How Valhalla Tactical & Outdoor Replaced Spreadsheets with a System Built for Growth
Valhalla Tactical & Outdoor is a military and outdoor gear retailer operating across Melbourne and Sydney, serving over 10,000 customers through both e-commerce and physical stores.
Key Results
- Spreadsheets replaced — employee data, time tracking, and rostering moved into one structured digital system
- Time-off requests organised — a disorganised Word document replaced by in-app requests with full visibility
- Kiosk rollout planned — iPad-based clock-in stations being deployed across store locations
The Challenge: Growing Too Fast for Manual Systems
Valhalla Tactical & Outdoor grew from 20 to 35 employees quickly, and the systems in place simply could not keep up. Managing payroll on spreadsheets and tracking time-off requests in a Word document created confusion that grew harder to contain with every new hire.
- Payroll was managed on spreadsheets, making accuracy and oversight difficult at scale
- Time-off requests lived in a shared Word document with no structure or confirmation process
- A previous experience with Deputy left the team skeptical of rostering apps
How Valhalla Tactical & Outdoor Uses Connecteam to Manage a Growing Retail Team
Valhalla Tactical & Outdoor adopted Connecteam to centralise time tracking, rostering, and HR into one platform. The goal was to move off manual systems and give managers real visibility into who is working and when.
- Store staff clock in and out through Connecteam’s kiosk feature on iPads installed at each location
- Managers can view scheduled versus actual clock-in times, giving them oversight of flexible arrangements and attendance
- Time-off requests are submitted and tracked inside the app, replacing the Word document that had been used previously
Results That Affect Valhalla Tactical & Outdoor’s Bottom Line
Visibility Across Locations and Rosters
- Store managers can view their location’s roster without seeing data from other stores, through role-based access settings
- Directors can view all rosters and attendance from the app itself, with no need for a separate reporting tool
- Flexible employee arrangements are tracked automatically by comparing scheduled times to actual clock-in and clock-out records
HR and Onboarding Moved Off Paper
- The employee directory, onboarding materials, and org chart are now stored inside Connecteam
- New hires receive onboarding documents through the app, ensuring consistent delivery every time
- Time-off requests now follow a structured in-app process, replacing the Word document that had no confirmation trail
Before vs. After Connecteam
Aspect
Before Connecteam
After Connecteam
Time Tracking
Manual spreadsheets, no structure
Kiosk clock-in at each store location
Rostering
No centralised system
Rosters built and published in-app, visible by role
Time-Off Requests
Shared Word document, no confirmation
Structured in-app requests with full audit trail
Onboarding
Informal, inconsistent document delivery
Onboarding packages stored and delivered in-app
Manager Visibility
No real-time view across stores
Role-based access with live attendance and roster data
Why Connecteam Was the Right Move
Valhalla Tactical & Outdoor needed more than a rostering app. It needed a platform that could support the shift from small business operations to structured, scalable HR practices. Spreadsheets and shared documents could not keep pace with a team growing toward 35 people. Connecteam gave the team time tracking, scheduling, onboarding, and directory tools in one place, and addressed the concerns that had made previous tools a poor fit.