Document Packs - Edit sent pack
Be able to edit sent document packs.
Purpose: for when clients ask you to send the pack to a different email address or you want to rename the document pack, or add another document.
Hi community, thanks for your support and sharing in the idea here. Diving into your comments, there are a few different ideas that we're picking up on within this one thread;
- ability to change the email address/contact of a sent pack
- ability to add additional documents to a sent pack, and
- the ability to edit metadata of a sent pack
For the first, we'd like to better understand what is driving the need to change the email address? is it down to a typo when entering it? or if its on a tax return, is it wrong on the client record etc?
Although it's not possible to add additional documents to a pack right now, creating and sending a new document pack is essentially the same - Is there any reason this isn't suitable?
Lastly, it'd be good to get more substance of how the ability to rename a pack would be of use. Are there any instances you've needed this and can share?
Deeper understanding from you all will help the team determine what could be. 🙂
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Carol Corlett commented
To be able to edit the document pack email addresses would save so much time - I have had to cancel so many packs due to needing to change the email address and then the cost of having to set up a new one and use more transactions adds up.
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Sonia Diacono commented
Sometimes, after sending a document pack, the client tells you they need it to go to a different email address, or you realise that you needed to include another signatory or something. It would be great to be able to edit the doc pack after sending, rather than having to cancel it and start all over again, loading each item for a second time and adding the signature link etc etc. All very time-wasting.
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Renee Gamble commented
Agree with your three summary points above. Its a time sink not being able to edit
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Dani Bennett commented
We use workpapers not just for accounts but for all work that requires review. Such as a new Xero conversion project. We have tailored our own checklist and use to ensure staff complete all steps. However we can't name the pack and so it can get confusing as we may have an accounts pack and a Xero conversion pack for the same client.
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Diane Mayhall commented
More over a charge in my opinion should not apply if the document pack is cancelled as a result of this not being available where proof can be given that a new document pack is also raised.
I myself have many cancelled document packs and have then been charged for the new document pack for the same items.
As this feature was compulsory (as the signing in PM was no longer available) which worked find and was free of charge) i would suggest that consideration be given to have flexiblity and only charge when the document pack is signed would make more sense. -
Elli Hennessy commented
I completely agree with all of the reasons listed by others in this thread. Document packs are an extremely important way to streamline business practices. But the issues brought up here show that it can actually end up being inefficient if you make a small error and don't realise until after sending.
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Davina Perry commented
The time and cost of creating a whole new document pack when it consists of multiple documents to be signed by multiple people seems a bit excessive when an email address could easily be edited when all it was was a typo. In creating a new pack, everyone needs to resign the original documents as embedded signatures are unsupported. So editing a document pack would assist greatly.
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Lynette Gray commented
If one sends a document pack and the client cannot open it for signing for some reason, we then need to send it a different way and the document sits on our list with 'sent'. The only option is to cancel which then sends an email off to the client and they then contact us asking why is has been cancelled. It would be great to have a 'delete document pack' option.
Also a typo error in the email will not inform you that it has not been sent to the recipient and no way to correct it on the document pack once it has been partially signed. -
Sam Corbeau commented
Agree with all comments.
If I have the wrong email address for one signee and donwload the partially signed document to load into a new pack, this leaves the old one unsigned forever. The new pack also doesn't like the partially signed document because it has existing signatures embedded, so we have to go through a rigmarole to bring this into the new document pack.
Wastes a lot of time.
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Colin Harvey commented
Often clients just want to use a different email address for security purposes, we send to one address and they say, that address is now accessed by staff, please use another.
We will sometimes have the wrong signee on a document, for example Dad when it should be Mum, this is usually where we have added a signature box on a pdf rather than a Xero generated document. Currently we don't want to cancel the document pack as other members have signed their documents, so the only option is to set up a new document pack to send the updated document through, but then the original document pack does not get completed as the client doesn't decline the signature.
Being able to add additional documents to a pack is helpful from a storage perspective, for example, we leave one tax return off a group, then need to set up a new document pack to send it out, later when looking for the document pack it is not named correctly. -
Kayla Hardie commented
I 100% agree with all the other users and comments below.
The extra addition I would like to add would be the total file size to send in a doc pack
it would be a great feature if we could implement Trust deeds to be signed or Superfund financials and tax return Documents the exceed the file size limit.
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Abe Schuback commented
This would be a great feature to update, it's a very common occurrence
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Rebecca McGann commented
I agree with other user comments. It would save a lot of time and effort to be able to add / edit / replace document within a doc pack, rather than cancelling and starting again or having incomplete doc packs.
Also being able to edit emails after a doc pack is sent (and then be able to resend to new email address) would help, as often clients don't advise updated email address until after the fact. -
Antonia Connolly commented
Changing the email address is either due to client changing their mind about which email they want it to be sent to (usually due to link between email and Xero), but can also be a typo. The issue would be reduced if there was an ability to add email address from XPM / Xero HQ.
Adding / changing documents to a sent pack is necessary when client requests amendments - eg I use it to send engagement letters. If a client asks for a minor change my only option is to cancel the pack (sending them a notification email I don’t want to send them) and then create a new pack. I just want to adjust the documents and resend.
It feels like the driver for this is billing…. If so, charge me an extra ‘signature’ at the time I resend (I’d rather you didn’t though!) but it just makes the process painful at the moment (to the extend I’m actually now consider changing my process so documents such as engagement letters no longer use Xero doc packs.
