# Client Stage Taxonomy — Source-of-Truth Spec **Author:** Loom **Date:** 2026-05-25 **Status:** DESIGN — pending Larry review before Forge/Cord hand-off **Sponsor:** Jimmie Needles --- ## TL;DR (Read This First) 1. **One primary stage per client, eight stages total.** Mutually exclusive. Plus a separate `flags` field for parallel work that doesn't dominate the client's current state. 2. **Hybrid transitions — mostly auto, manual only at lifecycle boundaries.** Bookkeepers touch stage ~2–3 times per week across the whole book, not 40 times. 3. **Dashboard leads with exceptions, not a roster.** Stuck clients, missing flags, OOO owners surface at the top. The full list is below the fold. 4. **Source of truth = Atlas `clients` table + `stage_history` audit log.** Updated via API, cron jobs, and a Slack command. --- ## 1. Stage Taxonomy ### Primary Stages (mutually exclusive — a client is in exactly one) **Decision 2026-05-25 (Jimmie):** Advisory delivery is a FLAG, not a stage. Advisory-tier clients stay in `weekly` (or whatever their bookkeeping cadence dictates) with `advisory_due` set when a package is in flight. If lived experience shows we need a dedicated stage later, adding one is a ~30-min Forge migration. Start simple. | Stage | Definition | Typical Duration | |-------|------------|------------------| | `onboarding` | New client, not yet in recurring rhythm. Chart of accounts, opening balances, app stack, kickoff. | 2–4 weeks | | `cleanup` | Historical cleanup project. Billable scope distinct from recurring work. Not yet (or temporarily not) in monthly rhythm. | 4–12 weeks | | `weekly` | Default steady state. Weekly roundup cadence, categorize-as-you-go, ad-hoc bill pay. Advisory deliverables in flight ride here with `advisory_due` flag. | Most of the month | | `eom_close` | Month-end close in progress for the just-finished period. Recs, accruals, prepaids, payroll JE. | Days 1–8 of month | | `eom_review` | Close done by bookkeeper, awaiting senior review + client package delivery. | Days 6–10 of month | | `paused_client` | Client-side hold. Owner non-responsive, payment lapse, mid-dispute, awaiting their decision. Goes to bookkeeper for relationship follow-up. | Variable | | `paused_internal` | J2-side hold. Capacity, intentional defer, internal scope question. Goes to Reid as a capacity signal. | Variable | | `offboarding` | Wind-down. Final invoice, file transfer, app-stack revocation. | 2–4 weeks | ### Flags (parallel state — zero or more per client, independent of primary stage) | Flag | When Set | Why It's a Flag, Not a Stage | |------|----------|------------------------------| | `sales_tax_due` | Filing window open this period | Most clients have it; doesn't dominate the primary cadence | | `1099_prep` | Jan–Feb only | Seasonal overlay on top of normal cadence | | `year_end` | Dec close period | Overlay on `eom_close`, not a replacement | | `tax_prep_active` | Rex / external preparer has the books | Bookkeeping continues in parallel | | `advisory_due` | Monthly package owed this period | Predictable for advisory-tier clients | | `stuck` | Set automatically when `stage_entered_at` exceeds threshold | Drives exception surfacing — not a manual state | | `client_blocking` | Waiting on client for docs/answers | Distinguishes "we're slow" from "they're slow" | ### Why this shape - **Mutually exclusive primary stage** lets the dashboard answer "what is the *one* thing happening with this client right now?" in one cell. That's what Jimmie needs at a glance. - **Flags handle the messy reality** — sales tax, year-end, tax prep, advisory work happen *in parallel* with the bookkeeping cadence. Folding them into the primary stage would either explode the taxonomy or force false choices. - **`stuck` as a flag, not a stage** — preserves the *true* state (still in close, just late) while flagging the exception. If we made "stuck" a stage, we'd lose the info about where they're actually stuck. - **`client_blocking` flag** — critical for J2 dashboarding. A client stuck in `eom_close` because the bookkeeper hasn't gotten to it is a J2 