Engagement Applet

Purpose and Overview

The Engagement Applet is designed for professional services firms (audit, accounting, consulting, legal) to manage client engagements and projects. It provides a structured way to track client relationships, assign team members, manage fiscal year cycles, and generate documentation.

What is an Engagement?

In professional services, an “engagement” refers to a formal agreement to provide services to a client. This applet helps manage:

• Audit Engagements - Annual audits with fiscal year end tracking
• Consulting Projects - Advisory and consulting services
• Tax Engagements - Tax preparation and compliance work
• Recurring Services - Perpetual/ongoing client relationships

Who Benefits from This Applet?

Partners & Directors

• Client Oversight: View all client engagements at a glance
• Quality Control: Assign EQCR (Engagement Quality Control Reviewer)
• Risk Management: Track engagement status and key dates

Engagement Managers

• Project Management: Manage engagement details and timelines
• Team Assignment: Assign employees to specific roles
• Document Generation: Create engagement-related documents

Finance Teams

• Billing Alignment: Link engagements to billing branches
• Revenue Tracking: Monitor engagement status for revenue recognition
• Entity Management: Access client entity details

HR & Resource Management

• Staff Allocation: Assign employees to engagements
• Workload Planning: View employee engagement assignments
• Skill Matching: Find suitable team members

What Problems Does This Solve?

Without the Engagement Applet:

• Client projects tracked in spreadsheets
• No central view of who’s working on what
• Manual tracking of fiscal year deadlines
• Disconnected client and employee information

With the Engagement Applet:

• ✓ Centralized Management - All engagements in one place
• ✓ Team Visibility - See who’s assigned to which project
• ✓ Fiscal Year Tracking - Manage audit year-ends automatically
• ✓ Entity Integration - Link directly to client master data
• ✓ Role-Based Access - Partners, Managers, Directors properly assigned

Key Features Overview

Key Concepts

FYE Type: Perpetual vs Yearly

The Fiscal Year End (FYE) Type determines how an engagement tracks time:

Engagement Roles

Standard roles in professional services engagements:

Engagement Hierarchy

Client (Entity)
│
└── Engagement
    │
    ├── Main Details ──→ Code, Name, Job Group, Status
    │
    ├── Fiscal Year End(s) ──→ (Yearly type only)
    │   │
    │   ├── Engagement Roles ──→ Who's responsible
    │   │
    │   └── Employees ──→ Team assignments
    │
    └── Gen Docs ──→ Generated documents

Quick Start Guide

Create Your First Engagement

Goal: Set up a new client engagement in 5 steps.

Step 1: Navigate to Engagements

1. Go to Engagement Listing from the sidebar
2. Click "+" (Add New)

Step 2: Select Client

1. Click Customer Name field
2. Search for and select your client
3. Client details auto-populate

Step 3: Configure Engagement

1. Engagement Code: Auto-generated (or enter if required)
2. Job Group/Branch: Select the responsible branch
3. Engagement Name: Auto-generated from Client + Code + Branch
4. FYE Type: Choose Perpetual or Yearly
5. Description: Add engagement scope notes

Step 4: Assign Roles (Perpetual) If FYE Type is Perpetual:

1. Scroll to Engagement Roles section
2. Add Engagement Partner, Manager, Director as needed

Step 5: Save

1. Click SAVE button
2. Engagement created!

For Yearly Engagements: After creating, go to Fiscal Year End tab to add year-end periods.

Set Up Fiscal Year End (Yearly Engagements)

Goal: Add fiscal year periods for an annual audit.

1. Open Engagement → Go to Fiscal Year End tab
2. Create FYE:
   • Click "+" (Add New)
   • Set Date Start (e.g., Jan 1, 2024)
   • Set Date End (e.g., Dec 31, 2024)
   • Set Status (Draft, Active, Complete)
3. Assign Team:
   • Go to Engagement Role sub-tab
   • Add Partner, Manager for this FYE
   • Go to Employee sub-tab
   • Assign audit team members
4. Save

Core Features in Detail

Engagement Listing

Your central hub for all client engagements.

