---
title: "Track Progress with the Slate for Admissions Implementation Checklist"
slug: "implementation-checklist"
description: "Download the Slate for Admissions Implementation Checklist to track your team's progress."
updated: 2026-04-10T22:03:58Z
published: 2026-04-10T22:03:58Z
canonical: "knowledge.technolutions.net/implementation-checklist"
---

> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://knowledge.technolutions.net/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Implementation Checklist

The **implementation checklist** is a project plan you can follow to build out essential operations in Slate.

💾 [Download a copy](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/Slate%20Implementation%20Checklist.xlsx) and check off rows as you progress.

## Phase I: Preparation

🔗 **Associated article:** [Phase I: Preparation](/v1/docs/phase-i-preparation-1)

### Step 1: Establishing Your Team

🔗 **Associated article:** [Step 1: Establishing Your Team](/v1/docs/preparation-step-1-establishing-your-team)

- [ ] Select Slate Admins
- [ ] Select steering committee members
- [ ] Initiate conversations with IT about integration with SIS
- [ ] Initiate conversations with academic departments and other campus stakeholders
- [ ] Schedule regular team meetings
- [ ] Attend a Getting Started Community Conversation

### Step 2: Get Slate Certified

🔗 **Associated article:** [Step 2: Get Slate Certified](/docs/preparation-step-2-getting-slate-certified)

- [ ] Provision user accounts for Fundamentals course attendees
- [ ] Register for Fundamentals of Admission and Enrollment in Learning Lab
- [ ] Complete Fundamentals of Admissions and Enrollment

### Step 3: Reviewing Current Processes

🔗 **Associated article:** [Step 3: Reviewing Current Processes](/v1/docs/preparation-step-3-reviewing-current-processes)

- [ ] Define project scope and catalog your processes, needs, expected integrations, and deadlines
- [ ] Document current processes

## Phase II: Roadmap

🔗 **Associated article:** [Phase II: The Roadmap](/v1/docs/phase-ii-the-roadmap)

- [ ] Review Roadmap best practices

### Roadmap Step 1: Slate Essentials

🔗 **Associated article:** [Roadmap Step 1: Slate Essentials](/v1/docs/roadmap-step-1-slate-essentials)

#### Initial configurations

- [ ] Review configuration keys for high-level settings for your instance
- [ ] Set up DKIM (DomainKeys Identified Mail)
- [ ] Update default message group name from placeholder

#### Users and permissions

- [ ] Customize the existing roles (Academic Advisor, Admission Counselor, and Admissions Inbox) as needed
- [ ] Create additional roles and permissions
- [ ] Establish population-based permissions
- [ ] Add realms to your database
- [ ] Enable multi-factor authentication
- [ ] Add users, manually or by import

#### The person record

- [ ] Customize the person record dashboard
- [ ] Update the information on the custom tab
- [ ] Customize the standard person record tabs
- [ ] Create custom interactions
- [ ] Learn how the Opt Out tag works
- [ ] Create tags

#### Fields and prompts

- [ ] Review field settings
- [ ] Make adjustments to existing custom fields to suit your process
- [ ] Create additional custom fields
- [ ] Review prompt settings
- [ ] Make adjustments to existing custom prompts to suit your process
- [ ] Replace placeholder values for `entry_term` in 4 year and K-12 models, `term` in 2 year models

#### Forms

- [ ] Customize the Request for Information (RFI) Form, including form communications
- [ ] Create Origin Sources

#### Queries

- [ ] Familiarize yourself with the query elements
- [ ] Explore the pre-configured queries and create more to suit your needs
- [ ] Configure the Data Export - SFTP (Slate to SIS) query
- [ ] Configure the Document Export query
- [ ] Configure the Voyager: Domestic Travel Planning query (4 Year model only)

#### Automation

- [ ] (Optional) Customize person record search criteria with person index/header rules
- [ ] (Optional) Adjust, add new person status rules as needed
- [ ] Customize existing staff assignment rules, create new ones as needed

#### Branding

- [ ] Update the default “Slate University” branding

#### Other data structures

- [ ] Consider creating a custom dataset

### Roadmap Step 2: Outreach

🔗 **Associated article:** [Roadmap Step 2: Outreach](/v1/docs/roadmap-step-2-outreach)

#### Deliver foundations

- [ ] Familiarize yourself briefly with Deliver capabilities
- [ ] Whiteboard a communication plan
- [ ] Configure existing system emails, and optionally add your own
- [ ] Customize the existing email template, or create your own templates from scratch
- [ ] Create a drip marketing campaign
- [ ] Create additional mailings as needed using dynamic content blocks and Liquid markup
- [ ] Configure Inbox for email communications

#### More Deliver features

- [ ] Send real-world print communications with Slate Print
- [ ] Develop a calling campaign with Slate Voice
- [ ] Learn how to engage applicants with Slate Video
- [ ] Purchase Slate Credits as needed.