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Sasha Nicely commented
Additional Update
It would be useful to be able to delete / remove sent doc packs which have not been signed, otherwise when cancelled they just stay there and there are multiple cancelled doc packs for one client.
Being able to edit doc packs would be a significant use to our practise, often clients see their returns, financials, documents and want to make changes. This means, we have to redo all the documents including amendments in PDF etc in order to upload the doc pack again. Sometimes this can occur 1-2 times, which means we have loads of unwanted / cancelled doc packs.
Sometimes the client will sign off half the documents in the doc pack, and not the other half. We then have to cancel the doc pack, although it has signed and completed documents in it. This is no good!
To answer your questions:
A. For the first, we'd like to better understand what is driving the need to change the email address? is it down to a typo when entering it? or if its on a tax return, is it wrong on the client record etc?
We are not just adding tax returns to doc packs, we are up to 20 different documents, financials, BAS, TPARs, tax returns for company, trust, multiple individuals, resolutions, other relevant documents and paperwork that the client needs to sign at the same time.
Some doc packs will have multiple email addresses, for different entities, individuals etc. Sometimes clients cannot access the doc pack through the email address we have on file. Often the email address needs to be changed, and this means redoing all the documents from scratch (time consuming for so many documents).B. Although it's not possible to add additional documents to a pack right now, creating and sending a new document pack is essentially the same - Is there any reason this isn't suitable?
By adding additional docs to new doc packs, rather than editing the original doc pack, it creates multiple packs for one client and means the documents are not all together (our end). Sometimes this means we can have 3-4 doc packs, where as we just need 1.
Also where a client has signed some of the documents in the doc pack, but one of the documents needs to be amended and added to a new doc pack. The original doc pack with signed docs either needs to be cancelled or remains as 'sent' status. Either way, it never reaches completed although it has documents which are completed in it.
C. Lastly, it'd be good to get more substance of how the ability to rename a pack would be of use. Are there any instances you've needed this and can share?
This would be useful if there was an error made, or if we are changing the docs included we can change the name on the doc pack to reference it. I.e. ABC Financials 2021 to ABC Financials 2021 and 2022.
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Rebecca Palmer commented
1. Changing email address' would be useful when a client has multiple email address'. Sometime the original document pack might be sent to an email address that is not linked to their Xero login. The client then has difficulty accessing the documents, especially if they are already logged into Xero on their computer. If the document pack has multiple signatories currently you have to cancel the pack for everyone and resend it. The client who is not impacted then receives multiple emails about the pack being cancelled and resent. You also have to manually re-type the cover email as there are no templates.
2. Sometimes an extra document needs to be added to a document pack, that may have been missed. Currently you need to cancel the document pack and resend it. Again this requires a lot more time than just adding the documents, as you have to add all documents, edit the signature fields and re enter the cover email. The client is also sent an email about the pack being cancelled, which doesn't look good.
Similar to this, there are times that you may need to change a document in the pack. For example I recently used document packs to send a client their tax return (the pack included the husband and wife's returns). When the client reviewed the return they advised of a change that was needed. I then had to adjust the return and send that to the client in a new document pack. I didn't want to cancel the original as the husbands return didn't need changing. It would have been much more streamline to be able to remove the incorrect return and add the adjusted return.
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Jacqui Trumper commented
With the Optus debacle, I have heard of people changing their email addresses. Likely that at least some of these people won't think to tell their accountants or bookkeepers about the change. So you send docs out for signature, follow up when they haven't signed, and then you get, oh yeah I changed it, sorry, meant to tell you...
Never underestimate a client's ability to make a mess of things and to get confused easily.
So on the point of creating a new pack rather than adding to an existing one - if you have two different packs sent to them, guarantee they won't realise they are different packs. They might sign one, and then when you follow up the other say, but I signed that already. The amount of time following that up and explaining to them could be avoided by just adding a new document to the existing pack.
It's all about the client experience. Make it easy for them to do what we want them to. -
Marguerite Zito commented
Hi,
Thank you for your response!
In regards to changing/updating the email address - Sometimes it is due to a typo and in other cases the client has requested to send to an alternative email. -
Dyan Aitken commented
Hi
For me number 1 is most important with being able to change the email address. This has happened to me a number of times already. Client has various email addresses that all valid, so the one we have is technically correct, but that would require them to create another xero login which they don't want to do and would rather we use a different email address that already has a xero login. We then have to cancel and reissue the doco pack which is all unnecessary time.
I think you are also missing an important one too - not having to type the email address of the contact - would be so create if that somehow could link to XPM clients. So much room for error (even with copying and pasting) and so time consuming
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Debbie Savill commented
Also, the ability to be able to add and save contact details like you do in Xero ask - so that you are not typing in the email address for the individuals who sign each time. Particularly when sending documents to an organisation, the person signing may be different to the main contact which is on the client record i.e. a general email vs a personal email that they sign into Xero with. These are very often different emails.
Adding documents to a pack is less confusing for everyone, as there is only one pack in the system. Setting up a new pack means there is an additional canceled pack in the system. The whole setting up process can take longer than adding a document as well, if you have to enter all the client details for signing again (can be multiple people) and the cover email etc.
Also, please can we have a custom cover email for different situations - ie. GST, Income Tax, Minutes etc. There is the ability to set up custom templates in Xero ask, so why can't we have this feature in document sign?