What You See:

• Engagement code and name
• Client/Customer name
• Job Group/Branch
• FYE Type
• Status

Actions:

• Create (+): New engagement
• Edit: Modify engagement details
• Search: Find engagements by various criteria

Tips:

• Use filters to find engagements by client, status, or branch
• Toggle between grid and list views
• Pagination for large datasets

The Engagement Listing shows all client engagements with Code, Name, Entity, and Created Date columns.

Engagement Edit - Main Tab

Configure the core details of your engagement.

Fields Explained

The Create/Edit Engagement form with Customer, Code, Branch, FYE Type, and role assignment fields.

Engagement Roles (Perpetual Type)

For perpetual engagements, assign roles directly on the Main tab:

• Engagement Partner
• Engagement Manager
• Engagement Director
• Managing Partner
• EQCR
• Key Audit Partner

Entity Details

Click “Entity Details” button to:

• View client master data
• Access contact information
• See related accounts

Editing an engagement shows customer details, engagement code, and role assignments.

Fiscal Year End Tab

Manage annual periods for yearly engagements.

FYE Listing

See all fiscal year periods for this engagement:

• Date range (e.g., Jan 1 - Dec 31, 2024)
• Status
• Year indicator

The Fiscal Year End tab showing Date Start, Date End, and Status columns.

Creating a Fiscal Year End

1. Click "+" (Add)
2. Enter Date Start and Date End
3. Select Status
4. Save

FYE Edit Sub-tabs

When you edit a Fiscal Year End, you get additional tabs:

Main Tab:

• Date Start/End
• Status
• Audit fields (Created By, Modified By, dates)
• Delete option

Engagement Role Tab:

• Assign partners/managers for this specific FYE
• Different teams can be assigned per year

Employee Tab:

• Assign audit/engagement team members
• Specific to this fiscal year period

Employee Management

Assign team members to engagements.

Employee Assignment Workflow

1. Navigate to Employee tab (within FYE Edit)
2. Click Add Employee
3. Search for staff by:
   • Name
   • Role
   • Availability
   • Skills
4. Select and confirm assignment

Employee Search Filters

The applet provides advanced search with multiple filter types:

• Text search (name)
• Select filters (role, department)
• Date filters (availability)
• Number filters (charge rates)

Engagement Roles

Define who’s responsible for the engagement.

Role Assignment

For Perpetual engagements:

• Roles assigned on Main Details tab
• One set of roles for entire engagement

For Yearly engagements:

• Roles assigned per Fiscal Year End
• Different team each year if needed

Standard Roles

Gen Doc Tab

Generate and manage engagement documents.

The Gen Doc (Generated Documents) tab provides:

• List of generated documents
• Document type
• Generation date
• Status

Common Documents:

• Engagement letters
• Planning memos
• Completion checklists
• Reports

The Gen Doc tab showing generated documents with Doc Type, Doc No, Status, and Transaction Date.

Entity Details

Access client master data from the engagement.

Click “Entity Details” button to view:

• Client legal name
• Registration numbers
• Contact information
• Addresses
• Related entities

This provides quick access to the linked Account/Entity record without leaving the engagement.

Settings & Configuration

Engagement Category

Organize engagements by type.

Settings > Engagement Category

Create categories like:

• Statutory Audit
• Tax Compliance
• Advisory
• Consulting
• Special Projects

Fields:

• Category name
• Category code
• Description

Use Case: Filter engagements by category for reporting and workload analysis.

Default Settings

Pre-configure defaults for new engagements.

Settings > Default Selection

Field Configuration

Customize field visibility and behavior.

Settings > Field Settings

The Engagement Applet supports extensive field configuration:

Hideable Fields:

• Customer Name
• Engagement Code
• Job Group
• Engagement Name
• Alternate Code
• FYE Type
• Status
• Description
• Engagement Manager/Director/Partner
• Managing Partner
• EQCR
• Key Audit Partner
• Entity Details Button

Other Settings:

• Enable/disable custom statuses (HDR 1-5, LINE 1-5)
• Relabel Company to Entity
• Relabel Branch to Job Group
• Disable engagement creation
• Disable engagement editing

Feature Visibility

Control which features are available.

