New Customer Account Setup Checklist (Free)

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12 critical items still open - these are the highest-risk gaps.

Download checklist:

1. Legal, credit and compliance

Legal entity name and registered address verified against official documentsCRITICALCredit application received, signed and reviewedCRITICALCredit limit and payment terms approved by the credit managerCRITICALRestricted party and denied party screening completed and recordedCRITICALExport classification and destination checks done if shipping internationallyCRITICALSigned terms and conditions or master agreement on fileNDA in place if drawings or specifications will be sharedControlled-technical-data handling confirmed if applicable (defense or aerospace)

2. Tax and finance

Tax registration number captured (VAT, GST, EIN or local equivalent)CRITICALTax exemption or resale certificate on file and not expiredCRITICALBill-to address and invoice contact set upCurrency, payment method and bank remittance details confirmedE-invoicing or portal requirements identified (EDI, PEPPOL, fapiao, e-invoice)Customer purchase order requirement noted (PO mandatory or not)Dunning and statement contacts recorded

3. Sales, pricing and shipping

Sales area, rep and territory assignedCRITICALPrice list, contract price or discount structure assignedCRITICALShip-to addresses created with contacts, hours and dock instructionsIncoterms and freight terms agreedPreferred carriers, account numbers or routing guide capturedPackaging, labeling and documentation requirements recordedOrder acknowledgment and shipping notice contacts setLead time and service level expectations agreed

4. Quality and special requirements

Quality requirements and flow-down clauses reviewed (certificates, first article, source inspection)CRITICALCertificate of conformance and test report requirements notedCustomer-specific part numbers and revisions cross-referencedApproved supplier or vendor number received from the customerScorecard, KPI or portal reporting requirements knownCustomer property, consignment or tooling arrangements documented

5. ERP master data and go-live

Customer record created with unique customer number, no duplicates foundCRITICALDuplicate check performed on name, tax ID and addressCRITICALPartner functions, sales area data and company code data completeCredit hold rules and credit limit loaded in the ERPEDI or portal connection tested if usedTest order entered and cancelled to verify price, tax and shippingCustomer service team briefed on special instructionsApproval and creation date recorded for audit

Do not release the first order until every critical item is complete. Non-critical items can follow within the first 30 days but should be tracked.

Customer master data review

Optional: a review of duplicates and missing fields in your customer master.

Optional. The tool and every export work without this. No spam.

How to use the checklist

Run it once for each new customer. Tick items as information is received and keep the exported PDF with the credit file. Split ownership if useful: credit handles group 1 and 2, sales handles group 3, quality group 4 and master data group 5.

What belongs in the first week

Credit approval, restricted party screening and tax details block the first order, so chase them first. Pricing and shipping details can be agreed in parallel. For defense and aerospace work, confirm any export or controlled data handling needs before you share a single drawing.

Master data quality

A duplicate customer record splits credit exposure, history and pricing. Search on tax ID, legal name and address before creating a record. Keep the ERP customer record as the single source and avoid parallel spreadsheets for special instructions.

Common mistakes

Common issues are an expired exemption certificate, ship-to addresses missing dock hours, a credit limit loaded without payment terms, and quality flow-downs buried in an email. Add a test order before releasing the account.

Frequently Asked Questions

What information do I need to set up a new customer?

At minimum the legal name, bill-to and ship-to addresses, tax registration, credit terms, contacts, pricing, shipping terms and any quality or compliance requirements. Your ERP will demand a few additional fields.

Who should approve a new customer account?

Typically credit or finance approves terms and limits, sales confirms pricing, and compliance clears screening. Master data teams then create the record only after approvals are on file.

How do I prevent duplicate customer records?

Search by tax ID, normalized name and address before creating a record, and use ERP duplicate checks where available. Periodically run a duplicate report and merge or block extras.

Do I need to screen customers against restricted party lists?

Most exporters do, especially in aerospace, defense and electronics. The rules depend on your country and products, so confirm your obligations with your compliance team.

If you are cleaning up or migrating customer master data, we can help with duplicate detection and validation rules in your ERP. The checklist is free by itself.

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