The job only one person knows how to do.
Every business has one: the Friday routine, the spreadsheet with the formulas nobody touches, the checklist that lives in someone’s head. Third Shift writes it down, builds it out, and runs it on a schedule with a log of every run, so it still gets done when that person is away.
What it handles
Out of one head and onto a schedule
If it happens on a schedule and follows the same steps, it can usually run without anyone remembering to start it.
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Written down first
We sit with the person who does it and write down every step, including the ones they do without thinking.
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Run on a schedule
Daily, weekly, at month-end, or when something happens, like a new order or a form coming in.
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A log of every run
What it did, what it touched and what it held back, in plain English.
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Safe when things change
If a file moves or a column is renamed, it stops and tells someone instead of carrying on wrong.
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Holidays and sick days
The routine runs whether or not the person who used to do it is in that day.
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Easy to hand over
New staff read the log and the written steps instead of learning by looking over someone’s shoulder.
How it works
Watched once, written down, then built
Steps that need judgment stay with a person. The rest runs on its own.
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Shadowed
We watch the routine done once, start to finish, and write down every step.
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Agreed
You check the written version and mark the steps that need a decision.
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Built
The rest is built to run on its schedule, in the systems you already use.
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Run side by side
It runs alongside the person who does it today until the results match.
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Handed over
With monitoring, the log of every run, and the written steps.
What stays with a person
Decisions stay with people
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Judgment calls
Anything that needs a decision is prepared and handed to a person, not decided by the automation.
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Money
No money is paid or sent without a person signing off, unless you decide otherwise.
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Its own login
Each automation has its own access, so you can switch it off without touching anything else.
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Stops when unsure
When something fails or looks wrong, it stops and tells a person instead of guessing.
Who it’s for
A good fit if
- Only one person knows how to do it.
- It’s the same steps every week or every month.
- It falls apart when that person is on holiday.
- It lives in spreadsheets, email and a system you log into.
Works with
What you already run
- Excel
- Google Sheets
- Gmail
- Outlook
- QuickBooks
- Xero
- Sage
- NetSuite
- Slack
Using something else? Ask. If you can log into it, there’s usually a way to connect it.
Questions
What owners ask
What if the process isn’t written down anywhere?
That’s the usual case. Writing it down is the first step of every build like this.
What if the person who does it is leaving?
Then it’s worth writing down now, while they can still walk us through it.
Can we change it later?
Yes. When the routine changes, the automation can be changed to match, and the written steps with it.
How long does a first build take?
First builds typically ship within a few weeks. We run it alongside your team until it’s trusted, then hand it over.
What else we automate
Other places to start
- Inquiries and quotesInquiries logged and answered within minutes, quotes chased on a schedule.
- ReportingWeekly and monthly reports built overnight and checked against the source.
- Invoices and payablesInvoices collected, matched to purchase orders and posted overnight.
- Built to fitReorder alerts, scheduling, timesheets, onboarding and small internal tools.
Book a call
Tell us about the routine only one person knows
A free 20-minute call. Describe what happens and how often, and we’ll tell you plainly whether it’s worth automating.
Prefer email? thirdshift.ca@gmail.com