SOP · 6 PHASES · 6 GATES · UNIDIRECTIONAL
Client Onboarding: built so the wrong path can't complete
A SINKRA-mapped operating procedure. Every state transition is guarded by a gate that makes the failed outcome unreachable, not just unlikely. A client cannot be marked onboarded without scheduled work they can see.
Portfolio sample
A demonstration built on a generic process. Your delivered SOP maps your actual process, your tools, and your team, with tailored exception handling and annotations.
The process, defined.
| Objective | Take a signed client from "deal closed" to "first value delivered and relationship operational," with zero context lost between sales and delivery. |
| Start trigger | Signed agreement received AND first invoice marked paid. Both conditions, not either. |
| Termination | Kickoff complete, all deliverable channels accessible, first work item live. State reaches ONBOARDED. |
| Scope in / out | In: everything from payment confirmation to first work item going live. Out: lead nurture and contract (upstream), ongoing delivery (downstream). |
| Operating mode | Async-only. No step requires a call unless a gate fails twice on the same artifact. |
Six phases. One direction.
No phase begins until the prior one reaches its exit state. A failed phase does not move backward. It parks in an exception lane and re-enters at the same phase once cleared.
| # | Phase | Entry → Exit | SLA |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Intake | Signed + paid → verified client record | D0–D1 |
| 2 | Account Setup | Verified record → access confirmed | D1–D2 |
| 3 | Discovery | Provisioned env → signed-off packet | D2–D5 |
| 4 | Kickoff | Discovery packet → agreed cadence | D5–D6 |
| 5 | Delivery Setup | Kickoff brief → scheduled work item | D6–D7 |
| 6 | Activation | Scheduled item → ONBOARDED | D7 |
Valid moves only.
valid transitions
TRIGGERED → INTAKE_VERIFIED
INTAKE_VERIFIED → PROVISIONED
PROVISIONED → DISCOVERY_OPEN
DISCOVERY_OPEN → DISCOVERY_COMPLETE
DISCOVERY_COMPLETE → KICKOFF_SENT
KICKOFF_SENT → KICKOFF_CONFIRMED
KICKOFF_CONFIRMED → DELIVERY_READY
DELIVERY_READY → ONBOARDED
ANY_ACTIVE_STATE → PARKED (gate failure / blocker)
PARKED → origin state (blocker cleared)
PARKED → CANCELLED (escalation timeout)forbidden transitions (and why they must be impossible)
| Forbidden move | Why it is blocked |
|---|---|
| TRIGGERED → PROVISIONED | Skips intake. You would grant access to a deal with a failed payment or missing signature. |
| any → ONBOARDED | Except from DELIVERY_READY. "Onboarded" with no scheduled work is a false success. |
| DISCOVERY_OPEN → KICKOFF_SENT | Kickoff on missing inputs looks complete while being hollow. |
| backward moves | Phases do not regress. New info after kickoff is a change request, not a rewind. |
| CANCELLED → any | Terminal. A cancelled onboarding restarts as a new trigger, never resumes. |
Roles, not people.
This is an operational process, so owners are slots that resolve per business at runtime.
| Slot | Role |
|---|---|
| {owner} | Accountable for the relationship end to end. Single point of accountability. Signs off on ONBOARDED. |
| {operator} | Executes the mechanical steps: provisioning, packet assembly, system entry. |
| {reviewer} | Independent check on gates. Cannot be the same identity as {operator} for the gate they review. |
Atomic. Pre-condition in, post-condition out.
| Phase | Action | Post-condition | Owner |
|---|---|---|---|
| Intake | Pull signed agreement + matching paid invoice into one record. | Both artifacts on one client record. | operator |
| Intake | Verify invoice value and signatory match the contract. | Match confirmed or discrepancy logged. | reviewer |
| Setup | Provision folder, board, workspace from template; grant least-privilege access. | Environment exists, invites issued. | operator |
| Setup | Confirm client logged in to the primary channel. | Active session confirmed. | operator |
| Discovery | Send discovery packet request per required-fields checklist. | Request sent, state DISCOVERY_OPEN. | operator |
| Discovery | Validate every required field present and usable (credentials tested, assets open). | Completeness verdict issued. | reviewer |
| Kickoff | Draft async kickoff brief: scope, timeline, cadence, definition of done. | Brief verified against packet + contract. | operator |
| Kickoff | Send brief with required acknowledgement; capture it. | Acknowledgement recorded. | owner |
| Delivery | Translate confirmed scope into first work item; confirm schedulable. | Item created, owner + due date inside SLA. | operator |
| Activation | Verify client-side visibility; send activation notice; sign terminal state. | State ONBOARDED, handoff to delivery. | owner |
Condensed view. The full SOP documents pre-condition, action, and post-condition for every step in all six phases to this same standard.
Each gate makes the broken outcome unreachable.
| Gate | Veto (any one blocks) | What breaks if absent |
|---|---|---|
| 1 · Real Deal | Invoice unpaid. Signatory mismatch. Value differs. Duplicate record. | You onboard a client who never paid, or provision the wrong legal entity. |
| 2 · Access Proven | A channel not provisioned. Client never logged in. Wrong privilege level. | Discovery is sent to a client who cannot receive it, then silently stalls. |
| 3 · Inputs Complete | A required field missing. Credentials untested. Assets unreadable. | Work starts on guesses, then halts mid-stream when a missing credential surfaces. |
| 4 · Aligned Scope | No acknowledgement. Brief has out-of-contract scope. Timeline exceeds SLA. | First deliverable triggers a dispute instead of a thank-you. |
| 5 · Schedulable Work | No owner. No due date. Unresolved dependency. No capacity. | "Onboarded" with a work item that cannot be executed. It sits unowned. |
| 6 · Client Can See It | Client cannot view the item. Notice not sent. Handoff packet incomplete. | You mark success while the client sees an empty workspace. |
For gates 1, 2, 3, and 5, the reviewer satisfying the gate must not be the operator who produced the artifact. A single identity cannot both create and approve. This makes self-certification, the most common failure mode, structurally impossible rather than policy-discouraged.
When it stalls, it escalates. It never drifts.
two exception lanes (they escalate to different owners)
Internal blocker
Something the team controls (provisioning error, incomplete brief, no capacity). State parks, operator notified same day, gate re-runs on fix. Past the hard ceiling, escalate to owner.
Client-dependent blocker
Waiting on client input. Auto-reminder at 50% of the window, second at 100% (copying owner), direct contact at the ceiling. Silent for the full 10-day ceiling, owner decides: extend with reason, or cancel.
escalation matrix
| Condition | Escalates to | Action |
|---|---|---|
| Transition past hard ceiling | owner | Diagnose, unblock, or re-baseline with a logged reason. |
| Process past Day 7 target | owner | Review which phase consumed the slack. Decide recovery. |
| Process past Day 10 ceiling | owner + lead | Mandatory decision: rescue or cancel. No silent drift. |
| Gate failed twice on same artifact | reviewer + owner | Async rule suspended. One synchronous call authorized. |
| Payment reversed at any point | owner | Immediate PARKED. Access suspended pending resolution. |
What the team gets.
Any operator runs onboarding from the document. No training. The wrong path does not exist.