Overview
Effective scheduling of Deliverables in Practifi requires understanding how the settings on the Deliverable and Deliverable Type records interact. These settings include Initial Calculation Basis, Ongoing Calculation Basis, Frequency settings, and Service Start Date. When you configure these settings correctly, you get predictable, audit-ready Deliverable schedules and reduce the risk of missed or inconsistently timed client obligations. This article provides guidance and examples of how to set up Deliverables to achieve your firm's goals.
- Understanding Deliverable Calculation Settings
- Scheduling Considerations
- Choosing the Right Calculation Strategy
- Deliverable Scheduling Scenarios
Understanding Deliverable Calculation Settings
Initial vs. Ongoing Calculation Basis
On the Deliverable Type record, the Initial Calculation Basis field determines how the first Deliverable's due date is calculated. The Ongoing Calculation Basis field controls how subsequent due dates are calculated after fulfillment.
If you want Deliverables to be due on the same date every calendar period, we recommend setting the Initial Calculation Basis to Based on Service Start Date and the Ongoing Calculation Basis to Based on Due Date to ensure consistent scheduling.
Please note: Frequency parameters, such as specific calendar dates, affect both initial and ongoing calculations, not just the first occurrence.
Service Start Date Behavior
Practifi creates fulfillment activities for Deliverables differently based on when a Service begins:
- If fulfillment activities are enabled and the Service related to the Deliverable has already started, the system uses "today + frequency" to calculate subsequent fulfillment activities. This is done to avoid creating a backlog of overdue tasks.
- For future Service dates, the system uses "actual Service start date + frequency" to calculate fulfillment activities.
Frequency Recalculation Basis Field
The Frequency Recalculation Basis field exists only at the Deliverable level and is not inherited from the Deliverable Type record. It includes two picklist values that determine how the Next Due Date is recalculated when the Frequency is changed:
- Based on Last Fulfillment Date: Recalculates the next due date by adding the updated frequency to the last fulfillment date.
- Based on Recalculation Date: Recalculates the next due date by adding the updated frequency to the current date (i.e., the date when the frequency is changed).
The Frequency Recalculation Basis field is required when manually editing a Deliverable record, e.g., changing the due date.
The system uses the Frequency Recalculation Basis field to differentiate between customized Deliverables and standard Deliverables. For example, the Sync with Services action on the Deliverable Type record lets you sync changes to all Deliverables of that type, or only those that have not been customized. The Frequency Recalculation Basis field is checked to determine whether a Deliverable has been modified.
Scheduling Considerations
Please keep in mind the following about the scheduling of Deliverables:
- To ensure consistency, due date calculations will be the same for both initial and ongoing schedules. If the initial date is the 15th of every month, the subsequent due dates will also be the 15th.
- When the Initial Calculation Basis is set to Based on Date During Calendar Period, we recommend setting the Ongoing Calculation Basis to Based on Due Date. However, if you set the Ongoing Calculation Basis to Based on Fulfillment Date, note that subsequent due date calculations for Deliverables may not occur at consistent intervals matching the chosen frequency.
- If a Deliverable is fulfilled significantly earlier than the scheduled due date, the X-year cycle will begin counting from the early fulfillment date. This adjustment may lead to inconsistencies in the anticipated due dates every X years, as the cycle is reset based on the early fulfillment rather than the original schedule.
- On the Deliverable Type record, there is a fulfillment setting called "If It Isn't Fulfilled By Its Due Date," which can be configured to "Treat it as overdue." With this configuration, a Deliverable can be fulfilled after its scheduled due date. Such cases may result in inconsistencies in the anticipated due dates every X years. In some instances, it may involve skipping expected frequency intervals if the Deliverable is fulfilled significantly later than the original due date, as the cycle resets to the late fulfillment date rather than the original schedule.
- There is a scheduled job for the Event record that checks for events due on the current day and fulfills any associated Deliverables in a batch. This job runs once daily in the morning, typically at 6 a.m. However, there is no mechanism to fulfill Deliverables on the same day if an event is created after this job has already run. For instance, if a user creates an event later in the day, scheduled between 2 and 3 p.m., the Deliverables for this event cannot be fulfilled until after 3 p.m. To address this, the page's components automatically refresh when the user opens the Event record page after the event's end time, ensuring that the Deliverables are fulfilled. This approach prevents fulfillment delays but relies on user interaction to trigger the process.
- When assignment settings on the Deliverable Type record specify a role that isn't configured on the related Entity, fulfillment tasks are assigned to the owner of the Apex scheduled jobs for Deliverables. This issue will be addressed in a future release.
Choosing the Right Calculation Strategy
Expand the sections below to learn about two scheduling approaches and some factors to consider when setting up Deliverables.