problem. A client stuck in `eom_close` because they haven't sent bank statements is a client problem. Different escalation paths. --- ## 2. Transition Rules ### Hybrid model — defaulting to automatic, manual only at lifecycle boundaries. | Transition | Trigger Type | Rule | |------------|--------------|------| | `weekly` → `eom_close` | **Auto / time-based** | Last business day of month, 6:00 AM CT — all clients in `weekly` flip to `eom_close` | | `eom_close` → `eom_review` | **Auto / event-based** | When all bank + CC accounts for the period are reconciled in QBO AND close checklist complete in Atlas | | `eom_close` → `eom_review` (manual override) | **Manual** | Bookkeeper can flip via Slack `/stage` if event detection misses | | `eom_review` → `weekly` | **Manual** | A user with `senior_reviewer` permission signs off. Per-client `eligible_reviewers` override allowed. As of 2026-05-25: Jimmie is the only senior reviewer; designed to expand later (Ledger or specific bookkeepers per client tier). For advisory-tier clients, `advisory_due` flag is set at this point and clears when the package is acknowledged or on day-16 auto-clear. | | `advisory_due` flag set | **Auto / event-based** | On `eom_review` → `weekly` transition for advisory-tier clients | | `advisory_due` flag cleared | **Auto / time-based** | Day 16 of month — assumes delivery acknowledged (manual override available) | | Any → `paused_client` | **Manual** | Bookkeeper marks when client goes unresponsive / payment lapses / dispute. Requires reason. | | Any → `paused_internal` | **Manual** | Jimmie or senior marks when J2 capacity / internal hold. Requires reason. Pings Reid. | | `paused_client` / `paused_internal` → `weekly` / `cleanup` | **Manual** | Resume to prior cadence (uses `returning_to_stage` field). | | Any → `offboarding` | **Manual** | Jimmie only | | `onboarding` → `weekly` or `cleanup` | **Manual** | After first clean close OR if cleanup scope identified | | `cleanup` → `weekly` | **Manual** | When cleanup scope formally closed | | `stuck` flag set | **Auto** | When `now() - stage_entered_at` exceeds stage-specific SLA (see below) | ### Stuck thresholds (per stage) | Stage | SLA (days in stage) | After SLA | |-------|---------------------|-----------| | `eom_close` | 10 (so day 11 of month) | `stuck` flag set | | `eom_review` | 4 from entry | `stuck` flag | | `advisory_due` flag (not a stage) | 6 days since flag set | `stuck` flag | | `onboarding` | 30 | `stuck` flag + Jimmie alert | | `cleanup` | client-specific budget × 1.25 | `stuck` flag + Jimmie alert | | `paused_client` | 30 | `stuck` flag + check-in prompt to bookkeeper | | `paused_internal` | 14 | `stuck` flag + alert to Reid (capacity signal) | ### Why hybrid, not pure-anything - **Pure manual** → bookkeepers forget, data rots, dashboard becomes a lie. Failure mode of every workflow tool J2 has tried before. - **Pure auto** → can't capture "this client is being weird, hold the close" or "they paused us last Friday." Brittle. - **Hybrid with auto defaults** → the *system* drives the calendar (1st of month, 11th of month), bookkeepers only touch when something exceptional happens. Estimated **2–3 manual updates per week across 40 clients**, not 40+. --- ## 3. Edge Cases | Case | Resolution | |------|------------| | **Client has both active cleanup AND ongoing weekly work** (Afton, Tri-County Tire) | Primary stage = `cleanup` if cleanup is the active billable focus. Flag `recurring_active` to indicate weekly work continuing in parallel. Cord shows this as a sub-row on the dashboard. | | **New onboard needs cleanup before going recurring** | `onboarding` → `cleanup` → `weekly`. Two-hop is fine. | | **Multi-tier client (recurring + advisory + tax)** | Primary stage tracks bookkeeping cadence. Advisory work surfaces via `advisory_due` flag (no dedicated stage). Tax prep surfaces via `tax_prep_active` flag. | | **December close** | Primary = `eom_close`, flag = `year_end`. The flag triggers different checklist items in Atlas. | | **Sales tax due dates vary by client** | Per-client `sales_tax_schedule` field