If onboarding new clients feels like Groundhog Day—same emails, same checklists, same headaches—this one’s for you. This guide walks you through setting up automated client onboarding workflows in Rocketlane so you spend less time chasing tasks and more time actually helping clients.
You don’t need to be a process nerd, but you do need to be tired of copy-pasting and guesswork. Let’s get your onboarding working for you, not the other way around.
Step 1: Map Out Your Real-World Onboarding Flow
Before you touch Rocketlane, get your actual onboarding steps on paper (or a whiteboard, or a napkin). Automation is only as good as the process behind it. If your onboarding is random now, automating it just means you’ll deliver chaos faster.
How to do it: - Write down every step a new client goes through, from “signed contract” to “fully live.” - Note who is responsible for each step—sales, onboarding manager, client, etc. - Flag any pain points or steps that always get delayed.
Pro tip:
Don’t aim for “perfect.” Capture reality, warts and all. You can clean it up later.
Step 2: Set Up Your Project Templates in Rocketlane
Templates are Rocketlane’s secret weapon. They let you create standardized onboarding projects with just a couple of clicks. No more reinventing the wheel every time.
How to do it: - In Rocketlane, head to the “Templates” section. - Click “Create Template” and give it a clear name (e.g., “Standard SaaS Onboarding”). - Add phases (major milestones like “Kickoff,” “Implementation,” “Training”). - Under each phase, add tasks that match your real-life process. Be specific.
What works: - Building templates for your most common onboarding types—no need to make one for every edge case. - Adding clear instructions to tasks so anyone on the team knows what “done” looks like.
What to ignore: - Don’t try to automate rare exceptions or one-off customer requests. Templates are for the 80%, not the 20% weird stuff.
Step 3: Automate Task Assignments and Due Dates
This is where Rocketlane starts doing the grunt work for you. Set up your template so it automatically assigns tasks to the right people and calculates due dates based on project kickoff.
How to do it: - In your template, assign owners to each task (you can use roles instead of specific names—like “Onboarding Specialist” or “Customer”). - Set up relative due dates (e.g., “2 days after project start” or “7 days before go-live”). - Use dependencies so tasks unlock only when previous steps are complete (no more jumping ahead by accident).
What works: - Assigning tasks to roles instead of people—makes the template reusable. - Using dependencies to keep everyone honest about the order of operations.
What doesn’t: - Assigning everything to one person “just to be safe.” That’s a fast track to burned-out team members and missed steps.
Step 4: Build Automated Client Communications
Most onboarding delays come from waiting on clients—missing info, slow replies, forgotten next steps. Let Rocketlane handle the reminders for you.
How to do it: - Set up automated emails for key milestones (e.g., “Kickoff scheduled,” “Info needed,” “Training ready”). - Use Rocketlane’s notification rules to nudge clients when tasks are overdue. - Add “Welcome” and “Next Steps” messages in client-facing project views.
Pro tips: - Keep emails short, clear, and actionable. Nobody wants to read a novel. - Use merge fields (like the client’s name or project phase) to make messages feel human.
What to ignore: - Don’t set up a notification for every single task. You’ll just train clients to ignore you.
Step 5: Integrate with Your CRM (If It Actually Helps)
If you use Salesforce, HubSpot, or another CRM, Rocketlane can sync client and project data automatically. This is handy for kicking off onboarding the second a deal closes—but only if your CRM data is clean.
How to do it: - Go to Rocketlane’s integrations settings and connect your CRM. - Map fields like “Customer Name,” “Account Owner,” and “Go-Live Date.” - Set rules for when to auto-create onboarding projects (e.g., when a deal moves to “Closed Won”).
What works: - Automated handoff from sales to onboarding—no more manual project creation. - Pulling in key contacts so you don’t chase down emails.
What doesn’t: - Integrating just because you can. If your CRM is full of junk, you’ll end up with junk in Rocketlane too.
Step 6: Add Forms for Client Data Collection
Getting info from clients should be painless. Rocketlane lets you create forms—think “kickoff questionnaires” or “technical requirements checklists”—that live right in the onboarding workflow.
How to do it: - In your template, add a “Form” task where clients need to provide info. - Build the form with only the fields you actually need. Less is more. - Make the form a prerequisite for the next phase, so onboarding doesn’t stall later.
Pro tips: - Use conditional logic if you need different questions for different client types. - Make sure someone on your team reviews form responses quickly—automation isn’t a replacement for human eyes.
Step 7: Automate Internal Handoffs and Alerts
Don’t let tasks fall through the cracks when projects move from onboarding to support, or between teams. Use Rocketlane’s automation rules to trigger alerts or create follow-up tasks.
How to do it: - Set up rules that automatically assign tasks to support or account managers once onboarding is marked “complete.” - Send automated notifications to internal teams when they need to jump in (like IT for provisioning, or finance for invoicing). - Use status updates to keep everyone in the loop—no more “Hey, did you finish that?” emails.
What works: - Clear ownership for every step, especially at handoff points. - Automated alerts for overdue tasks—just don’t overdo it, or people will start tuning them out.
Step 8: Test Your Workflow (and Fix What Breaks)
Don’t go live with automation until you’ve run through your onboarding flow as if you’re the client. You’ll catch a ton of issues you wouldn’t spot otherwise.
How to do it: - Create a test client and run through every step—emails, forms, tasks, notifications. - Ask a teammate to do the same. Fresh eyes catch different things. - Tweak your template and automation rules based on what breaks or feels clunky.
What to ignore: - Don’t stress about catching every possible edge case on day one. You’ll keep tweaking over time.
Step 9: Launch, Learn, and Iterate
Once you’re confident, start using your automated onboarding in real projects. Watch what works and what trips people up. Fix as you go.
Best practices: - Get feedback from both your team and clients. If people are still confused or missing steps, that’s a sign to simplify. - Keep your templates updated. Don’t let them get stale just because “automation” is running. - If something feels overly complicated, it probably is. Simplify.
Keep It Simple — And Keep Improving
Automating onboarding in Rocketlane isn’t about chasing the latest trend or building a Rube Goldberg machine. It’s about cutting the busywork so your team can actually focus on clients. Start with what’s real, automate the repeatable stuff, and don’t be afraid to change things up as you learn.
Remember: Done is better than perfect. Iterate as you go. Your future self (and your clients) will thank you.