Cut client onboarding time by 40% with Moxo’s client portal
At a glance
- A mid-sized consulting firm reduced onboarding time by 40% after adopting Moxo’s client portal.
- Challenges included scattered communication, manual document collection, and compliance bottlenecks.
- By automating workflows, enabling client self-service, and centralizing communication, the firm streamlined onboarding without adding headcount.
- The case highlights how Moxo helps firms scale efficiently while improving client satisfaction and compliance.
Why onboarding efficiency matters now more than ever
Onboarding is the first real test of a client relationship, and for many firms, it’s also the first point of failure. According to McKinsey, more than 40% of onboarding time is spent on know-your-customer (KYC) due diligence and account opening, which are bottlenecks.
For clients, delays, repeated requests, or compliance hiccups signal disorganization. For firms, manual onboarding drains staff hours and slows growth.
A mid-sized professional services firm faced these challenges head-on. Their onboarding process spanned multiple weeks, with endless emails, manual document collection, and compliance reviews bogging down staff. By implementing Moxo’s client portal, they achieved something remarkable: a 40% reduction in onboarding time, without sacrificing compliance or quality.
This case study explores how they did it, what other firms can learn, and where client portals fit into the future of professional services.
Understanding client portal onboarding efficiency
A client portal is a secure digital workspace where clients and firms exchange documents, complete forms, and track onboarding progress. Instead of relying on email threads and scattered spreadsheets, everything lives in one centralized hub.
When applied to onboarding, client portals enable:
- Document submission and verification in one secure location.
- Automated task reminders and workflows to prevent delays.
- Real-time status tracking for both clients and internal teams.
In today’s compliance-driven, digital-first environment, onboarding efficiency is no longer optional. Clients expect fast, seamless onboarding, and regulators expect airtight processes.
Common challenges that slow down onboarding
The firm struggled with challenges that many others face:
- Scattered Communication – Emails, spreadsheets, and chat apps made it easy for requests to get lost.
- Manual Document Collection – Paper contracts and emailed PDFs led to back-and-forth edits and delays.
- Compliance Bottlenecks – Regulatory reviews were tracked manually, creating audit risks.
- Misconceptions About Portals – Leadership feared that portals were “too complex” or “only for large firms.”
These pain points weren’t unique, but they were costly, limiting the firm’s ability to scale.
Case study: How the mid-sized firm improved efficiency
A mid-sized accounting and consulting firm provides consulting services across multiple industries. But as they grew, their onboarding process became a drag on capacity.
The Problem
A mid-sized accounting and consulting firm faced major inefficiencies in its onboarding process:
- New engagements often stretched over four weeks
- Clients were asked to resubmit the same documents multiple times
- Compliance reviews relied on tedious manual tracking
- Staff spent more time chasing files and approvals than delivering advisory value
- Following up on long, scattered email threads consumed hours each week and delayed responses
The Solution
The firm adopted Moxo’s client portal to streamline workflows:
- Consolidated email threads, file-sharing, and spreadsheets into one secure platform
- Automated document requests, e-signatures, and approvals
- Enabled clients to upload files through secure channels with audit trails and role-based access
- Provided both sides with a branded portal and reporting dashboard for real-time visibility into progress
The Results
The impact was immediate and measurable:
- 40% reduction in onboarding time
- Clients gained greater trust and transparency by seeing pending tasks clearly
- Staff reclaimed hours each week for higher-value client work
- The firm scaled efficiency without adding headcount, simply by rethinking workflows with Moxo
This transformation wasn’t about adding more people. It was about rethinking workflows and removing friction through a single, secure platform.
Best practices for onboarding efficiency
The experience at the firm revealed a broader set of lessons that other firms can apply:
Standardize before you automate: Create templates for document requests and compliance forms so that every engagement starts with a consistent foundation.
Automate friction points: Focus on the steps that cause the most client delays, such as document collection or approvals, then expand automation across the process.
Give clients self-service visibility: A portal and reporting dashboard reduces back-and-forth emails and ensures clients always know what’s outstanding.
Keep communication centralized: By housing all updates and reminders in the portal, firms maintain a single source of truth instead of scattered email threads.
Pro Tip: Don’t try to overhaul everything at once. Automating the most painful part of your process first builds quick wins and sets the stage for firm-wide adoption.
Industry trends & the future of onboarding
Client portals are rapidly evolving, and trends suggest that digital onboarding will soon be a baseline expectation:
- AI-powered automation for pre-filled forms, missing document detection, and smart task routing.
- Embedded compliance with built-in KYC, AML, and retention policy checks.
- Client-first design that mirrors consumer-grade experiences like self-service banking and e-commerce.
In this landscape, firms that adopt portals early don’t just improve efficiency; they differentiate themselves with professionalism and trust.
How Moxo fits in the picture
The transformation at the firm underscores a larger reality: client portals aren’t just about efficiency, they’re about future-proofing the firm’s client experience.
Moxo delivers this in four critical ways:
Enterprise-grade safeguards: SOC 2 and GDPR compliance, role-based access, MFA/SSO, and audit trails ensure sensitive data is managed securely.
Smart workflow automation: File requests, e-signatures, and reminders reduce bottlenecks and minimize human error.
Branded client experience: Custom portals and reporting dashboards, secure messaging, and mobile-first access provide a seamless client interface.
Scalability: Firms can expand their client base without adding equivalent staff workload, thanks to automation and structured workflows..
For accounting firms, Moxo did more than cut onboarding time by 40%. It elevated client trust, strengthened compliance, and positioned the firm as a modern partner in an industry where digital-first experiences are quickly becoming the standard.
The smarter way to onboard
Onboarding inefficiency costs firms time, revenue, and client trust. As this case shows, Moxo’s client portal can transform the process, cutting onboarding times, boosting compliance, and improving client satisfaction.
Ready to streamline your onboarding process? Book a demo with Moxo to explore how your firm can achieve similar results.
FAQs
What is client portal onboarding efficiency?
It’s how effectively a client portal streamlines onboarding tasks such as document collection, approvals, and communication.
How does a client portal improve onboarding efficiency?
By centralizing workflows, automating reminders, and enabling self-service, portals reduce delays and manual errors.
Is Moxo secure for sensitive information?
Yes. Moxo provides role-based access, audit trails, and compliance-ready safeguards (SOC 2, GDPR) to keep data safe.
Do small firms benefit from a client portal?
Absolutely. Even small firms and solo consultants save hours per client by automating onboarding tasks and scaling without extra staff.
What’s the first step to implementing one?
Start small. Digitize one or two recurring onboarding steps with Moxo, then scale as adoption grows.