#### Events

- [ ] Configure existing event templates
- [ ] Create additional templates as needed
- [ ] Configure existing event template communications

#### Interviews & appointments

- [ ] (2 Year only) Configure Academic Advising Session interview template
- [ ] Create additional interview templates as needed
- [ ] Have users add their external calendars in Availability

### Roadmap Step 3: Historical Data Migration

🔗 **Associated article:** [Roadmap Step 3: Historical Data Migration](/v1/docs/roadmap-step-3-historical-data-migration)

- [ ] Import historical person records
- [ ] Use Consolidate Records to handle duplicates
- [ ] (Optional) Import historical applications

### Roadmap Step 4: Processing applications

🔗 **Associated article:** [Roadmap Step 4: Processing Applications](/v1/docs/roadmap-stage-4-application-and-reader-processes)

#### Configuring periods and rounds

- [ ] Configure placeholder periods and rounds

#### The Slate-Hosted application

- [ ] Configure, add, remove application pages as needed
- [ ] Configure existing application creation form and its communications
- [ ] Configure application submission requirements
- [ ] Review application logic
- [ ] Configure Slate-hosted recommendations

#### Imported applications

- [ ] Configure application source import
- [ ] Configure recommendations import

#### Additional application configurations

- [ ] Configure the standard applicant status portal
- [ ] Create additional application communications in Deliver as necessary
- [ ] Customize application status, fee rules
- [ ] Configure application sharing with Slate.org

#### Collecting application materials

- [ ] Create materials collected as part of the application.
- [ ] Create checklist items.
- [ ] Automate checklist assignment via rules.
- [ ] Optional: Create a missing checklist item recurring email.
- [ ] Optional: Import Financial Aid Checklist items.

#### Reader and worfklows

- [ ] Customize the application review workflow
- [ ] Customize Reader Portal Dashboard
- [ ] Customize Workflow Views
- [ ] Configure Reader permissions
- [ ] Customize and activate bin movement rules
- [ ] Customize, create new Reader review forms
- [ ] Create additional workflows as necessary

#### Decisions

- [ ] Review, customize decision codes
- [ ] (Optional) Create decision reasons
- [ ] Customize letter templates
- [ ] Customize decision reply form
- [ ] Customize the decision notification system email
- [ ] Configure, activate decision reply form rules
- [ ] Configure, activate decision rules
- [ ] Add financial aid letters and decisions
- [ ] Test your decision release process

### Roadmap Step 5: Integrations

🔗 **Associated article:** [Roadmap Step 5: Integrations](/v1/docs/roadmap-stage-5-integrations)

#### Sending data to your SIS

- [ ] Configure data export to your SIS

#### Managing recurring imports with source formats and Upload Dataset

- [ ] Add and configure standard source formats from Source Format Library as necessary
- [ ] Create custom source formats as necessary
- [ ] Create service accounts for integration access as needed

#### Managing document imports with Batch Acquire

- [ ] Use the Batch Acquire tool, or create a custom Document Import Processor source format

#### Managing duplicate records

- [ ] If you haven’t already, familiarize yourself with the Consolidate Records tool

#### Payments

- [ ] Establish how you will collect Payments through Slate: using Slate Payments or a third-party provider

### Roadmap Step 6: Reporting & wrap-up

🔗 **Associated article:** [Roadmap Step 6: Reporting and wrap-up](/docs/roadmap-stage-6-reporting)

- [ ] Add Ping to institutional websites
- [ ] Build reports, dashboards as necessary
- [ ] Conduct training for end-users
- [ ] Prep for go-live

## Phase III: Year one & beyond

🔗 **Associated article:** [Phase III: Year one & beyond](/v1/docs/phase-iii-year-one-beyond)

- [ ] Refine existing processes
- [ ] Add more Slate functionality
- [ ] Train staff
- [ ] Practice good Slate Stewardship
- [ ] Get Slate Certified Professional
- [ ] Submit a Summit proposal!

## Attachments

- [Slate Implementation Checklist.xlsx](https://cdn.us.document360.io/cd8ea7a6-07f3-4846-a554-627ac016d3e3/Images/Documentation/Slate Implementation Checklist.xlsx)