If you want Deliverables to be due on the same date every year, use the following settings:
- Initial Calculation Basis: Service Start Date
- Ongoing Calculation Basis: Based on Due Date
- Frequency: Annually
Benefits:
- Maintains consistent anniversary dates
- Prevents date drift from early or late fulfillment
- Simplifies compliance tracking and supports audit readiness
If you do not require due dates to be consistent, you can use these settings:
- Initial Calculation Basis: Service Start Date
- Ongoing Calculation Basis: Based on Last Fulfillment Date
- Frequency: Every X years
Benefits:
- Ensures a full interval between meetings
- Accommodates different scheduling preferences
Risks:
- Date drift over time
- Potential compliance issues if meetings shift outside the required timeframes
- Regulatory compliance requires specific timing
- Operational efficiency demands predictable scheduling
- Your firm has seasonal business cycles
- A large client base requires workload management
- Client service is highly personalized
- Flexibility is more important than predictability
- Clients have varying availability patterns
- Services are relationship-driven rather than compliance-driven
Regulatory Requirements: Are there specific compliance deadlines to meet?
Client Preferences: How important is scheduling flexibility to your clients?
Operational Capacity: Do you need to manage advisor workload through scheduled Deliverables?
Audit Considerations: How will you document and explain your scheduling approach during audits?
Drift Tolerance: Are you comfortable with meeting dates potentially shifting over time?
Deliverable Scheduling Scenarios
These fictional examples can help you determine the best Deliverable scheduling approach for your firm.
Firm Type: RIA with a strong emphasis on regulatory compliance
Business Need: Annual compliance reviews must occur within the same calendar month each year for audit purposes.
In Their Own Words: "We need to ensure every client has their annual review in the same month they became a client. If someone became a client in March, we need to review them every March, regardless of when we actually hold the meeting."
Configuration:
- Initial Calculation Basis: Service Start Date
- Ongoing Calculation Basis: Based on Due Date
- Frequency: Annually
Example Timeline:
- Service Start Date: March 15, 2025
- First Due Date: March 15, 2026
- Actual Meeting: March 10, 2026 (5 days early)
- Next Due Date: March 15, 2027 (maintains anniversary)
- Actual Meeting: March 22, 2027 (7 days late)
- Next Due Date: March 15, 2028 (still maintains anniversary)
Benefits:
- Audit-ready documentation showing consistent annual reviews
- Predictable scheduling for staff planning
- No risk of meetings drifting outside required timeframes
Firm Type: Boutique Wealth Management
Business Need: Personalized service with flexibility to accommodate client travel and preferences.
In Their Own Words: "We want to ensure we're meeting with clients at least once every 365 days. If Mrs. Johnson prefers to meet in November because she travels all winter and we met in November this year, we're fine meeting in November next year too."
Configuration:
- Initial Calculation Basis: Service Start Date
- Ongoing Calculation Basis: Based on Last Fulfillment Date
- Frequency: Every 1 year
Example Timeline:
- Service Start Date: March 15, 2025
- First Due Date: March 15, 2026
- Actual Meeting: November 20, 2025 (4 months early - client convenience)
- Next Due Date: November 20, 2026 (365 days from actual meeting)
- Actual Meeting: November 25, 2026 (5 days late)
- Next Due Date: November 25, 2027 (365 days from actual meeting)
Benefits:
- Maximum flexibility for client preferences
- Ensures a full year between meetings
- Accommodates seasonal client availability
Potential Risks:
- Over time, meetings could drift significantly from the original month
- May require manual monitoring to prevent excessive drift
Firm Type: Tax and Financial Planning Practice
Business Need: Different Deliverable types require different scheduling approaches.
In Their Own Words: "Our tax planning reviews need to happen every January, regardless of when we actually meet - it's tied to tax year planning. But our general check-ins can be more flexible based on when we last spoke with the client."
Configuration for Tax Planning Reviews:
- Initial Calculation Basis: Based on Date During Calendar Period
- Specific Date: January 31st annually
- Ongoing Calculation Basis: Based on Due Date
Configuration for General Check-ins:
- Initial Calculation Basis: Service Start Date
- Ongoing Calculation Basis: Based on Last Fulfillment Date
- Frequency: Every 6 months
Example Timeline - Tax Planning:
- Service Start: July 1, 2025
- First Due Date: January 31, 2026
- Actual Meeting: January 15, 2026 (16 days early)
- Next Due Date: January 31, 2027 (maintains tax season timing)
Example Timeline - General Check-ins:
- Service Start: July 1, 2025
- First Due Date: January 1, 2026 (6 months later)
- Actual Meeting: December 28, 2025 (4 days early)
- Next Due Date: June 28, 2026 (6 months from actual meeting)
Firm Type: Large RIA with 1,000+ Clients
Business Need: Operational efficiency requires standardized scheduling to manage advisor workload.
In Their Own Words: "We have three advisors handling 1,000+ clients. We need all annual reviews to happen in specific months to balance the workload. All of John's clients get reviewed in Q1, Sarah's in Q2, etc."
Configuration:
- Initial Calculation Basis: Based on Date During Calendar Period
- Specific Date: Varies by advisor (Jan 31, Apr 30, Jul 31, Oct 31)
- Ongoing Calculation Basis: Based on Due Date
Example Timeline - John's Clients:
- Service Start Date: Various dates throughout 2025
- First Due Date: January 31, 2026 (all clients)
- Actual Meetings: January 1-31, 2026 (spread throughout the month)
- Next Due Date: January 31, 2027 (all clients, regardless of actual meeting date)
Benefits:
- Predictable workload distribution
- Efficient scheduling of advisor time
- Consistent client experience within advisor groups
Comments
Article is closed for comments.