Workflow stages
The steps of your service, in words your clients understand.
Write your steps once: “Kickoff”, “In progress”, “Ready for review”, “Delivered”. Every client sees where they are on that path, and your team works from the same list.
Why steps matter to clients
Waiting feels shorter
A client who can see three steps done and two to go stops wondering if anything is happening.
Fewer surprises
Clients know a review step is coming before you ask them to review.
It looks professional
A clear path tells clients you have done this many times before.
Easy to set up, easy to change.
Start from a suggested path or type your own. Rename, reorder, add or remove steps at any time; clients already on that path keep their place.
- Mark a step as “waiting on the client” so the page says so
- Or “with others” (a permit, a supplier): the client is told nothing is needed from them
- Write every step in English and in French, so each client reads their own language
- One workflow on Free, as many as you need on Standard
- Send an update without changing the step when nothing has moved
Starting points
Steps ready for your kind of work.
Say what you do: projects, applications and paperwork, on-site jobs, ongoing programs, events, or something else. Your steps and an example are set up for you, in English and French, with a word for the work that fits (project, job, file or event). You can pick another word and change any step.
- Five starting points for common kinds of work, plus a blank one
- Rename, add or remove any step
Questions about workflow stages
How many steps should I have?
Usually four to seven. Enough to show progress, few enough that each one means something to the client.
Can different kinds of work have different steps?
Yes, on Standard. Make one workflow per kind of work and pick it when you add a client.
Can I change the steps later?
Yes. Edit names and order whenever you like. Clients already in progress keep their place.
Guides and templates
- Template: basic client workflow stages →A default five-stage workflow that fits most service businesses, worked examples for eight industries, and the rules for naming stages clients can read.
- How to keep clients updated without a bloated CRM →A four-part system for keeping service clients informed: named stages, a fixed update cadence, one channel, and a status page. No CRM required.
Give your clients the service you want to give.
Add a client, send one update, and watch the “where are we?” emails slow down. It takes an afternoon.
Free for 10 active projects · No credit card · No time limit