Why onboarding is the bottleneck

Acquiring a new client is the most critical moment for a fiduciary firm: the mandate is signed, expectations are high, but before registering the first invoice you need documents, configurations and checks. With the traditional process, between document collection, chart of accounts setup and the first operational cycle, 10–15 working days pass easily.

This delay has a real cost: the client perceives slowness, the operations team accumulates backlog and the risk of errors during setup grows with each day of waiting. For growing fiduciary firms, slow onboarding becomes a structural brake on scalability.

With a digitalised process and the right tools, it is possible to compress the entire onboarding into 24 hours — from mandate signature to the first accounting entry. This guide shows how, step by step, with operational checklists and practical configurations.

Traditional vs. digital process

Let us compare the timelines of the traditional process with those of a fully digitalised onboarding:

Phase	Traditional	Digital
Document collection	3–5 days (emails, registered letters, reminders)	2–4 hours (self-service portal + guided checklist)
Mandate configuration	2–3 days (manual chart of accounts, VAT setup)	30–60 minutes (pre-configured templates)
History import	2–4 days (manual retyping, verifications)	1–2 hours (automatic CSV/API import)
First accounting cycle	1–2 days (full manual verification)	2–3 hours (AI recording + validation)
Client communication	1–2 days (paper report, phone calls)	Immediate (shared dashboard, notifications)

The traditional process often generates transcription errors and document losses, requiring additional days of correction. The domino effect can bring the actual total time to 3–4 weeks.

Document checklist for new clients

A structured checklist shared with the client before kick-off reduces collection time by 70%. Here are the essential documents to request:

Documents to collect

Up-to-date Commercial Register extract (or registration copy for sole proprietorships) — verifies the company name, registered office and authorised persons
Latest approved balance sheet and income statement — serve as the basis for opening balances and accounting continuity
Current chart of accounts (if available) — allows mapping accounts to the new system and identifying customisations
Complete bank details (IBAN) and authorisation for digital bank connection (API/eBanking) — essential for automatic reconciliation
VAT number (CHE-xxx.xxx.xxx) and reporting method (effective/flat-rate, quarterly/semi-annual) — for correct tax configuration
Master data for key clients and suppliers (name, address, contacts, payment terms) — to start invoice management immediately
Active relevant contracts (leasing, premises rental, insurance, loans) — to plan recurring entries
Access to previous accounting software (or full export in CSV/Excel) — for transaction history import

Mandate configuration in the software

With documents collected, configuring the mandate in the accounting software becomes a guided and fast process:

Company creation and general data

Enter company name, CHE-IDE number, registered office, legal form, financial year-end date and reference currency. With AccountEX, the CHE number is sufficient to auto-fill data from the Commercial Register.

Chart of accounts and customisations

Select the Swiss standard chart of accounts (Kontenrahmen KMU) as the base and adapt it to the client's needs: add specific accounts for cost centres, projects or departments. Industry templates (hospitality, retail, services) speed up configuration.

VAT configuration

Set the reporting method (effective or flat-rate), frequency (quarterly or semi-annual), applicable rates (8.1%, 2.6%, 3.8%) and VAT codes for the client's recurring operations.

Bank connections

Connect bank accounts via Open Banking API or CAMT.053 import. The automatic connection eliminates manual entry of transactions and enables real-time reconciliation.

Users and permissions

Create access for the fiduciary team (accountant, auditor, partner) and for the client (document upload, read-only). Define roles: who can record, who can only view, who approves.

Importing accounting history

Every new mandate has a different history. Here is how to handle the four most common scenarios:

Starting from scratch (new company)

No history to import. Simply enter the share capital and opening bank account balances. The standard chart of accounts is sufficient and can be customised during the first quarter of activity.

Migration from Excel or spreadsheets

Export data in structured CSV format (date, account, amount, description, VAT reference). Use the bulk import function to upload transactions and verify account totals against original financial statements.

Migration from other accounting software

Export the chart of accounts, opening balances, master data and (if possible) the transaction history from the previous software. AccountEX supports direct import from standard formats and offers automatic account mapping.

Mid-year takeover

Request an updated trial balance as at the handover date from the previous fiduciary. Import the cumulative balances as opening entries and record subsequent transactions in the new system. Plan a full reconciliation at the first quarter-end.

First accounting cycle: essential checks

The first accounting cycle (typically the first month) is the proving ground for onboarding. Here are the checks to complete before considering the mandate operational:

Bank reconciliation: verify that the book balance matches the bank statement for each connected account. Differences must be identified and justified
Test invoice recording: upload 5–10 representative invoices (purchases, sales, credit notes) and verify that the AI records them correctly: account, amount, VAT, supplier/client
Trial balance: compare the trial balance generated by the new system with the one from the previous period. Total assets/liabilities and main account balances must match
Test VAT return: generate a VAT return for the test period and verify that rates, input tax deductions and totals are consistent with the client's turnover

Tip: plan the first complete cycle within 48 hours of data import. The more time passes between configuration and the first verification, the greater the risk of discovering setup errors when operational work has already started.

Communication with the new client

Effective onboarding is not just technical: communication with the client is essential for building trust and reducing support requests:

Welcome email with credentials

Send within 2 hours of mandate signature: portal access credentials, link to the pre-filled document checklist and direct contact for the mandate manager. The client must feel that the process is already underway.

Quick guide to document upload

Prepare a visual guide (screenshots or a 2-minute video) showing the client how to upload invoices, receipts and bank statements. Reduce repetitive questions with clear and accessible instructions.

Configuration completion notification

When the mandate is configured and historical data imported, send a formal communication: the mandate is operational, here is what to expect in the coming weeks (first reports, VAT deadlines, chart of accounts review).

First cycle report

Share the results of the first accounting cycle: trial balance, reconciliation status, any anomalies found. Use the shared dashboard to give the client immediate visibility.

Deadline planning

Send a calendar with tax and accounting deadlines for the next 12 months: VAT returns, quarterly close, annual financial statements, general meeting. The client must know what will happen and when.

7 tips for onboarding in 24 hours

Prepare pre-configured mandate templates by industry (hospitality, retail, services, real estate): reduce chart of accounts and VAT configuration from hours to minutes
Use a self-service portal for document collection: the client uploads everything independently following an interactive checklist, without back-and-forth emails
Activate the automatic bank connection (Open Banking) as the very first step: this is the most critical data for reconciliation and often requires bank authorisation with processing times
Import opening balances as the first operation, even before detailed history: this way the trial balance is immediately available for consistency checks
Assign a single person responsible for each onboarding: one contact for the client speeds up decisions and reduces information fragmentation within the team
Schedule a 15-minute call with the client upon setup completion: check expectations, answer questions and show the dashboard. Trust is built in the first few days
Use AccountEX to automate mandate configuration, import history with one click and start AI invoice recording from day one — transform onboarding from weeks to hours

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