Overview

A census data collection project turns your annual census process into a structured, trackable workflow. Instead of chasing clients by email, you build one project that collects company updates, gathers participant data, tracks progress, and preps everything for review — automatically. Once set up, the same template works year after year.

Use this workflow for annual census collection, year-end administration, or any time you want to replace manual email follow-up with automated outreach and real-time status.

Prerequisites

Companies, plans, and client contacts are set up in CX, with contact roles assigned consistently.
An email template for census outreach.
An annual questionnaire (APQ) template, if you use one.

Step 1: Define the project structure

Create a new project template dedicated to annual census collection.
Add internal tasks for your team, such as reviewing submitted data and finalizing the census file.
Add client-facing tasks for updating company information, completing questionnaires, and submitting census data.
Assign a project lead to oversee progress.
Assign each task to the right role — for example, plan administrator, analyst, or client contact.
Add any automations that should launch follow-on projects when census collection completes (such as census review or compliance testing).

You now have a structured project with clear ownership and task order.

Step 2: Confirm the plan year and data mapping

Check that the Plan Year data field is set to the correct plan year. Update this every year before you launch.
Confirm the project data fields you need exist (such as plan year, census received date, or final approval date). You can set these up in Library > Views.

Important: An incorrect plan year will store census data in the wrong annual record and affect reporting.

Step 3: Configure the annual questionnaire (APQ)

Add a client task for completing the annual questionnaire.
Select the correct questionnaire template.
Configure the task so the completed response saves directly to the project record.
Map specific responses to data fields where useful — for example, ownership changes or contact updates.

When the plan sponsor finishes the questionnaire, the responses save automatically. No manual upload needed.

Step 4: Set up milestone tracking

Add log fields to capture key milestones: a. When census data is received. b. When internal review is complete. c. When final census approval is received.

These fields let you see when each milestone happened and report on timelines across plans.

Step 5: Configure client outreach

Add an automated email task that notifies the plan sponsor when census collection begins.
Select the email template.
Choose which contact roles should receive the request — for example, primary contact or payroll contact.
Confirm the email sends automatically when the project launches.

Note: If multiple contacts share the same role, they can all receive the email, depending on your configuration.

Step 6: Set due dates and reminders

Set due dates on the client-facing tasks.
Configure automated reminders before and after the due date.
Choose the reminder intervals and recipient roles.

Important: Match reminder timing to your service expectations. Too many reminders, too early, frustrates clients.

Step 7: Launch the project

Confirm the correct contacts are assigned to each plan.
Launch the project for the applicable plans — individually or in bulk.
Verify that the emails went out and the client tasks appear in the client portal.

You're all set! Census collection is in progress, and both your team and the plan sponsor can see exactly where things stand.

Tips

Update the Plan Year field first thing each season — it's the most common setup miss.
Launch a test project for one plan before launching in bulk.
Use the milestone fields to spot slow plans early in the season.

Creating and Launching Projects
Setting Project Due Dates and Milestones
Client Task Reminders
Bulk Actions on Tasks

Census Data Collection Projects