## Theme
The session reinforced a deadlines-first workflow in Engager, showcased practical setup tips (phases over checklists, Kanban views, custom fields), and clarified integrations and limitations with Zama and Xenon. Attendees were guided to streamline form communications, archive outdated assets, manage portal visibility, and optimise My Work for predictable, audit-safe delivery. Upcoming events may bring integration updates pending API support. 
## Takeaways
1. Adopt deadlines-first prioritisation using Kanban Due period and inline date edits; clear Today, then address Overdue or work ahead. 
2. Use phases to drive handoffs, assignments, and status emails; checklists are limited and best kept for onboarding pacing. 
3. Merge Accounts and CT600 into one service if policy is to file together; adjust pricing and schedulers accordingly. 
4. Template management: create form-request email templates with categories; ensure placeholders (e.g., form links) are included. 
5. Archive superseded forms to prevent confusion; Forms > Settings > Edit > set Archived. 
6. Zama linkage: handle multiple emails per individual by linking profiles and setting a master; track AML/onboarding/risk via client list columns. 
7. Xenon health score period default not exposed via API; Engager currently shows all-time until API allows period selection. 
8. My Work optimisation: use Ignore holdups, filter Status = In review, and switch to Group by Week for long-horizon planning. 
9. Client portal defaults via Folder templates; show only intended folders by changing sharing options per company type. 
10. Create tax due placeholders as Single line text custom fields to preserve currency and pence. 
## Highlights
- ` "The next step is a step where someone else has to do something."-- Speaker 1 ` 
- ` "We do them both or not at all."-- Speaker 1 ` 
- ` "Checklist is a really dumb bit of paper; phases is the powerful part."-- Speaker 1 ` 
## Chapters & Topics
1. **Session introduction and format** 
  > [Speaker 1] opened the Engage Alive session confirming audio/video and stated there was nothing new to demo on 2025-09-18; the focus was a Q&A to help users with Engager features and implementation. Attendees were asked to submit questions via the Q&A box to ensure all could be ticked off by the end of the night.
   - No product reveal in this session; saving potential reveals for next week at Accountex Manchester.
   - Q&A-focused: users invited to ask about getting started, features, and implementations.
   - Questions requested in Q&A rather than chat for tracking.
2. **Upcoming events: Accountex Manchester and related gatherings** 
  > Next week, [Speaker 1] and team will attend Accountex Manchester all day. The night before, Xenon will host a get-together with drinks and nibbles; [Speaker 1] will speak for 5–10 minutes about the Engager–Xenon integration. During Accountex Manchester, [Speaker 1] will be on a panel at approximately 13:15 on the topic "where culture is when you all work from home", and will otherwise be at the TaxCalc Engager stand with Marcus and Kata. An after party is sponsored by Adfin; attendees can get a wristband from Adfin’s stand by mentioning Johan. Potential announcements may be posted on social media, pending approval from Peter.
   - Xenon pre-event the night before Accountex Manchester; sign-up via Eventbrite link on Xenon social media.
   - [Speaker 1] 5–10 minute talk on Engager–Xenon integration at Xenon event.
   - Accountex Manchester: panel at about 13:15 (quarter past one) on remote work culture.
   - TaxCalc Engager stand staffed by [Speaker 1], Marcus, and Kata all day.
   - Adfin after party: obtain wristband at Adfin stand by saying Johan sent you; free drinks.
   - Potential feature reveal awaiting Peter’s approval; announcements, if any, via social media.
   - Last year’s stand was “ridiculously busy” with five or six staff.
3. **CAS 360 vs InformDirect (Scottish Companies House limitation)** 
  > [Speaker 1] advised Andrew that CAS 360 (BGL) does not link to Scottish Companies House due to separate APIs/databases from England & Wales Companies House. If handling Scottish limited companies, CAS 360 will not work; stick with InformDirect for now.
