering data. Now, once shifts are confirmed, the hours export directly to Xero with no intermediate steps.
For a retail business where the founders are involved across operations, e-commerce, events, and customer experience, recovering half the time previously spent on payroll admin is significant. That time goes back into the business — not into spreadsheets.
3. Fewer errors, time saved on the admin side
"Fewer errors, time saved on the admin side."
Errors in manual systems tend to be invisible until they cause a problem. When staff enter their own timesheets and managers reconcile them against a separate roster, small discrepancies — a missed clock-out, a shift time entered incorrectly — accumulate and take time to resolve.
By replacing manual entry with an automated flow from time and attendance tracking through to payroll, RosterElf removes the points in the process where mistakes happen. Staff hours are recorded at the source, approved once, and exported — with nothing lost in translation.
4. Support that made the difference
"Good phone call with support when we were exploring options."
When Bao and the team were evaluating rostering platforms, it wasn't just the features that mattered — it was the experience of engaging with the team behind the product. A single phone call with RosterElf's support team gave them the confidence to move forward.
RosterElf's Australian-based support team works directly with businesses to understand their setup and ensure the platform is configured correctly from day one. For a retail business transitioning away from manual systems, that kind of hands-on guidance makes the switch straightforward — and builds trust in the platform long after the initial setup is done.
Why Gameology recommends RosterElf
Xero integration that eliminates manual timesheets
Hours flow from the time clock directly to Xero Payroll — no manual entry, no reconciliation, no staff submitting timesheets separately. One connected platform from roster to pay.
50% less payroll admin time
Gameology cut payroll processing time in half by replacing a fragmented two-system process with RosterElf's integrated workflow. That time goes back to running the business.
Responsive support that helped them choose
A single phone call with RosterElf's Australian support team gave Bao and the team the confidence to make the switch. Great support before the sale builds trust that lasts.
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Retail rostering FAQ
- RosterElf's rostering software replaces spreadsheets with a purpose-built scheduling tool that lets managers build rosters, publish them to staff instantly, and manage shift changes in real time. Staff receive roster notifications on their phones, reducing the need for manual follow-up and separate communication tools.
- Yes. Many retail businesses start with Google Sheets for rostering, but these lack automation, error-checking, and payroll connectivity. RosterElf provides a dedicated rostering and time tracking system that eliminates manual data entry, keeps shift records accurate, and connects directly to payroll — saving time and reducing mistakes at every step.
- RosterElf's Xero integration connects approved timesheets directly to Xero Payroll. Once shifts are confirmed, hours are exported to Xero automatically — no manual data entry, no reconciliation between systems. Gameology used this integration to cut payroll time by 50%.
- Gameology cut their payroll processing time by 50% after switching to RosterElf. By eliminating manual timesheet entry in Xero and replacing fragmented Google Sheets rostering with an integrated system, the co-founding team reduced admin significantly — time that can now be spent on the business rather than spreadsheets.
- Yes. RosterElf is designed for Australian retail businesses with shift-based teams. It supports retail award rates, integrates with leading payroll systems including Xero, and provides the scheduling and time tracking tools that retail operations need to run efficiently.