Settings > Feature Visibility

Toggle visibility of:

• Gen Doc Listing
• Create Button
• Edit capabilities
• Specific tabs

Webhook Configuration

Integrate with external systems.

Settings > Webhook

Configure webhooks to:

• Notify external systems on engagement creation
• Sync with project management tools
• Trigger billing workflows

Permission Management

Control who can do what.

Settings > Permission Wizard / Permission Set / User Permissions

Personalization

Personal Default Settings

Save your preferences:

• Preferred company
• Default branch
• Saved filters

Sidebar Customization

Arrange menu items:

• Show/hide options
• Reorder sections
• Pin favorites

Common Scenarios

Scenario 1: Annual Audit Setup

Client: ABC Manufacturing Sdn Bhd
Engagement Type: Statutory Audit
FYE: December 31

Setup Steps:
1. Create Engagement
   - Customer: ABC Manufacturing
   - FYE Type: Yearly
   - Job Group: Audit Division

2. Add Fiscal Year End
   - Date: Jan 1 - Dec 31, 2024
   - Status: Active

3. Assign Team
   - Partner: John Tan
   - Manager: Sarah Lee
   - Senior: Ahmad (via Employee tab)
   - Staff: 3 audit associates

Result: Complete engagement ready for fieldwork

Scenario 2: Consulting Retainer

Client: XYZ Holdings Berhad
Engagement Type: Advisory Retainer
FYE Type: Perpetual (ongoing)

Setup Steps:
1. Create Engagement
   - Customer: XYZ Holdings
   - FYE Type: Perpetual
   - Job Group: Consulting

2. Assign Roles (on Main tab)
   - Partner: Lee Wei Ming
   - Manager: Karen Wong

3. No FYE needed - perpetual engagement

Result: Ongoing consulting engagement tracked

Scenario 3: Multi-Year Audit Client

Client: Listed Company Berhad
Annual Audits for 3 years

Setup:
1. One Engagement record (Yearly type)
2. Three Fiscal Year Ends:
   - FYE 2022: Jan-Dec 2022 (Complete)
   - FYE 2023: Jan-Dec 2023 (Complete)
   - FYE 2024: Jan-Dec 2024 (Active)

Each FYE has own team assignments
Historical data preserved

Tips & Best Practices

For Partners

✓ Review Assignments: Regularly check engagement roles
✓ Monitor Status: Ensure engagements move through lifecycle
✓ Use Categories: Organize for better portfolio view
✓ Delegate Properly: Assign appropriate managers and directors

For Managers

✓ Complete Details: Fill in all relevant fields
✓ Timely FYE Setup: Create fiscal year ends early
✓ Team Communication: Ensure staff know their assignments
✓ Document Generation: Use Gen Doc for standard documents

For Administrators

✓ Configure Categories: Set up meaningful categories
✓ Customize Fields: Hide unused fields to simplify UI
✓ Set Permissions: Control access appropriately
✓ Train Users: Ensure staff understand FYE Type implications

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: When should I use Perpetual vs Yearly FYE Type?
A: Use Yearly for engagements with distinct annual cycles (audits, tax). Use Perpetual for ongoing services without year-end cycles (advisory, consulting retainers).

Q: Can I change FYE Type after creation?
A: Consult your administrator. Changing FYE Type may affect data structure.

Q: How do I assign different teams for different years?
A: For Yearly engagements, each Fiscal Year End has its own Engagement Role and Employee tabs. Assign team per FYE.

Q: What’s the difference between Engagement Role and Employee?
A: Engagement Role is for key personnel (Partner, Manager). Employee is for all team members (seniors, staff).

Q: Can I have multiple engagements for the same client?
A: Yes. Common for clients with audit + tax + advisory services. Each engagement is separate.

Q: How do I find all engagements for a specific partner?
A: Use the search/filter functionality on Engagement Listing to filter by assigned roles.