Onboarding a New Client

Onboarding is an important part of your Client’s initial experience with your practice. Use this Custom Process to streamline your client onboarding.

This custom automation has been created by the FYI team, ready to be imported to use in your practice. To download our quick reference guide, click here (or download the file from the bottom of this article).

Importing this Custom Automation

Click here to download the file used to import this example Custom Process, ready for you to test and activate or customise to suit your practice (or download the file from the bottom of this article).

Note: If you are using Chrome as your browser, the link may not automatically download the zip file. You need to right-click on the download link above, select Copy link address and paste it into a new browser tab in the browser's URL field.

When you have downloaded the file you can import the Custom Process. Refer to Importing Custom Processes and Importing Custom Processes using Drag and Drop.

Creating the Custom Process

The following sections detail how to create this Custom Process directly, without using the Import feature.

• Setup the Templates used in the Process
• Create a View or Determine the View to use
• Add the Custom Process
• Add Step 1 - Create the Spreadsheet for the New Client Information Form
• Add Step 2 - Create the Email to Welcome the Client and send the Spreadsheet
• Add Step 3 - to Create a Task to Update the Client Information
• Add Step 4 - Create the Word Document for the Letter to the Previous Accountant
• Add Step 5 - Create the Email to send the Letter to the Previous Accountant
• Add Steps to Create Additional Tasks
  • Using Clone Step to Add Steps
• Add a Step to Create a Delay
• Add Step to Create Task to Follow up with the Client
• Testing a Manual Custom Process
• Set the Status of the Process to "Active"
• Running the Process
• Download Files

Watch the video walkthrough to learn how to customise this Custom Process.

Setup the Templates used in the Process

This example Custom Process uses four Templates:

• Spreadsheet template to create the New Client Information Form - "New Client Information Form".
• Email template to send out to the client with the New Client Information Form -"Welcome to Growth Partners".
• Word template to create an Ethical Letter to the previous Accountant -"Ethical Letter to Previous Accountant".
• Email template to send out the Ethical Letter to the previous Accountant - "Ethical Letter Cover Email to Previous Accountant".

The following is an example of the Email Template "Welcome to Growth Partners" to send out to the client with the New Client Information Form as an attachment.

Ensure the template includes the {{ AttachmentLinks }} Merge Field.

Note: If you want to let clients know to upload any supporting documents, you can add the link manually once the email has been created. Refer to the FAQ Can we include a link to the client's Share Folder or to the Upload Folder in an Automation or in a Template?.

Create a View or Determine the View to use

If you are sending your email to all clients or you are selecting an individual client, you can use the software view "All" clients which includes all Active clients. Review the view used to check this will include the clients you want to send the email to.

Note: Ensure your new Client has been set up in your practice management software, has been synchronised to FYI and ensure that the Client has the following minimum details:

• Client Name
• Email
• Contact Name (Optional)
  Any other client information added into your practice management software can pre-populate in the new client information form.

Add the Custom Process

1. In Automation - Processes, click Add Custom Process.
2. Add the Name of the Process, in this example this is "Onboard a New Client".
3. If required, add any additional description of the Process in the Description.
4. This Process will be run manually so the Trigger is set to "Manual".
   
   
5. Set the Filter to Client View Filters using the "All" Clients view.
6. Ensure Run Only Once Per Client is selected.
   
   

Add Step 1 - Create the Spreadsheet for the New Client Information Form

The first step creates a "New Client Information Form" spreadsheet that will be sent to the client.

1. Click Add Step.
2. Select FYI Actions.
3. Select Create Spreadsheet.
4. In the Action section, select the Template you want to use to create the document. In the example, this is the Excel spreadsheet Template "New Client Information Form".
   
   
   In the Filing section:
   
   
5. Select the Name.
   This is initially set as "Default from template" which will use the same name as the Template Name. You can change this if required and enter the name that you want the document created as.
6. The Spreadsheet can be autofiled or you can select the Cabinet and any Categories for where you want the document to be filed.
   
   
   

   In the Task section:

7. Assign a Task linked to the document, for example, “Review form for new client” and assign the task to a user to review the form.

8. Ensure Blocking is selected as “Yes”. This ensures that this step is completed before the process continues.

9. If required, set the Task to Autocomplete. Refer to AutoComplete Tasks.
   
   

10. Click Save.

Add Step 2 - Create the Email to Welcome the Client and send the Spreadsheet

The next step creates the email that will be sent to the client.

