Understanding and Using Deliverables

Overview

Deliverables help track entitlements that your firm provides to clients across your book of business. This article outlines key aspects of the Deliverable functionality to help give a broad understanding of the feature and how to use the functionality within your organization.

Please note: This feature is not automatically enabled within your Practifi organization. To enable this functionality or answer any questions regarding this feature, please contact your System Administrator.

• How Deliverables Work
• Calculation Basis Fields
  • Frequency
  • Initial Calculation Basis
  • Ongoing Calculation Basis
• Accessing a Client's Deliverables
• Adjusting Deliverables for Specific Services
• Fulfilling Deliverables
• Completing or Canceling Deliverables
  • Reactivating Deliverables

How Deliverables Work

The Deliverable functionality in your Practifi organization provides the ability to automatically generate a schedule of recurring client entitlements that advisors are tasked with delivering. This automation ensures that your standards of service are being met across the firm's book of business. 

Once set up, each Service maintains a set schedule of Deliverables, which are fulfilled by linking them to Tasks and Events with our dedicated sidebar assistant. Over time, each Deliverable gathers a history of successful and unsuccessful fulfillment. This history forms the basis for a deeper understanding of client success outcomes, like add-ons or churning away, via reporting. As of our Barolo release, Last and Next Review Date fields on Services are automatically populated based on Deliverables with a Deliverable Type of Service Review.

For example, your firm has a new prospect, Ryan Beger, who has an open deal with your firm for Retirement Planning. Before you promote him to a Client, you'd make sure that your firm's Deliverables are set up for his eventual Service Type. Once the Deliverables are created, they attach to Ryan's required Services and become highly repeatable with clear requirements for any team member at your firm servicing Ryan Beger's account. 

Calculation Basis Fields 

Within the Deliverable, the calculation basis fields are set to determine when the Deliverable is initially started, how often it occurs and when it is due on an ongoing basis. By setting the Frequency, Initial Calculation Basis and Ongoing Calculation Basis fields, the system will then calculate the due date of the Deliverable. This calculated date is then displayed in the Next Due Date field, giving your team members a clear day when the client's Deliverable needs to be fulfilled. 

Frequency

The Frequency field in the calculation basis fields sets how often a Deliverable needs to be completed. From the drop-down options for the Frequency field, you will select the option that best suits how often the client would expect this Deliverable. The options available in the Frequency field are as follows: 

• Monthly
• Quarterly
• Semi-Annually
• Annually
• Biannual
• Triennial 

Initial Calculation Basis

The Initial Calculation Basis field sets the Next Due Date field when the Deliverable is first created and works in conjunction with the Frequency field. This field's setting tells the system if the Deliverable's first Next Due Date should be based on the Service's start date or based on a calendar period. 

The Based on Service Start Date option in this field means that the Next Due Date will be calculated as the Service Start Date plus the interval length defined by the Deliverable's Frequency field. This means that if you have set the Frequency field to Quarterly and the Service has a Start Date of July 15th, then the Deliverable's initial Next Due Date will be October 15th. 

Alternatively, the Based on calendar period option means that the Next Due Date will be calculated as the end date of the nearest calendar interval as defined by the Deliverable's Frequency field. This means that if the Frequency is set to Quarterly and the Service has a Start Date of July 15th, then the Deliverable's initial Next Due Date will be September 30th, as this is the last day of the third calendar quarter. 

Ongoing Calculation Basis

The Ongoing Calculation Basis field sets the Next Due Date for the Deliverable after it is fulfilled and, like the Initial Calculation Basis, works in conjunction with the Frequency field. The Ongoing Calculation Basis can be based on the completed Deliverable's due date or based on the date the previous Deliverable was fulfilled. 

The Based on Due Date option for the Ongoing Calculation Basis field means that the Next Due Date for the new Deliverable will be calculated from the fulfilled Deliverable's Next Due Date plus the interval length defined by the Deliverable's Frequency field. If the frequency is Quarterly, was fulfilled on July 15th, but the Deliverable had a Next Due Date of September 30th, then the Deliverable's updated Next Due Date will be December 31st. 

If the Ongoing Calculation Basis is set to Based on Fulfillment Date, the Next Due Date will be calculated as the date the Deliverable was fulfilled plus the interval length defined by the Deliverable's Frequency field. For example, if the frequency is Quarterly and the Deliverable is fulfilled on July 15th, then the Deliverable's updated Next Due Date will be October 15th. 

Accessing a Client's Deliverables

1. On the Client record, select the Services & Pipeline icon in the side panel.
   
   
   
   
2. Select the Deliverables subtab on the Services & Pipeline page view. A list of Deliverables attached to the client's active services will be displayed on this page.
   
