Portal Access Provisioning and Client Onboarding (Onboarding)

Portal Access Provisioning and Client Onboarding (Onboarding)

1. 01

   Confirm the signed retainer or statement of work before issuing any portal credentials

   Match the client legal entity name on the contract to the workspace you intend to create; mismatched entity names are the most common cause of stalled procurement reviews at larger clients.

2. 02

   Create one workspace per client entity, never one workspace shared across a parent group

   Shared workspaces leak deliverables between business units and make permission audits impossible once a single stakeholder leaves. Platforms such as Clinked and Assembly both support per-client isolation with custom domains, so the constraint is process, not tooling.

3. 03

   Assign roles from a fixed three-tier map: client executive sponsor, day-to-day reviewer, and read-only finance contact

   Publishing the tier definitions to the client in writing before invitations go out prevents the week-two request to add twelve stakeholders with full edit rights.

4. 04

   Set approval authority in writing for anything that gates delivery, including creative sign-off and invoice disputes

   Name the individual, not the department. A portal that records approvals without a named approver produces disputes you cannot resolve from the audit trail.

5. 05

   Load the first 30 days of deliverables, milestones, and billing schedule before the kickoff call

   An empty portal on day one trains the client to keep using email. Populating milestones and the first invoice gives them a reason to log in during the habit-forming window.

6. 06

   Run a 20-minute walkthrough with the client's reviewer and record it

   Cover file upload, comment threads, and approval buttons only. Recording the session cuts repeat support requests and gives you a reference asset when the reviewer changes roles.

7. 07

   Schedule a 14-day access review to remove anyone who has not logged in

   Dormant accounts are the quiet security exposure in agency portals. A recurring calendar hold keeps the review from depending on someone remembering.