Duration:5-10 minutes (call/meeting time)
Owner:Sarah
Risk(s):Misunderstandings (Impact: Scope creep, unmet expectations), details forgotten if not documented immediately (Impact: Delays, errors downstream).
Duration:60-75 minutes (part of proposal/contract total)
Owner:Sarah
Risk(s):Typos, pricing errors (Impact: Financial loss, client trust erosion), inconsistent branding (Impact: Unprofessional image), highly time-consuming (Impact: Reduces time for billable work).
Duration:5 minutes
Owner:Sarah
Risk(s):Email lost in spam (Impact: Communication delays, lost opportunity), attachment issues, version control problems if changes are requested.
Duration:1-2 days (client dependent)
Owner:Client
Risk(s):Delays in client review (Impact: Stalls sales pipeline), potential for scope creep if definitions are not precise.
Duration:30-45 minutes
Owner:Sarah
Risk(s):Using outdated templates (Impact: Legal exposure, incorrect terms), incorrect client details copied, critical legal clauses missed.
Duration:5 minutes
Owner:Sarah
Risk(s):Email deliverability issues, client confusion with multiple or large attachments.
Duration:1-5 days (client dependent)
Owner:Client
Risk(s):Client lacks printer/scanner (Impact: Major delay, poor client experience), poor scan quality, process stalls significantly.
Duration:10-15 mins per chase
Owner:Sarah
Risk(s):Damages client rapport, consumes more admin time, further delays project start and invoicing.
Duration:30 minutes (Sarah prepares; client takes 1-2 days to respond)
Owner:Sarah / Client
Risk(s):Inconsistent messaging, forgotten attachments, unclear requests (Impact: Time wasted in back-and-forth communication, project delays).
Duration:45-60 minutes total
Owner:Sarah
Risk(s):Inconsistent folder structures/project setups, incorrect data entry (Impact: Financial reconciliation issues, project errors, team confusion), missed tasks/deadlines.
Duration:5-10 minutes
Risk(s):Key team members missed from communication, unclear instructions for project commencement.
Total Estimated Human Time per Client: Approx. 4 hours (That's half a day per client!)
Overall Negative Impacts: This heavy reliance on manual steps directly leads to key person dependency, severely limits your ability to scale, creates an inconsistent and potentially frustrating experience for new clients, delays revenue collection, is prone to costly errors, and drains valuable time that could be spent on growth-focused activities. This is where automation becomes crucial.
Duration:10-20 minutes (client time)
Benefit:Captures all necessary details & service selections upfront, consistently. Importance: Reduces back-and-forth, ensures data accuracy from the source.
Risk(s):Client confusion if form is unclear (mitigated by thoughtful design and clear instructions).
Duration:2-5 minutes (client time for review & e-sign); Generation is automated (seconds).
Benefit:Professional, instant contract generation and secure e-signing. Importance: Drastically speeds up commitment, eliminates printing/scanning friction for clients.
Risk(s):Incorrect template logic (mitigated by thorough setup/testing).
Duration:Automated (seconds to a few minutes for all paths)
Benefit:The "engine room" that connects all subsequent actions seamlessly. Importance: Ensures no step is missed and data flows instantly to where it's needed.
Risk(s):API/connector errors (mitigated by error handling); incorrect field mapping (mitigated by testing).
Duration:Automated (seconds)
Benefit:Instant, professional client acknowledgement. Importance: Reinforces client's decision, sets positive tone, provides key next steps.
Risk(s):Email marked as spam; incorrect personalisation if data fields mapped wrong.
Duration:Automated (seconds)
Benefit:Consistent, error-free folder structures. Importance: Organises client assets from day one, improves team efficiency.
Risk(s):Incorrect folder permissions/naming if logic flawed.
Duration:Automated (seconds)
Benefit:Ensures all project tasks are created consistently. Importance: Reduces missed steps, standardises service delivery, allows team to start work faster.
Risk(s):Outdated Asana template; incorrect task assignments.
Duration:Automated (seconds)
Benefit:Accurate and timely client setup in financials. Importance: Ensures correct invoicing from the start, reduces end-of-month reconciliation headaches.
Risk(s):Duplicate records; incorrect financial data mapping.
Duration:< 30 minutes (target total human touch time for onboarding)
Owner:Sarah
Benefit:Focus shifts from admin to relationship building and strategic oversight. Importance: Ensures client feels valued and allows for clarification of strategic goals.
Risk(s):Rushing this crucial relationship-building step; not verifying automated setup (though errors should be minimal).
Total Estimated Human Time per Client: < 30 minutes (a 90%+ reduction!)
Overall Positive Impacts: Automation transforms your onboarding from a time-consuming, error-prone chore into a swift, professional, and scalable system. It frees up ~15-18 hours per month, reduces stress, dramatically improves the client experience, ensures consistency, and allows Bloom Marketing Solutions to grow without being bogged down by admin. This is the power of smart automation: working *on* your business, not just *in* it.
New Risks:Initial setup complexity (mitigated by Smart Flows Sprint); reliance on third-party app uptime; ongoing app subscription costs; need for occasional process review/updates.
Setup Duration:Several hours. Ongoing execution is automated.
Benefit:Creates a premium, centralised client experience. Importance: Enhances transparency, reduces ad-hoc queries, reinforces brand value.
Risk(s):Portal underutilised if not intuitive; cost of portal tool; content maintenance.
Setup Duration:Several hours. Ongoing execution is automated.
Benefit:Positions you as a proactive, value-adding partner. Importance: Increases client engagement and perceived value, aids retention.
Risk(s):Content becoming outdated; email fatigue; ensuring personalisation is accurate.
Setup Duration: Significant hours. Ongoing execution is automated.
Benefit:Creates an end-to-end seamless data flow across the business. Importance: Maximises efficiency, provides holistic business insights, reduces data silos.
Risk(s):Complexity of CRM integration; maintaining data sync integrity; more points of failure if not robustly built.