# Find what is missing before a client project starts A client can send several files and still leave you without the one detail needed to start. Before treating the project as ready, compare what you received with what this particular job requires. Make a short list of required information, record the evidence you have, and distinguish missing information from information that has arrived but needs clarification. Then ask the client for the smallest useful set of answers. Canonical: https://areinum.com/guides/missing-client-project-information/ Language: en Updated: 2026-10-31 ## Define what the project needs before work begins Start with the work you are about to perform, not a generic form. A quote may need a scope and measurements; a scheduled installation may also need access details and an agreed time. Ask only for information that serves the next step. Record the requirement, what has been received, its source, and whether it is sufficient. A photograph can be received without showing the measurement you need. A date offered by the client is not yet an agreed appointment. 1. List the next project step and the information it requires. 2. Match each requirement to the actual message, file, or answer received. 3. Mark each item as confirmed, missing, or needing clarification. 4. Ask for the unresolved items and record the answers when they arrive. ## An example: preparing a cabinet installation A fictional cabinet installer has the client's address, a photograph, and a proposed installation week. The installer still needs the opening width, confirmation that the cabinets are on site, and a person who can provide access. Instead of asking the client to "send everything," the owner sends three specific questions. The project is ready for scheduling when those answers and an agreed appointment are recorded; a prepared message alone does not make the information complete. ## Ask for the missing detail without repeating the whole intake Make each question answerable. Explain which decision the answer unlocks: "Could you send the width of the opening? We need it to confirm that the cabinet will fit." If a photo is needed, say what it should show rather than asking for a generic image. Give the client a convenient way to respond and record where the answer is stored. If a response conflicts with an earlier document, confirm which version is current before treating the requirement as satisfied. ## Where Areinum fits The demo lets an owner ask a general assistant about available information for a fictional business. For your own process, start by identifying the records needed and the result you want: a list of confirmed items, actual gaps, and questions to resolve them. A message prepared for a client still needs the appropriate review and a confirmed send. Check the availability of the required source and document workflow before relying on a product-specific implementation. ## Questions you may have ### How do I decide what to ask for? Work backward from the next decision or task. Request the information required to do it safely and accurately, and leave unrelated questions for a later stage if they are not needed yet. ### What if a client says they already sent a document? Check the places where you receive material and identify exactly what is missing. They may have sent a file that does not contain the required detail, or the file may not be accessible to the person doing the work. ### Can I start with some information still missing? Possibly, if the missing item does not block the immediate task and the risk is understood. Record who will obtain it and the point at which it becomes necessary. ### Does drafting a request mean the client has been contacted? No. A draft is ready for review; a sent message and a reply are later events. Keep the status accurate so the project does not appear ready before the information arrives. ## Sources and further reading - [Getting info from clients, r/taxpros](https://www.reddit.com/r/taxpros/comments/1sueoto/getting_info_from_clients/): A self-described practice co-owner reports missing documents despite individualized checklists and says clients may ignore automated requests. This is one person's account, not evidence of how common the problem is. This guide does not provide tax advice. Opened during drafting. This is a self-reported experience with unverified identity, not representative research or validation of this register. No tax recommendations are adopted. (2026-10-18) Download the original worksheet: https://areinum.com/guides/missing-client-project-information/missing-information-register.csv ## Project information completeness register Cedar Lane Studio, all people, file references and dates in the worked register are fictional examples. | Required item | Usable when | Received reference | Review status | Blocks next stage | Next action | Owner | Review date | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | Current service list | Client confirms current service names | Example folder: Cedar Lane / service-list-v2.pdf | Usable | No | Use in planning | Nora, delivery lead | 2026-10-18 | | Service areas | Client confirms one or both locations | Example kickoff email dated 2026-10-16 | Needs clarification | Yes: navigation planning | Ask client which locations are included | Eli, client contact | 2026-10-20 | | Photography | Client selects images for approved pages | Example folder: Cedar Lane / photos | Received and unchecked | No: needed at production | Review selection before production | Nora, delivery lead | 2026-10-23 | | Logo master | Vector file opens and matches approved identity | Example folder: Cedar Lane / logo.svg | Received and unchecked | No: needed at production | Open file and confirm version | Nora, delivery lead | 2026-10-21 | 1. Download the CSV and replace every fictional row before using it for a client. Keep sensitive files in their existing approved storage. 2. Write the minimum usable condition for each item, then review the actual material before changing its status. 3. Mark the specific stage a gap blocks. Start that stage only after its blocking items are resolved or explicitly reconsidered by the responsible person. 4. Use the next-action and owner columns to prepare a targeted follow-up. Record confirmed exemptions explicitly. ### Limits of this method - The reviewer must define and inspect the requirements; an uploaded file does not establish completeness. - The method covers readiness for a chosen stage. Website content collection page by page is a separate job. ## Related reading - [How to organize business documents across email and chat](https://areinum.com/guides/organize-business-documents-across-email-and-chat/) - [How to track a client inquiry across email and chat](https://areinum.com/guides/track-client-inquiry-across-channels/) - [One conversation for the work behind your business](https://areinum.com/product/assistant/) Explore the demo: https://platform.areinum.com/ The demo uses sample business data and is in English. Access may need to be arranged.