Year End Compliance Job - Start to Finish

The following is an example of a detailed Custom Process designed to automatically create meetings, workpapers, emails and tasks to assist in the completion of annual compliance jobs.

This example consists of two Custom Processes:

• Year End Compliance Job - Start to Finish
  
• Send for Signing
  

The Year End Compliance Job - Start to Finish includes an Execute Process step to run the Send for Signing Process from within Year End Compliance Job - Start to Finish.

Year End Compliance Job - Start to Finish is based on the Job State of "Planned", therefore it is important to keep Job States up to date to ensure all relevant clients are included in the automation.

Year End Compliance Job - Start to Finish includes sending a checklist spreadsheet to a client as Co-edit.

Note: To send a document as Co-edit, you must have the Collaborate functionality configured. Refer to the section Setting up Collaborate and to Co-editing an External Document (Co-edit with Client). We recommend you have also first introduced your clients to Collaborate and how they will access a document sent as Co-edit (refer to Introducing Collaborate to your Clients and Sample Email for Practices).

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 the 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.

Refer also to Importing Custom Processes.

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 Processes
• Add the Custom Process - Send for Signing Process
• Add the Custom Process - Year End Compliance Job - Start to Finish
• Add Step 1 - Update Job Start Date
• Add Step 2 - Create a Year End Planning Meeting
• Add Step 3 - Create a Task to Assign the Job in your Practice Management Software
• Add Step 4 - Create Year End Checklist from a Template
• Add Step 5 - Update the Job State to "Pending Client Info"
• Add Step 6 - Create the Email to Send the Checklist to the Client
• Add Step 7 - Update the Job State and the Custom Field
• Add Step 8 - Create EOY Workpapers
• Add the Steps to Update Job States and Assign Additional Tasks
• Add Step 15 - Execute Process "Send for Signing"
• Testing a Scheduled Custom Process
• Reviewing the Process History
• Set the Status of the Process to "Active"
• Scheduled Process runs Automatically
• Download Files

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

Setup the Templates used in the Process

The Year End Compliance Job - Start to Finish Process uses the following templates:

• Spreadsheet Template "Year End Checklist"
• Email Template "Year End Queries"
• Spreadsheet Template "EOY Workpapers"

Create a View or Determine the View to use

To run the Process for Year End Compliance Job - Start to Finish, this example needs a view to be created that is used to trigger the Custom Process. Refer to Saving Changes to the View Layout, Modifying and Deleting Views.

In the Jobs list:

1. Include the State column in the view.
2. Filter the State column to include "Planned" Jobs only.
3. Type Annual Compliance in the Search jobs This will search the Job Name and only include jobs that match.
4. Save the view, in this example “Planned Annual Compliance Jobs". If required, this view can be
   saved as "Automations only" so it is not included in the available views for standard users.
   
   

Add the Custom Processes

• The Send for Signing Process will be executed at the end of the Year End Compliance Job - Start to Finish process. This needs to be set up first so it is ready to be included.
• Then set up the Year End Compliance Job - Start to Finish process.

Add the Custom Process - Send for Signing

The Send for Signing Process is set up with the Trigger set as Manual.

It uses the Filter Type set as the Client - View Filters with the view selected as "All clients".

The Status needs to be set as "Active" so it can be selected in the Execute Process step.

The Process holds a set of Tasks that the assigned user needs to action and set as "Complete". The following is a summary of these Task steps.

Add the Custom Process - Year End Compliance Job - Start to Finish

1. In Automation - Processes, click Add Custom Process.
2. Add the Name of the Process, in this example this is "Year End Compliance Job - Start to Finish".
3. If required, add any additional description of the Process in the Description.
4. In this example, the process will run regularly therefore the custom process has the Trigger set to "Schedule".
5. Define the schedule according to how often the Process should run.
   In this example, this is set to run every four hours, starting from a specific date.
6. The Filter Type is set as "Job - View Filters" to filter jobs based on the pre-defined, saved Job view. In this example, the view is selected as the "Planned Annual Compliance Jobs" view.
   Ensure Run Only Once Per Job is selected for the automation to run once per job.
   
   
   
   The following is an example of the Custom Process.
   
   
   

Add Step 1 - Update Job Start Date

This step automatically updates the Job Custom Field of "Job Start Date".

1. Click Add Step and select Update Job.
2. Select the Custom Field as “Job Start Date”. When this step in the Process is triggered, this updates the  “Job Start Date” to today's date.
   

   For practices integrated with Xero Practice Manager, the Update Job Step can also be used to update the Name, Budget, Manager, Partner, Start Date, Due Date and Job Custom Fields.

   If Job Cabinet Security is enabled in your Practice Settings, you can update the Cabinet.
   
   
3. Click Save.

Add Step 2 - Create a Year End Planning Meeting

This step creates a year end planning meeting assigned to the Partner.

1. Click Add Step and select Create Meeting.
2. Add the Description of the meeting, in this example “Year end planning meeting”.
3. Select the Owner as the person holding the meeting, in this example, the client's "Partner".
4. Review the Filing details as required.
5. In the Task section, create and assign a Task to complete the Meeting record once the meeting has occurred.
6. Ensure Blocking is selected as “Yes”. This ensures that this step is completed before the process continues.
   
   
7. Click Save.

Add Step 3 - Create a Task to Assign the Job in your Practice Management Software

This step creates a Task assigned to the user who will update the job and assign the relevant team members in your practice management software.

