Summary
An Engagement in Aiwyn is comprised of the following elements:
Engagement Details
Client(s)
Scope of Service(s) - optional
Engagement Letter
Contact(s)
The Engagement Details page is the starting point
for creating new Engagements for Clients.
The details entered here determine which Client or Clients to include on a single letter or as a batch, with the intended recipients defaulting to the appropriate Contact(s) based on the data about that Client Contact from the Practice Management System.
Data from the Practice Management System also drives other automation, with the Client's Partner and Manager preselected in the Engagement Details by default.
Included in this article:
- Engagement Details Overview
- Client Details
- Payment Prompt Settings
- Firm Details
- Engagement Details
- Next Steps
- Archive Letters
Engagement Details Overview
The Engagement details determine which Client Contact(s) receive the letter, who the letter is "from" (the Client Partner selected), if payment is offered or required, the Letter Template to use, the Engagement name, the start date of the Engagement, and the renewal date if desired.
Engagement Details Fields and Functions
Client Details
Primary Client
The Client details populate based on the selection of the Primary Client.
When creating a new individual Engagement, the Primary Client field is shown first. Search for and select your desired Primary Client.
For Engagements created first from a batch, this field is not shown immediately, however once the batch of Engagements are generated, the draft Engagement's details page appears with the "Primary Client" displayed for each Engagement.
Primary Contact:
The Primary Contact populates in the Engagement details by default, based on the chosen Client.
The default "Primary Contact" distinction is determined during Implementation based on the Practice Management System and firm preferences where able. Contacts categorized as "Engagement Contact" or "Primary Contact" in the Practice Management System, for example, are used by Aiwyn to pull the correct default Primary Contact into the Engagement details.
While the Primary Contact can only be one person selected by default, during the Engagement creation and draft process, a different Contact can be selected. Include in the list are Contacts associated with the Primary Client, as well as those linked to other Clients within the same Client Group as the Primary Client.
If additional Clients outside of the Primary Client's Client Group are added (a step performed on the main Engagement draft screen), those Contacts are also available for selection as the Primary Contact.
The chosen Primary Contact is required to have an Email Address in order to proceed.
Billing Contact:
Depending on your firm's preferences set up during Implementation, the Billing Contact will default to a Contact associated with the Primary Client, based on a category or type selection for the Contact in the Practice Management System. Alternatively during Implementation the firm can choose to make the default Billing Contact be the same as the Primary Contact.
In either case, this Contact can also be changed, and must also have an Email Address in order to proceed.
Engagement Clients and Contacts are described in further detail in the next chapter, click here to jump there now.
Payment Prompt Settings
The Client Billing Contact (or multiple billing contacts if multi-client engagement) is responsible for completing certain tasks if they are assigned in the Engagement Details.
Until these tasks are completed, reminder emails are sent every three (3) days to the Primary and Billing Contacts (if different).
Optional Payment Method
If selected, the Engagement's chosen Billing Contact has a choice to save their payment method or to skip saving their payment method at that time. If the Billing Contact does not choose anything and instead exits upon seeing the payment entry screen, the Engagement is still considered executed and no additional reminder emails are sent.
Client Contact(s) Receive Letter:
- The chosen "Billing Contact" for the Engagement is sent an email that includes the prompt to "Provide payment method information"
- If the Billing Contact is not a signer of the Engagement Letter, their direction is to "review engagement letter" and then provide payment method information.
Example of Client Portal when viewing the "Setup Payment Method" area shown when the Optional Setup Payment Method prompt is selected.
Required Payment Method
If selected, the Billing Contact is required to Review the Engagement Letter in the Client Portal and then save a valid payment method at that time as well. Until this is set up by the Billing Contact, the Engagement is not fully executed, and the Engagement Contacts receive periodic reminders. Their reminders appear the same as the Optional prompt version.
No Prompt for Payment Method
If selected, the Billing Contact will not receive anything (if different Contact from Primary) and no contact is prompted for payment.
Example reminder email to a Primary Contact, with no Payment Method prompt.
Firm Details
Engagement Partner
The Engagement Partner is the "author" of the Engagement Letter. While the Engagement Partner is populated with a staff member selected, based on the Client's designated Client Partner, the Engagement Partner may be changed to any other active staff member.
