Task Intake Triage (Onboarding)
A sequence with 7 steps: Inventory every active client engagement and its current task surface before adding a new system.
By InnovaAI ResearchPublished
What are the steps?
Task Intake Triage (Onboarding)
- 01
Inventory every active client engagement and its current task surface before adding a new system
List each retainer, the tools already holding its work (spreadsheets, email threads, a platform like Asana or Monday), and the person who currently owns each deliverable. This baseline prevents a new intake process from duplicating what already exists.
- 02
Define a single intake channel per client and close the side doors
Route all new requests through one form, Slack channel, or shared inbox. Requests that arrive by DM or hallway conversation get logged retroactively within 24 hours so nothing lives only in someone's memory.
- 03
Classify each incoming request by type, urgency, and billable status at the point of entry
Three fields are enough: is this scope, is this a revision, and does it touch the retainer. A request that is out of scope gets flagged for account review before any production time is spent.
- 04
Assign a named owner and a due date before the task leaves triage
Unowned tasks are the leading cause of missed deadlines in agency delivery. If the right owner is unclear, the account lead holds it until reassignment, never the queue.
- 05
Set dependency links for any task that blocks another deliverable
Creative cannot start before the brief is approved; production cannot ship before legal signs off. Recording these links in the task system makes the critical path visible without a status meeting.
- 06
Publish the intake rules to the client in writing during kickoff
State the channel, the response window, and what counts as a new request versus a revision. Clients who know the rules submit cleaner briefs and dispute fewer invoices.
- 07
Run a two-week audit of intake volume against the original scope estimate
Compare logged requests to the retainer's stated deliverables. A gap of more than 15 percent signals scope creep that needs a conversation before the next invoice cycle.