Decide access rules
Named people, roles, and a clear sharing policy.
Resources • client portal • access • handover
Client Portal rollout checklist
A practical rollout checklist for client access: who gets access, what clients can see, how notifications should work, and how to set expectations for handover packs.
- Client Portal
- Access
- Notifications
- Handover
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Guide summary
Publish packs
Reports and outputs from the same underlying door records.
Set expectations
What is included, what is not, and when updates land.
Who this is for (and when to use it)
Use this when you want to roll out client access without losing control of evidence, approvals, and “what counts as official”.
- Operations leads: set access rules and comms expectations for a rollout.
- Client-facing teams: give reviewers visibility without emailing PDFs to everyone.
- Accounts/admin: keep billing touchpoints controlled (if billing is enabled).
What clients can see (and what they shouldn’t)
A clean portal is easier to adopt than “everything dumped at once”.
- Inspections & reports: the client-ready output pack, tied to door records.
- Remedial progress: what is open, what is complete, and the evidence trail.
- Quotes/invoices (if enabled): a single place to view totals, status, and downloads.
Notifications + comms expectations
Decide what you will email vs what the portal is expected to show.
- Define the “trigger events”: inspection report issued, quote sent, remedials complete, invoice issued.
- Decide recipients: avoid sending everything to everyone.
- Set update cadence: weekly updates or per-event updates — be explicit.
Template: rollout email copy
Use a single, repeatable message so clients know what to expect from day one.
- What’s new: “You can now view inspection reports and remedial progress in the Client Portal.”
- What to look for: “Reports are issued per visit; remedials update as evidence is uploaded.”
- What not to expect: “The portal isn’t a live messaging channel; queries go to
info@firedoorapp.co.ukor your usual contact.” - Who gets access: “Named users only; please send a list of contacts.”
- Response expectations: “We reply during Mon–Fri 09:00–17:00; Sat 09:00–13:00; urgent issues should be flagged by phone.”
Access control (portal users, permissions, 2FA)
Access control is a policy decision as much as a technical one.
- Named accounts: prefer individual user accounts over shared mailboxes.
- Permissions: decide who receives invoices/inspections and who is allowed to manage portal users.
- 2FA: encourage (or require) 2FA for portal users when appropriate.
Checklist: access policy decisions
- Leavers/offboarding: who removes access when client staff leave?
- Invites: who is allowed to invite new portal users for the client?
- Minimum roles: who can view only vs who can approve/raise issues?
- 2FA expectation: whether clients must use 2FA (policy decision).
Handover pack workflow (what you send, and when)
Keep handover consistent: same door IDs, same evidence links, and clear “current status”.
- Inspection pack: report + key evidence for the visit.
- Remedials update: accepted scope + progress + close-out proof.
- Exports: PDF/CSV outputs from the same underlying record for audit or handover.
Common pitfalls (portal rollouts)
A portal rollout succeeds when access and expectations are clear.
- Too many stakeholders on day one: start with a small pilot group and expand.
- Unclear “what’s official”: define whether the portal replaces PDFs or complements them.
- Shared mailboxes: prefer named users for auditability and leavers processes.
- Link forwarding: assume links can be forwarded; use appropriate access controls and policies.
Common questions
Quick answers on portal access and rollout approach.
Can clients invite colleagues?
Portal access is managed by your organisation. Decide who should be able to add users, and keep access tied to named people rather than shared inboxes.
How do we restrict what clients can see?
Use a clear policy: which properties/projects are shared, what outputs are published, and which named client users have access.
What’s the best first rollout approach?
Start with one building/client: publish one inspection pack and one remedial update, then expand once you’ve confirmed expectations.
Is the portal a compliance guarantee?
No. The portal supports evidence sharing and workflow visibility, but compliance decisions and obligations remain with the relevant dutyholders and competent persons.
Next step
Roll it out on one client first.
Publish one inspection pack, one remedials update, and confirm expectations before scaling.