on client record. Cron job sets `sales_tax_due` flag in the appropriate window. | | **Client pauses mid-close** | `eom_close` → `paused_client` (or `paused_internal` if J2's the blocker). When resumed, returns to `eom_close` (not `weekly`) if the close is incomplete. Atlas tracks via `returning_to_stage`. | | **Bookkeeper goes OOO** | Stage doesn't change. `stage_owner` field gets reassigned (manual or auto-rebalance from Atlas). Dashboard surfaces "owner OOO" as an exception. | | **Two bookkeepers on one client** | `stage_owner` is the primary; add `stage_collaborators` array. Dashboard shows the primary. | | **Client off-cycle (e.g., quarterly close, not monthly)** | Per-client `close_cadence` field (`monthly`, `quarterly`, `annual`). Auto-transitions respect cadence. Quarterly clients only flip to `eom_close` on Mar/Jun/Sep/Dec last-business-day. | | **Client in chronic "stuck" — recurring lateness** | If stuck > 3 cycles in a row → flag `chronic_late`. Distinct surface in dashboard. Goes to Reid for client-tier or scope review. | --- ## 4. Schema Change Brief — to Forge **Goal:** Make Atlas the source of truth for client stage. No spreadsheets, no Notion, no Slack scrollback. ### Additions to `clients` table ``` stage ENUM not null -- onboarding, cleanup, weekly, eom_close, eom_review, paused_client, paused_internal, offboarding stage_entered_at TIMESTAMP -- when current stage began stage_owner FK -> users -- primary bookkeeper for this stage stage_collaborators ARRAY -- secondary bookkeepers stage_notes TEXT -- optional context (why paused, what cleanup scope, etc.) flags ARRAY -- sales_tax_due, 1099_prep, year_end, tax_prep_active, advisory_due, stuck, client_blocking, chronic_late, recurring_active close_cadence ENUM -- monthly, quarterly, annual (default monthly) sales_tax_schedule ENUM -- none, monthly, quarterly, annual service_tier ENUM -- recurring_only, recurring_advisory, fractional_cfo returning_to_stage ENUM nullable -- for resume-from-paused semantics eligible_reviewers ARRAY null -- per-client override of who can sign off eom_review; null = fall back to global senior_reviewers list ``` ### New table — `stage_history` ``` id PK client_id FK -> clients from_stage ENUM to_stage ENUM transitioned_at TIMESTAMP transitioned_by STRING -- 'system:cron', 'system:event', or user identifier trigger_type ENUM -- auto_time, auto_event, manual, manual_override reason TEXT nullable ``` ### API endpoints needed - `PATCH /clients/:id/stage` — manual transition. Logs to history. - `POST /clients/:id/flags` / `DELETE /clients/:id/flags/:flag` — flag management. - `GET /clients?stage=eom_close&stuck=true` — for Cord's dashboard pulls. - `GET /clients/:id/stage_history` — audit drill-down. ### Cron jobs needed - **`stage_autoroll_eom_open`** — last business day of month, 6:00 AM CT. All `weekly` clients (respecting `close_cadence`) → `eom_close`. - **`flag_autoclear_advisory_due`** — day 16, 6:00 AM CT. Clear `advisory_due` flag from any client where it's still set. - **`stage_stuck_detector`** — hourly. Sets `stuck` flag on any client exceeding SLA (including `advisory_due` flag age). - **`flag_sales_tax_due`** — daily. Reads each client's `sales_tax_schedule` + filing calendar; sets/clears `sales_tax_due`. - **`flag_seasonal`** — daily. Sets `1099_prep` Jan 1–Feb 15; sets `year_end` Dec 1–Jan 15. ### Slack command - `/stage [reason]` — manual transition from Slack. Logs to `stage_history` with `transitioned_by = slack:`. - `/stage ` (no args) — read-only: shows current stage, owner, flags, time-in-stage. - `/flag +/-` — flag add/remove. ### Acceptance criteria for Forge - All 40 active clients seeded with a starting stage (Larry + Jimmie review the seed before go-live). - All transitions logged in `stage_history` — no silent flips. - Slack command latency < 2s. - Cron jobs idempotent (re-running doesn't double-flip). - Dashboard query (`GET /clients?stage=...