Example: Automating Client Onboarding for a Consultancy

• ‍Problem: Client onboarding spread across email, Google Docs, Calendly, Trello, and Mailchimp‍
• System: A connected onboarding workflow that runs itself from signed contract to first deliverable‍
• Built in: One afternoon‍
• Replaced: Google Forms, Trello, Calendly, Mailchimp, manual email follow-ups‍
• Best for: Consultancies, agencies, SaaS companies, and service businesses that onboard 5+ new clients per month

What we mean by "onboarding system" in this guide

Client onboarding is the process that happens between a signed contract and the first real deliverable. It typically involves:

• Collecting client information and preferences
• Setting up internal tracking and project structure
• Sending welcome materials and setting expectations
• Scheduling kickoff calls
• Following up when clients go quiet

In this guide, we describe a connected onboarding system where every step triggers the next automatically. No manual handoffs. No things falling through cracks.

Onboarding workflows break not because teams are lazy, but because the process is spread across too many disconnected tools.

A typical setup looks like:

• Google Forms or Typeform for intake
• Trello or Asana for tracking progress
• Calendly for scheduling the kickoff
• Mailchimp or Gmail for welcome emails
• Google Docs for shared resources

Every handoff between tools is a place where things drop. A form submission that nobody sees for two days. A welcome email that never gets sent. A kickoff call that never gets scheduled.

The problem is not the absence of onboarding tools. It is the absence of a connected onboarding system.

A practical onboarding system only needs five building blocks:

• ‍A structured intake form that collects everything you need from the client upfront
• A client database that tracks onboarding progress in real time
• Automated communications that send the right message at the right time
• A scheduled follow-up check that nudges clients who go quiet
• An AI assistant that answers common client questions without waiting for your team

Everything else, the project management boards, the shared drives, the scheduling widgets, adds friction without adding value.

A complete walkthrough of:

• Intake form setup with conditional logic
• Client database configuration with Kanban views
• Welcome email design
• Scheduled follow-up workflow
• AI assistant configuration with client-specific knowledge

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Example: an onboarding system for a consultancy

This is an illustrative example, not a customer story. Picture a consultancy that onboards new clients every month and coordinates it by hand across several tools.

Here is how that onboarding system could be built with TinyCommand as the execution layer.

1. Client intake form
   A branded onboarding form captures everything upfront: company details, project goals, team contacts, preferred communication channel, and document uploads.
   The form uses conditional logic so B2B clients see different questions than B2C clients.
   Email addresses are confirmed with a one-time code before the form submits (SMS codes for Indian phone numbers).
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2. Client database with Kanban tracking
   Every form submission creates a record in TinyTables with automatic status tracking.
   The operations team sees the pipeline in Kanban view: New, Onboarding, Active, At Risk.
   Data enrichment fills in company size, industry, and LinkedIn profiles automatically.
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3. Automated welcome steps
   The moment a form is submitted, a workflow triggers:
   - Sends a branded welcome email with next steps and a resource pack
   - Creates a calendar invite for the kickoff call
   - Notifies the assigned account manager on Slack
   - Adds the client to the active client database
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4. Scheduled follow-up check
   A scheduled workflow checks the client table every morning. If a client has not completed their onboarding checklist within 48 hours, it sends a gentle nudge email.
   If still no response after 72 hours, it escalates to the account manager with a Slack alert.
   Clients who finish the checklist drop out of the check, so the nudges stop on their own.
   ‍
5. AI onboarding assistant
   A TinyAgent answers common questions from new clients:
   - "When is our kickoff call?"
   - "Where do I upload my brand assets?"
   - "Who is my account manager?"
   
   Give the agent a tool you build on the canvas that finds the client's TinyTables record, so it can look up that client's details before it answers. No generic FAQ pages.

Integration options:

• Slack, Google Chat, Microsoft Teams for internal notifications
• Google Calendar, Calendly for scheduling
• Gmail, Outlook for email delivery
• Any webhook-based tool for custom integrations

This workflow also works for

• SaaS companies onboarding new users or enterprise accounts
• Agencies onboarding new clients with custom project scopes
• Coaches and course creators welcoming new students
• Any service business that needs a repeatable, consistent first impression

This is a system-first approach, not a tool-first one.

What this setup is designed to change:

• New clients get their welcome email and kickoff invite as soon as they submit the form
• Reminders go out from a scheduled check instead of someone's memory
• Fewer things fall through the cracks between tools
• The operations team spends less time on repetitive coordination
• One platform replaces several disconnected tools

Build time depends on how many steps your process has. If you use the AI Builder, you can describe what you need and get a working draft to start from.

Yes. TinyForms supports conditional logic, so you can show different questions based on client type, industry, project scope, or any other variable. B2B and B2C clients can have completely different onboarding experiences from the same form.

A scheduled workflow checks for clients who have gone quiet. It sends a reminder email once a client passes 48 hours without finishing onboarding, then alerts the account manager at 72 hours. You can change these thresholds and add more steps.

Yes. TinyWorkflows connects to 100+ apps including Slack, Google Calendar, Gmail, Outlook, HubSpot, Salesforce, and any tool with an API or webhook. The system works alongside your existing stack.

Dedicated onboarding platforms like ChurnZero or Totango start at $500 per month or more. TinyCommand's Professional plan at $49 per month includes forms, tables, workflows, emails, and AI agents. You get a complete onboarding system plus every other automation your business needs.