   - CAS 360 links only to UK Companies House (England & Wales), not Scottish Companies House.
   - Scottish and England & Wales Companies House have two different APIs and databases.
   - Recommendation: use InformDirect if any Scottish limited companies are in the client base.
4. **Form requests: email templates per form and categories** 
  > To use different email templates per form, users can switch the email template at send-time and save customised versions as new templates. Create and organise templates under Settings > Communication > Message templates, with categories (e.g., Forms). Ensure the form link placeholder is present. Categories can be customised (e.g., Marketing, Onboarding, Informational) to tidy templates.
   - When sending a form: choose form, set options (allow multiple, pre-populate), then pick/change email template.
   - Create a new template on-the-fly (e.g., “Form request personal ID”) and assign to a category such as “Forms”.
   - Manage templates and categories in Settings > Communication > Message templates; ensure placeholders like form link are included.
   - Use categories like Marketing, Onboarding, Informational (e.g., Easter/Christmas opening hours) to organise templates.
5. **Archiving outdated forms after edits** 
  > To avoid confusion between old and updated forms, edit the form and set it to Archived, then Save. Archived forms are no longer available for new requests. Examples archived include “23-24 tax return questionnaire” and “2024 personal information update form”.
   - Go to Forms > Form settings > Edit > set status to Archived > Save.
   - Archived forms are removed from the new request list.
   - Use for retiring annual forms like 23-24 or 2024 versions.
6. **Rescheduling jobs: changing internal deadlines and calendar view request** 
  > A calendar view for jobs is on the wishlist. For moving jobs to another day, in Kanban view click the internal deadline on the job card (including the overdue indicator) to set a new date quickly, without opening the job. Kanban is more powerful than list view.
   - Use Kanban view for best control.
   - Click internal deadline on the card (including overdue badge) to edit date inline.
   - Calendar view is planned (on the wishlist), not yet available.
7. **Emailing contacts based on company services** 
  > To email contacts linked to companies with specific enabled services (e.g., CT 600), filter clients by Enabled services, select all, then compose a message to primary and optionally secondary contacts. Engager deduplicates recipients automatically.
   - Clients > Filters > Enabled services (e.g., CT 600).
   - Select all > Message > Compose; choose primary and secondary to expand recipients.
   - Duplicate detection removes repeated emails.
8. **Customising My Work view and prioritisation** 
  > [Speaker 1] recommends the Kanban Due period view showing Overdue, Due today, Due this week, Next week, Next two weeks, More than two weeks. This supports a daily workflow: clear Due today, then address overdue or get ahead. Use “Ignore holdups” to hide items not ready for you. Alternatively, group by Job type. To see only review items, filter Status to “In review”.
   - My Work = jobs assigned to the user; Kanban view preferred over List.
   - Due period columns: Overdue, Due today, Due this week, Due next week, Due in the next two weeks, Due more than two weeks time.
   - Daily approach: complete Due today first, then choose between catching up or getting ahead.
   - Use “Ignore holdups” to hide work that’s not ready.
   - Filter by Status = In review to show only review assignments.
9. **Adjusting horizon: days forward vs fixed date; seeing further ahead** 
  > If only seeing up to two weeks, the view likely uses a 14-day forward window. To see further ahead in Due period, increase days forward or switch to a fixed date under Settings > Jobs > General settings. For a full forward plan, use Group by Week and scroll through weeks (e.g., to December 2026). If no ‘days forward’ box appears, a fixed date is set; change as needed (e.g., end of month).
   - Settings > Jobs > General settings: choose days forward or fixed date window.
   - Due period view aggregates beyond 2 weeks into “More than two weeks time”.
   - Group by Week to view long horizons; can scroll to December 2026.
10. **Zamna/Zama linkage: multiple emails per individual and master link** 
  > For an individual owning multiple businesses using different email addresses, create one contact per email in Engager. Add all to Zama (Zamna) and link them, designating one as master. Then a single ID check can propagate across linked profiles. Zama support can guide linking if needed.
