Payroll cost analysis
Analyze where your payroll spend is going and how it's changing.
What it does
Understand where your payroll spend is going and how it’s changing. Compare one run to the last, break costs down by team or worker type, or track the trend over several months.
1
Ask your payroll question
2
Drill into anything that stands out
3
Dig deeper as needed, then get the data in a specific format
Ready
Setting up your MCP connection
Before you start, connect your AI app to Plane. In an MCP-compatible client (such as Claude or ChatGPT), add Plane as a remote connector using the link below. For more detailed instructions, check out our MCP guide.
Setting up Plane Agent
To turn on Plane Agent, sign into your Plane account and go to the Features catalog. Note that Plane Agent is currently in beta.
Option A: Ask Plane Agent (in Slack)
If you prefer to work in Slack, Plane Agent brings the same capability into the channels you already use. (Note: Plane Agent is also available in Plane, too.)
Step 1: Ask your payroll question
Use plain language:
Step 2: Follow up
Drill into anything that stands out. Ask Plane Agent to explain a jump, isolate a single team, or pull the workers behind a change. You can request the data in specific formats, such as a graph.
Step 3: Ask more follow-up questions as needed
Ask any additional questions. Get the data as a chart or a PDF:
Plane Agent returns the PDF right in Slack, so you can easily review and share it.
Option B: Use your AI app and Plane MCP
If your team already works in an AI app like Claude or ChatGPT, you can connect it to Plane once and ask your payroll questions right there.
Step 1: Ask your payroll question
Prompt the assistant the same way you would Plane Agent:
Step 2: Drill into anything that stands out
Ask the AI app follow-up questions, like explaining a jump or isolating a single team. You can also request that the data be presented a specific way.
Step 3: Ask more questions if needed
Dig deeper with additional questions. Ask for the data to be in a certain format, like a table, chart, or PDF.
Tip: If your AI app is connected to your docs or spreadsheets, you can ask it to drop the results straight into a file for your next finance review.
What you'll need
A Plane workspace with payroll history and admin access
For Plane Agent: Plane Agent enabled in your Slack workspace (currently in beta)
For MCP: an MCP-compatible AI client (e.g., Claude or ChatGPT) connected to Plane
Good to know
Tip 1
Plane Agent turns data into answers: trends, changes, and the "why"
Tip 2
Precise output beats vague asks to AI: name the format, get the format