Start client work well
Client onboarding checklist: get the information right before work starts
A client onboarding checklist records what you need to start an agreed service properly. It should help both sides understand the work, supply the right information and know who does what next. The free worksheet includes a completed example, so you can adapt it to your service rather than inventing a process from a blank page.
Onboarding is complete when the team can begin the agreed work and the client knows what will happen next.
Agree the first useful result
Sending a welcome email is a task. Starting the right work is the outcome. Put the first useful result at the top of the checklist so the team can see why it is gathering information.
For a content service, that could be a first draft for a named audience and purpose. For a reporting service, it could be the first report using the agreed sources and definitions. Those jobs need different information, even if the welcome email looks much the same.
Said’s reporting experience is a useful reminder here: each client’s requirements can lead down a different route. Find those differences before the team starts building the report or configuring the service. A generic form can collect facts, but it cannot decide what the client actually needs.
Cover the decisions that affect delivery
| Check | What complete means |
|---|---|
| Agreement | The team can find the current scope, responsibilities and approval route. |
| First job | The client and team agree what will be delivered first and what it is for. |
| Client context | The relevant goals, preferences and existing decisions are available. |
| Inputs and access | The right people can use the information and systems this job needs. |
| Ownership | A named person on each side can answer questions or approve work. |
| Open issues | A missing answer has an owner and a next step. |
| Start confirmation | Both sides know what starts next and what still depends on an answer. |
Record an open issue as an open issue. A field filled with “probably” should not silently become an agreed requirement. If that uncertainty changes the result or creates a commitment, resolve it before the relevant work begins.
Some firms will need additional checks for their service or sector. Add those through the people responsible for the work, rather than assuming a general checklist covers every obligation.
Collect context another person can use
A client’s voice, audience or reporting requirements may be spread across a call, an email and an old proposal. Link the records and agree which version is current. Include the source and the date so another person can understand why it applies.
If the firm already knows this client, check what has changed before asking for everything again. Existing knowledge is useful only if it still describes the client’s current business and the new job.
When a system needs access, name the resource and the role that needs it. Arrange access through the owner of that system. The checklist should not become a list of passwords shared between people who do not need them.
Use the checklist and completed example
Worked example
Starting a content service
Invented teaching example. No client outcome is claimed.
FIRST RESULT
A draft for an agreed audience using the client’s current business context.
KNOWN CONTEXT
An existing brief describes the audience and tone.
The client confirms which business details have changed.
RESPONSIBILITIES
The delivery owner checks the brief.
A named client contact approves the draft through the agreed route.
OPEN ISSUE
A proposed customer example is not yet approved for use.
The first draft uses another approved example while that decision is resolved.
START
The delivery owner begins once the current brief and approval route are confirmed.
Automate the repetition once the process is clear
You may be able to create a workspace, assign a task or send a reminder automatically. Keep a person involved where a new request changes the scope or where missing information affects the work. A completed form is not proof that those decisions have been made.
Test the checklist with a normal new client and a returning client whose requirements have changed. If the team repeatedly skips a field, find out whether it is unnecessary or whether gathering the answer is difficult. That is a better improvement question than sending more reminders.
Further reading
Written by Said Lopez, founder of LeverageAI and author of Lean AI. Our guides draw on the method in the book and our work with clients.