   - One Engager contact per unique email address (same names allowed).
   - In Zama, link profiles and set a master profile.
   - Linked profiles share ID check outcomes.
11. **Tracking Zama AML, onboarding, and risk assessment status in Engager** 
  > Manage Zama progress via Clients list columns: Zama risk assessment, Zama onboarding, Zama AML. These show linkage, applicability (e.g., companies may be N/A for ID), statuses (Not started, outcomes), and provide “Show in Zama” links. Filter/sort as needed to identify who requires action and request information from within Engager.
   - Add columns via Clients > Columns: Zama risk assessment, Zama onboarding, Zama AML.
   - See link status, applicability, and status/outcome at a glance.
   - Use filters/sorting to prioritise and request missing items.
   - Companies typically are N/A for ID; identify individuals for ID checks.
12. **Xenon health score discrepancy in Engager** 
  > Libby observed Engager shows an all-time health score that differs from Xenon’s period-based score. This is due to Xenon API limitations; Engager cannot currently set the default period. Xenon allows period defaults in its own settings (last month, this month, last year, this financial year), but this is not exposed via API yet. Gareth and [Speaker 1] discussed enabling this; once available, Engager will add a setting under Xenon integration to choose a default period.
   - Current limitation: Engager displays all-time health score due to API constraints.
   - Xenon UI allows period defaults, but API does not yet.
   - Planned enhancement: Engager setting to choose health score period once API supports it.
13. **Client portal default folder visibility** 
  > To default clients to see only one folder (e.g., uploads), configure Settings > Portal > Folder templates per company type. Use the ‘Change sharing options’ control (blue square with outward arrow) to set folders to “don’t show” except the intended one. This applies to all entities of that type; no need to edit each client individually.
   - Settings > Portal > Folder templates; adjust by company type.
   - Change sharing options to hide all but the desired folder (e.g., Client uploads).
   - Applies globally per template, avoiding per-client edits.
14. **Filtering by internal deadlines** 
  > For seeing only jobs in review and adjusting horizon, filter Status = In review. For period-based searches on internal deadlines, use Due period Kanban for near-term buckets or switch to Group by Week for forward planning. Internal deadlines can be edited inline on cards. The platform aggregates beyond two weeks into one column; for more granularity across longer periods, use the weekly view.
   - Filter Status to “In review” to focus on review work.
   - Due period view groups near-term internal deadlines; use Group by Week to look further ahead.
   - Inline internal deadline edits available on job cards in Kanban.
15. **Job filtering, deadlines, and prioritisation in the workflow tool** 
  > [Speaker 1] explained how to search by client names or by all jobs ending by certain dates, and how to toggle between statutory deadlines and internal deadlines. Prioritisation can be set by period end, Zenon health score, and deadline; however, prioritising by period end risks missing nearer deadlines because a period end can be far ahead. The recommended approach is to look at deadline first rather than period end to avoid issues. Grouping 'due by period' organises items into Overdue (deadline was yesterday or before), Today, Due this week (Monday just gone to Sunday), Due next week (next Monday to next Sunday), and Due in two weeks’ time (the following Monday to Sunday), following calendar weeks Monday–Sunday. Sorting arrows can flip oldest/newest ordering.
   - Search options: by client names or by all jobs ending by certain dates (e.g., 30th of September).
   - Toggle ignores internal deadlines to view statutory deadlines only; include internal deadlines to prioritise earlier internal dates.
   - Prioritisation order can be set: period end (top), followed by Zenon health score, followed by deadline.
   - Risk: Prioritising by period end can push urgent deadlines down because deadline could be a year away; recommendation is to prioritise deadline first.
   - 'Due by period' grouping buckets: Overdue (deadline was yesterday or before), Today, Due this week (Monday just gone to Sunday), Due next week (next Monday to next Sunday), Due in two weeks’ time (the following Monday to Sunday).
