Client Document Intake and Storage Triage (Onboarding)
A checklist with 7 steps: Inventory every document type the client will send before the kickoff call.
By InnovaAI ResearchPublished
What are the steps?
Client Document Intake and Storage Triage (Onboarding)
- 01
Inventory every document type the client will send before the kickoff call
List contracts, brand assets, compliance certificates, and creative files separately, because each type needs a different retention rule and access tier.
- 02
Assign a single storage home per document class and write it into the SOW
Agencies that split client files across Dropbox, Box, and a local drive create version conflicts within the first month of a retainer.
- 03
Set folder permissions by role, not by person
Contractors rotate faster than clients; role-based access (account lead, designer, external counsel) survives staff turnover without a re-share scramble.
- 04
Convert incoming PDFs to a searchable format at intake
Tools such as UPDF or DocHub can run OCR and page organization on arrival, which cuts retrieval time on later audit requests.
- 05
Log each document's source, date received, and owner in a tracking sheet
This log becomes the evidence trail when a client disputes which version of a brief was approved.
- 06
Confirm the client's own retention and deletion obligations in writing
Regulated clients (health, finance, legal) often require deletion windows that conflict with an agency's default indefinite storage.
- 07
Run a dry-run retrieval test before the first deliverable ships
Ask a team member who did not set up the folders to find three specific files in under two minutes.