   
   
   
3. Select the Deliverable Fulfillment subtab to view the Tasks and Events that have fulfilled past Deliverables for the client.
   
   
   
   
4. Deliverable information can also be accessed by selecting the Services subtab and selecting a Service record name. 
5. Deliverable information attached to the Service displays under the Deliverables subtab on the Service record.
   
   
   
   
6. Selecting the Deliverable Name will open the specific Deliverable record with additional information included in subtabs.
   
   
   
   

Adjusting Deliverables for Specific Services

Users can modify the Deliverable record directly, if necessary, to give specific clients their agreed-upon entitlements. For example, changing the frequency of a check-in Deliverable from quarterly to monthly provides the customer with a higher standard of service than is typically included in the Deliverable Types template created by your firm.

Please note: To edit Deliverable records, users must be assigned the Manage Deliverable Settings permission set. If you cannot edit a Deliverable, please contact your Practifi Administrator.

To add additional Deliverables for a specific client's Service:

1. On the Client record, select the Services & Pipeline icon in the side panel.
   
   
   
   
2. Select the Service Name for the Service to which you would like to attach the Deliverable.
3. Click the caret icon in the page actions to expand the actions drop-down menu. 
   
   
   
   
4. Select New Deliverable from the drop-down menu.
   
   
   
   
5. On the New Deliverable subtab, enter the following information about the Deliverable:
   • Deliverable Name - Enter the name of the Deliverable as you would like it to be displayed in Practifi.
   • Type - Select the type of Deliverable from the drop-down options.
   • Status - The default selection is Active.
   • Description - Enter a brief explanation of the Deliverable.
   • Ongoing Calculation Basis - Set to either Based on Due Date or Based on Last Fulfillment Date. Determines how the next Deliverable's due date is calculated.
   • Frequency - Set how often you should complete the Deliverable from the drop-down options.
   • Last Fulfillment Date - The date you fulfilled the last Deliverable of this kind. This field is not required and can be disregarded when creating a Deliverable for the first time.
   • Next Due Date - Set to the date the first Deliverable of this type will need to be completed. 
     • Please note: This field is required when creating a new Deliverable for a specific client to have the system know when you expect the first Deliverable to be completed. After the first Deliverable is completed, the system will calculate the Deliverable's due date based on the Ongoing Calculation Basis setting.
   • Auto Create Fulfillment Activities - Check this box to create a dedicated Task that will be completed to fulfill the Deliverable. When this checkbox is selected, the Fulfillment Activity Type and Days Before Due Date fields are enabled.
   • Fulfillment Activity Type - This picklist is enabled when the above box is checked. Choose from the following options:
     • Process Task - In the Task field that appears, search for and select the Process Task you want to fulfill the Deliverable. If you select this option, the parent Process will be created automatically. The completion of the selected Task within the Process is what fulfills the Deliverable.
     • Task Template - In the Task field that appears, search for and select the Task Template you want to create to fulfill the Deliverable.
     • Reminder Task - This option assigns a task to the owner of the Deliverable Type at the interval specified in the Days Before Due Date field. It replaces the previous Set Reminder capability.
   • Days Before Due Date (required) - Enter a whole number for the number of days before the Deliverable's due date you want the fulfillment Task to be created.
   • Allow Fulfillment Date to be Modified - Enabling this setting means users can edit Fulfillment Dates for Deliverables in the sidebar of the Task or Event record that fulfills them. Choose from the following options:
     • Until the work item is completed (default) - This means the Fulfillment Date field can be modified as long as the Deliverable has an open status. The Update Fulfillment Date icon will appear in the Marked for Fulfillment area of the sidebar of a Task or Event record.
     • No - Selecting this option means the Fulfillment Date field will not be editable. The Update Fulfillment Date icon will not be displayed in the sidebar for this Deliverable.
     • At all times - This means the Fulfillment Date can be edited for Deliverables that are marked for fulfillment and Deliverables that have already been fulfilled by a Task being marked as complete or an Event taking place.
   • If It Isn't Fulfilled By Its Due Date - This setting controls whether Deliverables can become overdue. Choose from the following options:
     • Treat it as missed and recalculate due date (default) - Deliverables not fulfilled by the due date will be given a status of Missed and the next due date will be calculated.
     • Treat it as overdue - Deliverables not fulfilled by the due date can still be fulfilled. Deliverables fulfilled past the due date are given an outcome of Fulfilled Late.
       • Please note: If you checked the Auto Create Fulfillment Activities box, this means the resulting Deliverables will have their activities automatically marked for fulfillment. This implies that they should be viewed as overdue rather than as missed. A validation error will be triggered if you attempt to save a Deliverable Type with the Auto Create Fulfillment Activities option enabled and the If It Isn't Fulfilled By Its Due Date field set to "Treat it as missed and recalculate due date".
   • Complete after X fulfillments - If you want the Deliverable to be automatically marked as complete after it is fulfilled a set number of times, enter a whole number in this field. This setting is intended for Deliverables that are used to complete work for transactional services such as tax preparation.
6. Select Save to finalize the Deliverable creation. This change will only apply to this specific client's Service and will not apply to every client's Service across your organization. For changes across the entire organization, adjustments should be made to the Deliverable Type template.

