Move an agreed job into a clear start.
Onboarding begins when work is actually agreed. It turns the agreement into a start the customer and team both understand: what is needed, who provides it and what happens when something is missing.
Check that there is an agreement to hand over.
Link to the accepted scope or order and its current version. Confirm the relevant commercial and access conditions for that job. An enthusiastic email or a sent proposal is not automatically an accepted scope.
Keep the agreement and the operational checklist connected. The checklist should not silently add promises or remove a condition that the customer agreed.
Ask for what this job needs.
Choose the minimum information needed for the next stage. Explain why each item is needed and how it should be provided. A long generic intake form can delay the start without improving the work.
- Customer contact
- Who can answer questions and approve the relevant decisions?
- Inputs
- Which files, measurements or examples are necessary for this scope?
- Access
- Which accounts need access, and who can grant it through the proper route?
- Timing
- Which dates are agreed, provisional or dependent on an input?
Make missing information an explicit state.
Illustrative example: the customer supplies photographs but has not approved the service descriptions. The owner records the descriptions as missing and identifies which work can safely continue. A reminder being sent does not change the status to complete.
Do not promise a new deadline simply because a form was submitted. Check whether the input is complete and usable, and explain any effect on the agreed sequence.
Confirm readiness with the people doing the work.
Someone should check that the required inputs are present, the right people have access and the first task is understood. “All fields filled in” is a form result, not proof that the team can begin.
The customer should know the next milestone and how to raise a question. Internal notes can remain detailed while the customer sees a short, accurate explanation.
Keep the handover current.
When scope or timing changes, update the working record and make the decision visible to the relevant people. Retain the earlier agreement as history so the team can understand what changed.
After the job, review the questions you had to ask twice. Improve the next intake around those real gaps, rather than adding every possible field in advance.
