Client Workspace Provisioning (Onboarding)
A checklist with 8 steps: Map the client's existing workflow before opening a new workspace.
By InnovaAI Research
What are the steps?
Client Workspace Provisioning (Onboarding)
- 01
Map the client's existing workflow before opening a new workspace
Document how work currently moves through their team: intake channel, review gates, approval owner, and where files live today. A 30-minute walkthrough prevents rebuilding a process the client never used.
- 02
Define the permission tiers that match the retainer's confidentiality terms
Separate internal-only boards from client-visible views. Agencies handling regulated accounts should confirm whether client data enters a shared vendor environment, since private deployments are increasingly favored for B2B work over shared model access.
- 03
Set the intake form as the single entry point for all client requests
Route every brief, revision, and ad-hoc ask through one structured form with required fields for deadline, budget impact, and asset dependencies. Tools like Wrike and Teamwork both support custom request forms that feed directly into project templates.
- 04
Build the project template from the last three comparable engagements
Pull task lists, dependency chains, and time estimates from prior work of the same type rather than inventing a structure. Productive and Scoro both let you clone a template and adjust budget lines per client.
- 05
Assign a named owner for every recurring deliverable before kickoff
Unassigned tasks are the most common cause of silent slippage in the first 30 days. Confirm capacity in the resource view, not just the task list, so the plan reflects actual availability.
- 06
Configure the client-facing view and test it with a real login
Log in as the client, click through every shared board, and verify they cannot see internal margins, rate cards, or other accounts. Basecamp and Plutio both offer client-side access that needs explicit verification.
- 07
Schedule the 14-day adoption check before the workspace goes live
Book the review at provisioning time so it does not get skipped. Track login frequency, form submissions, and comment volume to catch low adoption while the process is still changeable.
- 08
Archive the provisioning record with the permission map and template version
Store which template version was used, who approved the permission structure, and what the client's original workflow looked like. This becomes the baseline when the retainer renews or the account changes hands.