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All guides · Engagements

How to manage an engagement lifecycle

Walk an engagement from intake through sale, assessment, implementation, and follow-up — with the specific UI actions at each phase and how transitions work.

Open in SPLX OS

An engagement tracks a client relationship from first contact through the end of an active consulting cycle. Each engagement moves through five phases. Mei Lin at Northwoods Outfitters manages a 17-client portfolio and keeps every engagement on the board — no deal or project falls through the cracks because the phase model makes the next action explicit.

Before you start

  • The Engagements module must be enabled (Settings → Modules → Engagements).
  • You need admin, owner, or advisor role to create and manage engagements.

Navigate to Engagements in the sidebar. The board shows all active engagements grouped by phase.

Phase 1: Intake

An engagement starts in Intake when a potential client has been identified but no formal conversation has happened yet.

Create the engagement:

  1. Click New engagement at the top right.
  2. Fill in the engagement name, the linked CRM contact or company, and an assigned consultant.
  3. Click Create. The engagement card appears in the Intake column.

What to do in Intake:

  • Add discovery notes in the engagement detail using the Notes field.
  • Link any relevant CRM contacts via the Linked contacts section.
  • Set a target start date.

When a discovery call is booked or an initial conversation has been completed, advance the engagement by clicking Move to Sale on the engagement detail page.

Phase 2: Sale

Sale covers the period between first substantive contact and a signed agreement.

What to do in Sale:

  • Create or link a CRM deal in the Linked deal section. The deal value flows into the engagement's revenue display.
  • Add a proposal date and expected close date.
  • Use the Files attachment area to store the proposal document.
  • Log activity via CRM visits if you are tracking face-to-face or call cadence.

When the deal closes (marked Won in the CRM pipeline), the engagement can be advanced. Click Move to Assessment or use the automatic transition if your workspace has CRM-event triggers enabled — a Won deal linked to an engagement automatically prompts the phase change.

Phase 3: Assessment

Assessment covers the diagnostic work done before implementation begins.

What to do in Assessment:

  • Launch an assessment from the Assessments tab on the engagement detail page. Click Send assessment to generate a link for the client.
  • Track response status — the engagement page shows which respondents have submitted and which are pending.
  • Add findings as notes in the engagement record after reviewing responses.

When assessment responses are collected and reviewed, click Move to Implementation.

If your workspace has assessment-event triggers enabled, completing all required respondents can automatically prompt the phase change.

Phase 4: Implementation

Implementation is the active delivery phase.

What to do in Implementation:

  • Link one or more Execution projects to the engagement via the Linked projects section. Project status rolls up to the engagement detail.
  • Use the engagement's Milestones or Checklist (depending on your workspace configuration) to track deliverable completion.
  • Schedule regular check-ins via the Meetings tab or a Rhythm Team Sync series.
  • Keep notes updated weekly — future phases and handoff depend on a complete record.

When delivery is complete and the client has accepted the final deliverable, click Move to Follow-up.

Phase 5: Follow-up

Follow-up covers the post-delivery period — check-ins, renewal conversations, and relationship maintenance.

What to do in Follow-up:

  • Schedule a 30-day and 90-day check-in call. Log these via CRM activity or Rhythm sessions.
  • Ask for a referral or case study when the relationship is warm.
  • If the engagement leads to renewal or a new scope, click Create new engagement to fork a fresh engagement linked to the same client.

When follow-up is complete and no further action is expected, click Close engagement. The engagement moves to the Closed archive and is removed from the active board.

Reopen or move backwards

Phases are not locked. If an assessment uncovers a scope change that pushes the timeline back into negotiation, you can move the engagement back to Sale. Use the Change phase dropdown on the engagement detail page.

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