1. Click Add Step and select Create Email.
2. Select the email Template, in this example "Welcome to Growth Partners".
3. Select the Attachment as the Spreadsheet created in Step 1 which is shown as
   "1: Create Spreadsheet > Document".
4. In Send attachments(s), in this example, attachments will be shared via Collaborate using OneDrive and Co-edit with client. This feature needs Collaborate enabled. Refer to Co-editing an External Document (Co-edit with Client).
5. Select the Sender as required.
6. For Save or Send, select whether to send the email immediately, or to create a Draft email.
7. Review the Filing details and rename the subject of the email if required.
   
   
8. Assign a Task to the Email, for example “Follow up with client for completed form” and assign it to a user.
9. Ensure Blocking is selected as “Yes”. This ensures that this step is completed before the process continues.
10. Click Save.

Add Step 3 - to Create a Task to Update the Client Information

This step creates a Task assigned to the user who will update the Client information in your practice management software when the information is received back from the client.

1. Add Create Task Step to create a task, for example, to “Enter details from new client form in Xero Practice Manager”.
2. Select the Assignee to the person responsible for updating client information.
3. Set a Due date for completion of the task.
4. Ensure Blocking is selected as “Yes”. This ensures that this step is completed before the process continues.
5. Click Save.
   
   

Add Step 4 - Create the Word Document for the Letter to the Previous Accountant

This step creates a Word document with the letter that will be sent out to the client's previous accountant. Because the previous Task was set as a Blocking Task, this step will only be processed once the Status of the Task in Step 3 has been set as "Complete".

1. Add Create Word Step to create a Word document using the required Template, in this example the Word Template “Ethical Letter to Previous Accountant”.
2. Set any Filing as required.
3. Assign a Task linked to the document, for example “Review ethical letter request for {{ Client Name }}” and assign it to a user.
4. Click Save.
   
   

Add Step 5 - Create the Email to send the Letter to the Previous Accountant

This step creates the email that send the letter created in Step 4 to the previous accountant.

1. Add a Step to Create Email using the required Email Template, in this example, "Ethical Letter Cover Email to Previous Accountant".
2. Select the Attachment.
3. Ensure Attachments as PDFs is set to "Yes" to attach the document in Step 4 as a PDF.
4. For Save or Send, ensure you select Draft in FYI to create a draft email.
   The draft email will be created with the Client email address. The email address for the previous accountant will need to be added to the draft email before the email is sent.
5. Set any Filing as required.
6. Assign a Task linked to the document, for example, “Follow up ethical response with previous accountant” and assign it to a user.
7. Click Save.
   
   

Add Steps to Create Additional Tasks

In this example, further tasks are set up and assigned to:

• Arrange collection of the client's permanent records.
• Complete new client registrations.
• For practices integrated with Xero Practice Manager, set up Xero Practice Manager Jobs.
• Notify the client's Manager that the new client set up is complete.

Using Clone Step to Add Steps

You can use the Clone Step function to add additional Steps. In this example, you can add a Create Task for Step 6, then clone this and edit the cloned steps.

1. On the existing Step, click Clone Step.
   
   
   
2. Click Edit to edit the duplicated Task.
   
   
   
   
3. Change the Subject of the cloned Task and update the Assignee.
4. Enter Due Date and enter any comments in the Details.

The following example shows the summary of the additional steps.

Add a Step to Create a Delay

This step delays the process from running so that the next step (which is a Task to follow up later with the new client) will only run when that delay period is over.

1. Click Add Step.
2. Select Delay.
3. Select the Delay Length to the number, in this example, the number of weeks.
4. Set the Delay Type to the required interval of days, hours or weeks.
   
   

Add Step to Create Task to Follow up with the Client

After the delay period, a Task will be created for the Client Manager to complete a "Client success follow up”.

Testing a Manual Custom Process

When setting up a Custom Process, it is very important to test it to ensure it is working as expected.

1. Click Test.
2. The Select Test pop-up displays a list of the Clients based on the Filter that has been set up in the Process.
3. From the Select Test, search and select a specific client to run the test for.
4. Click Run Test.
   
   
5. Navigate to the documents list in the relevant client's workspace and review the document New Client Information Form spreadsheet and the emails that were created in the test.

Refer also to Testing Custom Processes.

Set the Status of the Process to "Active"

When you are ready, set the Status of the process to "Active".

Running the Process

As this will be run for a specific client, it is recommended to navigate to the Client - Process tab to run the Automation. It can be run by an FYI Admin, or a user in a User Group that has Permissions enabled for Automations.

1. Navigate to the Client - Processes tab for the relevant client.
2. Locate the Onboard a New Client process.
3. Click Run.

For details of the different ways to run a Custom Process, refer to Running Custom Processes.

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