   - Sorting controls (arrows) switch between oldest at top/newest at bottom and vice versa.
16. **SA100 final documents and client communication template** 
  > [Speaker 1] uses a concise email template for SA100 final documents without duplicating computation details. The email includes an e-signing link, placeholders for the amount of tax due on the 31st of January and the amount due on the 31st of July 2026, HMRC bank details, and the client’s UTR as the payment reference. Tax computation details (National Insurance, student loan, SA302) are provided within the attached tax documents generated via TaxCalc, not repeated in the email. Clients are instructed to cross-check HMRC bank details on the HMRC website. Responsibility for paying on time rests with the client; reminders may be sent but are not a guarantee.
   - Template content: greeting, notice that the tax return is finalised, e-signing link, amount of tax due on the 31st of January, amount due on the 31st of July 2026, HMRC bank details, UTR number as reference.
   - Placeholders: UTR number and tax amounts come from custom fields.
   - Software: TaxCalc used for accounts and tax returns; full tax return includes tax computation breakdown (National Insurance, student loan) and SA302.
   - Policy: Do not duplicate data from tax computations into emails; include only key amounts in the email for visibility.
   - Instruction: Clients should cross-check HMRC bank details on the HMRC website before paying.
   - Client responsibility: Paying on time is the client’s responsibility; firm prepares and informs. An example client complained despite receiving an email two weeks before.
17. **Troubleshooting list views, filters, and holdups** 
  > [Speaker 1] advised that unexpected list results (e.g., only two items in June 25 and two in July 25 with a deadline set for January 2026) are likely due to filter settings. Users should email a screenshot to contact@engagea.app for review. The 'ignore holdups' setting hides jobs not yet in the user’s current phase, causing items to disappear until that phase is active. Toggling 'ignore holdups' will show or hide such jobs. Sorting arrows also affect visibility by changing order to oldest/newest. Example phases mentioned: HP, PJ, HB, MB, CT, HB, TB. A specific job (Abigail Taylor) appeared/disappeared based on the holdups setting.
   - Issue: Only two items visible in June 25 and two in July 25 with deadline set for January 2026; filters likely misconfigured.
   - Support: Send screenshots to contact@engagea.app for the team to review in the morning.
   - 'Ignore holdups' effect: When ticked, hides jobs not yet ready for the user’s phase; when unticked, shows all jobs including those not yet ready.
   - Example phases: HP, PJ, HB, MB, CT, HB, TB; jobs only appear when they reach the user’s phase if 'ignore holdups' is on.
   - Example case: Job for Abigail Taylor disappears when filtered to the user’s current phase with 'ignore holdups' ticked; reappears when holdups are removed.
   - Sorting arrows: Flip list between oldest at top/newest at bottom and vice versa.
18. **Engagement and feedback reminders** 
  > [Speaker 1] encouraged attendees at 08:05 to ask more questions and to check the feedback board for the latest ideas, voting items, articles, and webinars. Continued engagement helps guide feature development.
   - Time note: 'It's only five past eight' indicates 08:05 on 2025-09-18.
   - Action: Check the feedback board regularly; keep voting on ideas.
   - Resources: Latest articles and webinars are available via the feedback board or related links.
19. **Accessing Help, Community, and Product Roadmap** 
  > Users can access the Help Centre, Facebook community, and Product Roadmap from Engager by clicking on their name. 'Get Help' leads to support resources. Product Roadmap shows open ideas, long-term plans, short-term plans, in development, in testing, and completed items. Feature requests can be submitted there.
   - From Engager: click your name to access Join the Community (Facebook), Product Roadmap, and Get Help.
   - Product Roadmap displays open ideas, long-term plans, short-term plans, in development, in testing, and completed.
   - Users can request features directly via the roadmap interface.
