Labour is your biggest cost. Smart rostering software cuts overstaffing, automates Fair Work award interpretation and syncs to payroll — saving the average venue $6,000–$15,000 per year in labour costs and compliance errors.
Most Australian venues roster from habit — the same shifts, same patterns, week after week regardless of what the data shows about busy and quiet periods. Rostering software connects to your sales data and tells you exactly how many staff you need per day part. The average venue reduces labour hours by 6–8% in the first 90 days just from better visibility.
Deputy is the most widely used rostering platform in Australian hospitality. It handles shift scheduling, time and attendance, team communication and payroll integration with Xero, MYOB and KeyPay. The mobile app lets staff clock in via GPS or facial recognition, swap shifts and view rosters from their phone. Deputy integrates with most major Australian POS systems to show live sales-versus-labour data during service.
Tanda (rebranded as Workforce.com internationally but still widely known as Tanda in Australia) is the Brisbane-built workforce management platform with a strong reputation for Australian award interpretation accuracy. Reviewers consistently rate its Xero integration as more reliable than Deputy for complex multi-award environments. Best suited to mid-to-large venues (15+ employees) with complex award requirements across multiple roles.
RosterElf is an Australian-built rostering platform designed specifically for small to medium hospitality businesses. At $6/user/month on annual plans it's significantly cheaper than Deputy ($9.75) for smaller teams. Setup is faster and simpler. The Xero integration is well-regarded by users. For a café or restaurant with 8–20 staff that doesn't need complex multi-award enterprise features, RosterElf is often the most practical choice.
| Feature | Deputy | Tanda | RosterElf | Connecteam |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Starting price | $9.75/user/mo | $4/user/mo | $6/user/mo | $35/mo flat (30 users) |
| AU award interpretation | Good | ★ Best in class | ✓ | Basic |
| Xero integration | Mixed reviews | ✓ Well-rated | ✓ | ✓ |
| Mobile app (staff) | ✓ Excellent | ✓ Good | ✓ | ✓ Strong |
| GPS clock-in | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| POS integration | ✓ Many AU POS | ✓ | Limited | ✗ |
| Best for | Multi-site groups | Complex awards, 15+ staff | Small venues 8–30 staff | Budget-conscious teams |
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