&stuck=true`) under 500ms for the full client book. ### ROI estimate | Cost | Estimate | |------|----------| | Forge build | 2–3 days | | Cord dashboard build | 1–2 days | | Bookkeeper onboarding to new flow | 1 hour × team | | **Ongoing maintenance** | ~30 min/month | | Benefit | Estimate | |---------|----------| | Jimmie status-check time saved | 30 min/week × 50 = 25 hr/yr | | Stuck-client surprises eliminated | 1 hr/month × 12 = 12 hr/yr | | Bookkeeper "where are we on X" Slack pings reduced | 2 hr/week × 50 = 100 hr/yr | | **Total** | **~137 hr/yr saved** | Clears the 10-hr/quarter threshold by 10x. Greenlit. --- ## 5. Dashboard Read Brief — to Cord **Goal:** Two-tab Sheet (or Quadratic) — Projects on one tab, Clients on another. Client tab leads with exceptions; full roster below. ### Source - Atlas API: `GET /clients?include=stage,flags,owner,stage_history` - Refresh: every 15 minutes, OR webhook from Atlas on any stage/flag change (Forge can fire webhooks if Cord prefers push) ### Client tab — top section: EXCEPTIONS (read-first zone) | Column | Source | |--------|--------| | Client | `clients.name` | | Stage | `clients.stage` | | Days in stage | `now() - stage_entered_at` | | Why flagged | derived: `stuck`, `chronic_late`, `client_blocking`, OOO owner, etc. | | Owner | `stage_owner.name` | | Action | derived: "Nudge client" / "Reassign" / "Review with Jimmie" | Filter: any client with `stuck`, `chronic_late`, `paused_client > 30 days`, any `paused_internal`, or OOO owner shows here. ### Client tab — bottom section: full roster | Column | Source | |--------|--------| | Client | `clients.name` | | Service tier | `clients.service_tier` | | Stage | `clients.stage` | | Days in stage | derived | | Flags | `clients.flags` (rendered as chips/emoji) | | Owner | `stage_owner.name` | | Close cadence | `clients.close_cadence` | | Notes | `clients.stage_notes` | Default sort: stage, then days-in-stage descending. Conditional formatting: red if `stuck`, amber if approaching SLA, green otherwise. ### Project tab Source: `atlas.projects` (whatever Forge's projects table has — Cord and Forge align on columns). Out of scope for this spec. ### Acceptance criteria for Cord - Exceptions section shows zero entries on a healthy day (and that's the signal). - Stage colors readable at a glance — no decoding needed. - Stale-data indicator: timestamp of last refresh visible top-right. - Mobile-readable (Jimmie checks phone constantly). --- ## 6. What This Spec Does NOT Cover - **Project taxonomy** — projects tab is Cord's lane once Forge confirms what's in the projects table. Different spec. - **The actual close checklist contents** — Ledger owns checklist content per stage. Hand off separately. - **Bookkeeper assignment / load balancing** — Reid + Nolan question (who owns which clients), not Loom. - **Capacity planning** — once stage data flows for 60 days, we can VSM cycle times. Phase 2. --- ## 7. Open Questions for Larry / Jimmie Per the one-question-at-a-time rule, these go to Larry to ask Jimmie in sequence: 1. ~~**Q1 (blocking):** Is `advisory_delivery` a real distinct stage, or do advisory-tier clients just have an `advisory_due` flag while staying in `weekly`?~~ **RESOLVED 2026-05-25 — flag-only. Add stage later if needed.** 2. ~~**Q2:** `paused` — one stage or two?~~ **RESOLVED 2026-05-25 — split into `paused_client` and `paused_internal`. J2-paused alerts Reid as capacity signal.** 3. **Q3 (next):** Who is the senior reviewer in `eom_review` — always Jimmie, or can Ledger sign off on certain client tiers (e.g., Ledger handles standard recurring-only, Jimmie reviews advisory and Fractional CFO)? --- ## 8. Next Actions | Who | What | By When | |-----|------|---------| | Larry | Review this spec; surface Q1–Q3 to Jimmie one at a time | Before Forge gets the brief | | Jimmie | Answer Q1–Q3 | This week | | Loom | Update spec with answers; finalize | Same day as answers | | Forge | Implement schema + endpoints + cron + Slack command | 2–3 days after spec final | | Cord | Build dashboard against Atlas API | 1–2 days after Forge ships | | Loom | Time-study cycle times 60 days post-launch; feed into automation backlog | 2026-07-25 |

client_stage_taxonomy_spec.md

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