They also receive notification email when an Engagement Letter is signed and fully executed.
The PDF of the signed engagement is attached to the email, and when "View Engagement" is selected by the firm staff member from their email, they're brought to the Firm Portal with that Client's Engagement on screen.
Engagement Manager
The Engagement Manager is the "sender" of the Engagement Letter, their email address is used as the Sender of the Engagement Letter email to the Client Contact(s).
They also receive notification email when an Engagement Letter is signed and fully executed.
The PDF of the signed engagement is attached to the email, and when "View Engagement" is selected by the firm staff member from their email, they're brought to the Firm Portal with that Client's Engagement on screen.
Engagement Collaborators
Add one or more additional Staff members as Collaborators. Select their name from the list.
Collaborators receive notification email when an Engagement Letter is signed and fully executed. The PDF of the signed engagement is attached to the email.
Engagement Details
Letter Template
The Engagement Letter Template to use for the Engagement(s) must be selected before proceeding.
It will be important to know what type of letter you are intending to send before you create a new Engagement Letter (single or batch), because you will have to select the desired Letter Template from the list of all Letter Templates.
Fiscal Year
The Fiscal Year must be selected. It will default to the current year and can be changed to a different year (from the past or from the future, by four years).
- The Fiscal Year is one of many placeholder variables available for the letter content.
- If Jobs are added in the next screen, the list of available jobs are for the fiscal year chosen.
This Fiscal Year can also work in conjunction with the Client's "fiscal year end month/day" from their record in the Practice Management System, populating placeholder variables with full dates as desired.
Engagement Name
The name of the Engagement is scattered throughout the Client and Firm portal experiences. The Engagement name can be altered on a Letter/Letter Batch basis while editing the Engagement details, or you can choose a system-wide Engagement name structure that works for you.
Click here to open the available Engagement Name variables.
Implementation Consideration
Choose a default Engagement Name structure during implementation. Add things like "Client Name" and other tags to the Engagement Name so that internal needs are met and other workflows initiated. Additional information about changing the default Engagement name is located in Engagement Settings
Engagement Start Date
The Start Date of the Engagement can be a pre-determined date in the past or future, or choose to use the date the Engagement is fully executed as the start date.
Start date is required to proceed to next steps.
"On Acceptance" is selected by default.
Implementation Consideration
The "Start Date" placeholder variables will only populate when the Start Date is pre-defined. It will not populate if the Start Date is "On Acceptance"
Start Date Placeholder Variables
Select a defined start date if the letter template includes any of the related Start Date placeholder variables.
If "On Acceptance" is selected as the start date, the start date placeholder variables will not populate at all at this time.
Renewal Date
If a date is selected, the Engagement is included in the monthly renewal reminder email received by Engagement Partners and Managers, indicating its renewal is due in the next 90 days, or is already overdue, based on the Renewal Date selection.
A Renewal Date is not required in order to actually renew an Engagement. It simply helps ensure it is included in a future reminder for it's renewal.
The Engagement Renewals feature is described in further detail in a subsequent chapter of this user guide, click here to jump there now.
Next Steps
The Engagement's details are accessible and editable at any point until the Engagement is fully executed.
Once the Engagement details are saved the first time, the Primary Client can only be changed to a different Client within the same Client Group. Keep in mind this means Engagements created from a batch are "saved" before you can see the details for a specific Engagement created from that batch.
For Engagements created from a Renewal, the Primary Client cannot be changed at all.
Example of Engagement details for new individual Engagement, showing all details completed, as they are described in this chapter.
Archive Letters
Back on the main Engagements page, you are able to archive executed Engagements, in order to keep your list view up to date and to align with your internal workflows. An archived Engagement can be restored at any time.
Steps to Archive an Executed Engagement
- Go to the main Engagements page
- Find the Engagement you wish to archive
- Under the Actions column, select the three small dots, and select "Archive"
-
The Engagement Status will update to say "Archived"
Pro-tip: Adjust your view to hide Engagements with the Archived Status by selecting the Engagement Status column and deselect the Archived option, select Apply to apply the changes. As a result, the archived Engagements will no longer be shown in your view. This filter will stay in place for you until you reset your filters.
Next: Chapter 2: Engagement Clients & Contacts