20. **Creating Tax Due Placeholders with Custom Fields** 
  > To create a placeholder for tax due: go to Settings > Client data > Custom fields. Create a new section (e.g., 'tax liabilities') under General info. Add new fields such as 'Tax bill January 2026' as Single line text to preserve pence and allow currency symbols. Avoid numeric field types to prevent truncation (e.g., £100.10 showing as 100.1). The new custom field becomes a placeholder. Typical firm setup includes fields for '2026 July', 'January 2027', 'July 2027'; recycle 2026 entries to 2028 when into 2027.
   - Settings > Client data > Custom fields > New section (e.g., tax liabilities) placed in General info.
   - Add field like 'Tax bill January 2026'. Use Single line text to keep pence and add £ symbol.
   - Avoid 'whole number' and 'number with decimal' to prevent trailing zero loss (e.g., 100.1 for £100.10).
   - Custom field becomes a placeholder after saving and refreshing.
   - Operational pattern mentioned: '2026 July', 'January 2027', 'July 2027'; recycle 2026 fields to 2028 once in 2027.
21. **Phases in Services: Design, Quantity, and Best Practices** 
  > Adding phases to a service updates current jobs. Firms can have any number of phases. Example: combining accounts and CT600 into a single service with multiple review points resulted in 28 phases. Best practice is to map processes where each phase typically represents handoff to another responsible person.
   - Add phases in Settings > Services; phases can be added top or bottom and named freely; they apply to current jobs.
   - Example workflow roles: admin collects info; bookkeepers finalise bookkeeping; accounts assistant prepares journals; accounts senior reviews working papers; head of accounts reviews; accounts senior prepares accounts; client manager reviews; tax complications reviewed; head of accounts technical review; client manager reviews tax liability.
   - Service example had 28 phases; some services have 1 phase.
   - Phases are powerful: assign people, billing points, and status update emails per phase.
22. **Merging Accounts and CT600 into One Service** 
  > The firm disabled the separate CT600 service and used the built-in Year-end Accounts service due to its Companies House filing verification. They renamed it to 'annual accounts and CT600', merged schedulers, and built phases accordingly. Policy: accounts and CT600 are always done together and filed simultaneously. Pricing includes both. If doing only one due to qualifications or rules, maintain two services.
   - Disabled CT600 service (edit > disable).
   - Kept built-in Year-end service to leverage automatic Companies House acceptance checks before completion.
   - Renamed to 'annual accounts and CT600', adjusted short name/description, merged account scheduler and CT600 scheduler into one, and built phases, then saved.
   - Rationale: previous software issued fake receipts and failed filings; the built-in service checks Companies House before allowing job completion.
   - Policy: 'we do them both or not at all'; pricing bundles CT600 into accounts.
23. **Checklist vs Phases Usage** 
  > Only one checklist per job is supported. Checklists apply from the next job to preserve audit trail; phases added apply to current jobs. The speaker’s firm uses checklists only for onboarding (structured into 'Day one' to 'Day five') to pace client communications after a team member previously completed onboarding in one day, overwhelming the client. Experienced teams may find checklists demeaning; phases drive the work with assignments, billing, and automated emails.
   - One checklist per job; cannot have more than one.
   - Checklists changes take effect next job; phases changes affect current jobs.
   - Firm uses checklists only for onboarding with headings Day one to Day five to throttle tasks and client comms.
   - Phases enable assignments, billing points, and status-based emails; checklists are 'dumb tick boxes'.
24. **Impact on Existing Pricing and Services** 
  > Merging services can affect clients’ pricing and services already sent in letters of engagement. Recommendation: before disabling CT600, adjust annual accounts prices to include the CT600 fee. Upon next price review, it will be a single bundled price.
   - Changing services may impact existing letters of engagement pricing.
   - Adjust annual accounts pricing first, then disable CT600, then price review bundles it.