Fulfilling Deliverables

When it comes time to record a Deliverable that you've met successfully, you will do so from the Task or Event record page that did the job by using the sidebar assistant located on the right side of the record page. To use the sidebar assistant:

1. Create a Task or Event record within your system, or select the Activities icon in the Client record side panel and select the desired record from the list of Tasks and Events.
   Please note: Depending on how your firm has set up Deliverables, there might be a dedicated Task created to fulfill a given Deliverable. 
2. In the sidebar on the Task or Event record, click to expand the Deliverables heading.
3. In the Available for Fulfillment area, click the plus icon to the right of the Deliverable that the Task or Event fulfilled. Dates highlighted in red indicate overdue Deliverables.
   • Please note: A single Task or Event may fulfill multiple Deliverables. If this is the case, select the plus icon beside each Deliverable that the Task or Event fulfilled.
     
     
     
     
4.  The Deliverable you selected appears in the Marked for Fulfillment section. For Task records, the Deliverable will be fulfilled when the Task is marked as complete. For Events, the Deliverable is fulfilled when the Event takes place.
   
   
   • Please note: If your firm's Practifi Administrator designated a Task to be created specifically to fulfill a particular Deliverable, it will already appear in the Marked for Fulfillment area of the sidebar. The Deliverable will be fulfilled when the task is marked as complete.
     
     
     
5. To remove a Deliverable from the Marked for Fulfillment section, click the trash can icon to the right of the Deliverable's name.

• Please note: If the Task record is designated to fulfill a particular Deliverable, the trash can icon will be disabled and you will not be able to remove the Deliverable from the Marked for Fulfillment section.

Completing or Canceling Deliverables

As of the Pinot Blanc release, Deliverables can be completed or canceled if they are no longer needed. The difference between these two actions is the status applied to the Deliverable. As you might expect, completing a Deliverable gives it a status of Completed, while canceling it changes the status to Canceled. When a Deliverable’s status is set to Completed or Canceled, the following things happen:

• The Deliverable no longer appears in the sidebar on Task and Event records.
• The Next Due Date field’s current value is deleted and stops recalculating.
• Fulfillment activities are not created.

You can include the Status field when reporting on Deliverable fulfillment.

Please note: Tasks with a status of Canceled will display Deliverables in their sidebar, but they will not have plus icons next to them because canceled Tasks cannot be used to fulfill Deliverables. If a Task that was automatically created as a fulfillment activity for a Deliverable is canceled, the Deliverable will appear in the Available for Fulfillment area of the sidebar and can be fulfilled by another Task or Event.

To complete or cancel an individual Deliverable:

1. Open the Entity record with the Deliverable you want to complete or cancel.
2. In the record side panel, click the Services & Pipeline navigation icon.
3. On the Services & Pipeline page, click the Deliverables tab.
4. In the record list, click the caret on the right-hand side of the row for the desired Deliverable, then select Complete Deliverable or Cancel Deliverable.
   
   
   
   
5. In the popup window, click to confirm that you want to complete or cancel the Deliverable.
   
   
   

To complete or cancel multiple Deliverables in a list view:

1. Check the boxes next to the Deliverables you want to complete or cancel.
2. At the top of the list view, click the Complete Deliverables or Cancel Deliverables button.
   
   
   
   
3. In the popup window, click to confirm that you want to complete or cancel the Deliverables.
   
   
   
   

Reactivating Deliverables

If you want to restore one or more Deliverables that have been completed or canceled, you can reactivate them. The Reactivate Deliverable action is available on Deliverable records and as a row action or mass action for Deliverables with a status of Completed or Canceled.

The Reactivate Deliverable action changes the Deliverable's status from Completed or Canceled to Active. Attempting to reactivate a Deliverable that already has a status of Active will result in an error.

Please note: Reactivating a Deliverable means it will become available for fulfillment on Task and Events, will start generating fulfillment activities (if enabled), and its Next Due Date field will be recalculated based on the calculation method used when it was first created. If the calculation basis is the Service’s start date, then the current date (today’s date) will be used instead.