1. Click Add Step and select Create Task to create a task, for example, to “Assign job in Xero Practice Manager”.
2. Select the Assignee as the person responsible for updating your practice management software.
3. Set a Due date for completion of the Task.
4. In the task Details section, provide further instructions to the relevant user on what is required to complete the task, such as providing the due date, budget and estimated task hours.
   
   
   
   
5. Click Save.

Add Step 4 - Create Year End Checklist from a Template

This step creates a Spreadsheet for the Year End Checklist that will be sent to the client.

1. Click Add Step and select Create Spreadsheet to create a checklist using the “Year End Checklist” Template.
2. Review the Filing details as required.
3. In the Task section, create and assign a Task with instructions to set the Task Status as "Complete" once the client checklist is completed.
4. Set a Due date for completion of the Task.
5. Ensure Blocking is selected as “Yes”. This ensures that this step is completed before the process continues.
6. If relevant, you could set the Task as Autocomplete (for example, when the Workflow Status of the Checklist was set to "Colmplete"). Refer to AutoComplete Tasks.
7. Click Save.

Add Step 5 - Update the Job State to "Pending Client Info"

Once the Task in the previous step is set as "Complete", this step automatically updates the Job Status to "Pending Client Info".

1. Click Add Step, select Update Job and select the Job State as “Pending Client Info”.
   
   
2. Click Save.

Add Step 6 - Create the Email to Send the Checklist to the Client

This step creates the email to send the checklist created in Step 4 to the client.

1. Add a Step to Create Email using the required Email Template, in this example, "Year End Queries".
2. Select the Attachment created in Step 4 of the Process.
3. Select the Sender as required.
4. Set Send Attachment(s) as "OneDrive".
5. Set Co-edit with client to ‘YES’. This will send a link to a document that can be Co-edited with your client and allow your client to work with you on the document.
6. 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.
   
   
   
   
7. Review the Filing details as required.
8. In the Workflow section, set the Workflow Status to "Pending approval" and select the Approver as required.
9. In the Task section, create and assign a Task to be completed once the client information has been received.
10. Ensure Blocking is selected as “Yes”. This ensures that the Status of the Task is set as "Complete" before the process continues.
11. Click Save.

Add Step 7 - Update the Job State and the Custom Field

This step automatically updates the Job Details.

1. Add a step to Update Job.
2. Select the Job State as “In Progress”.
3. Select the Custom Field as “Work Commenced Date”. When this step in the Process is triggered, it will update “Work Commenced Date” to today's date.
   
   
   
   
4. Click Save.

Add Step 8 - Create EOY Workpapers

This step creates a Spreadsheet for the EOY Workpapers.

1. Add a step to Create Spreadsheet and select the Template as "EOY Workpapers”.
2. Review the Filing details as required.
3. In the Workflow section, select the workflow as “In Progress” and select the Approver as required.
4. In the Task section, create and assign a Task with the Subject "Complete task once returns and accounts are ready for review".
5. Set a Due date for completion of the Task.
6. Ensure Blocking is selected as “Yes”. This ensures that this step is completed before the process continues.
7. In the Comments section, add a comment to notify the relevant user that the workpapers for the client have been created.
   
   Note: To send a notification when using a Merge Field such as Manager, the Merge Field needs to be enclosed in an open and closed square brackets [ ], for example, [{{ Manager }}].
   The square brackets need to be added from the Merge Fields screen. Refer to To Send a Notification using the Merge Fields in Automation Notifications.
   
   
8. Click Save.

Add the Steps to Update Job States and Assign Additional Tasks

Additional steps to Update Job and Create Tasks are added to progress the Job through the Job States and assign additional Tasks to complete the annual compliance job.

You can add the steps using the Add Step as above.

You can also use the Clone Step and Edit functions as follows to add any steps that are repeated.

1. Click Clone Step on each of the steps you want to duplicate.
2. Move the duplicated step down so it is in the correct sequence.
3. Click Edit for the duplicated step and update the details to change these as relevant. For example, for the duplicated Task, update these to the relevant Task actions, and for duplicated Update Job steps update these to the relevant Job State.
4. The following is a summary of the additional steps. This includes the Execute Process step which is detailed below in Add Step 15 - Execute Process "Send for Signing".
   
   

Add Step 15 - Execute Process "Send for Signing"

The Execute Process step runs a separate Custom Process from within a Process. In this example, it executes the Send for Signing Process, which has already been set up with the Status as "Active" and this creates a series of tasks that are needed to complete the actions when sending the documents to the client signing.

1. Click Add Step and select Execute Process.
2. Select the Process "Send for Signing".
3. Leave Apply New Process Filter set as "No".
   
   
4. Click Save.

Testing a Scheduled Custom Process

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

You can test a Scheduled Custom Process directly from the Process itself and this can be done while the Process is still "Draft".

1. Click Test.
2. The Select Test pop-up displays a list of the Jobs and the associated Clients based on the Filter that has been set up in the process.
   Note: A Test Client is handy for testing scheduled automations.
3. From the Select Test Job, search and select a specific Job to run the test for and click Run Test.
   
   

Reviewing the Process History

When a Process has run (from a Test run or at any other time) you can review the status and check what was processed. The Process can be reviewed from the Process itself, or from the Client workspace for the relevant client.

Refer to Automation History, Client Processes and Process History and Client Process History Checklist.

Set the Status of the Process to "Active"

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

Scheduled Process runs Automatically

This example is a Scheduled Process. Once the Status is set as "Active", the Process will run automatically according to the schedule that was set. In this example the process has been scheduled to run every four hours. For details of the different ways to run a Custom Process, refer to Running Custom Processes.

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