25. **Adding Phases and Effects on Current Jobs** 
  > Adding a phase to a service immediately adds it to current jobs. Demonstrated by adding a 'Test' phase above 'request employee details' in Payroll, which then appears as the first phase in the current job after refresh.
   - Settings > Services > choose service > add phase > save; refresh to sync.
   - New phase shows in current job workflow; you may complete current job and it will be present next cycle if not used now.
26. **Completed Jobs Reporting and Audit Trails** 
  > A job counts as completed only when 'complete job' is pressed. Time entries still allocate correctly by month regardless. To see who did what, go to Reports > Jobs completed; use the magnifying glass to view phase-level completion details with dates, times, and time allocations. If Companies House date alignment moves a job to the next period, the old job’s history remains visible under the Client > Summary (Step 9): expand the service to see all checklists and full audit trail.
   - Completed job status requires pressing 'complete job'.
   - Reports > Jobs completed shows who completed the job; magnifying glass reveals detailed phase audit with timestamps and time logged.
   - When date adjustments move jobs forward (e.g., to match Companies House), prior job audit trail is accessible via Client > Summary (Step 9).
   - Future occurrences of a recurring job only appear after the current job is completed; example weekly job appears on 29th of September after closing, then 6th of October after next close.
27. **Mentions (@) in Comments and Browser Requirements** 
  > To mention users in comments, type '@' and select from the list or type capitalised initials (e.g., 'MB ') without selecting. If '@' suggestions do not appear, use Google Chrome (up to date) or Safari; Microsoft Edge may not support all features. Best practice: create a new task for another staff member, link it to the service by converting a comment into a task via the blue button, and assign it.
   - Use '@' to mention; can type initials directly (e.g., 'MB ') without picking from list.
   - Browser compatibility: Chrome or Safari recommended; Edge may lack features.
   - Workflow: add a comment tagging a person, then click the blue button to turn the comment into a task linked to the service and assign it.
28. **Statuses and Notifications** 
  > Status names are fixed and cannot be changed because they drive filters, grouping, and automated emails. To return work for amendments, move status back (e.g., from 'in review' to 'in progress') and @-tag the assignee. Notifications are configurable under Notifications > Jobs notifications. You can be notified about letters of engagement, disengagements, Companies House updates, HMRC authorisations, accounting data syncs (QuickBooks, Xero, FreeAgent), bank fetch accepts, client payments, client portal signups/uploads, document sign/reject, form submissions, direct debit mandate changes, tasks you created completed, and when a job enters a phase for you. You can exclude yourself, or only notify when deadlines are within a defined period (e.g., 7 days). No notifications exist for checklist ticks.
   - Status list and names are hardwired; cannot be customised.
   - Use status changes plus comments to manage rework (e.g., back to 'in progress').
   - Notification categories include a comprehensive list (LOE, disengagement, Companies House, HMRC auth, data changes from QuickBooks Zero free agent Xama, bank fetch accepted, payments, portal events, document sign/reject, form submissions, DD mandate, task completion, job enters your phase).
   - You can exclude yourself from notifications or set deadline-based conditions (e.g., within 7 days).
   - No checklist notifications are available.
## Suggestions
- Standardise common form-request email templates and store under categories for reuse to avoid manual edits. 
- Adopt Kanban and inline date edits for rapid rescheduling until calendar view arrives. 
- Set a routine to clear Due today daily before tackling other columns. 
- Use fixed end-of-month dates for predictable planning; switch to weeks for long-range views. 
- Contact Zama support for step-by-step linking if unfamiliar. 
- Monitor release notes/social media for when the API support and Engager UI setting go live. 
- Prioritise by deadline first to avoid missing nearer statutory/internal deadlines; use period end as a secondary criterion. 
- Use the Product Roadmap to track feature status and submit requests when needed. 
- Use Single line text for monetary fields to preserve exact values and symbols. 
- Map the process with mind maps or pen and paper; create a new phase when responsibility changes hands.