Create a Master Engagement

Master engagements allow firms to use template engagements that are created and maintained by the firm. Typically, when a firm chooses to create master engagements, staff are instructed to create new client engagements based on the applicable master engagement rather than a PPC Tools title. Information the firm enters in the master engagement is automatically inserted in the new client engagement.
When rolling forward a prior-period engagement, you have the option of merging the prior-period client engagement with a selected master engagement, as described in the Merge a Client Engagement with a Master Engagement topic. This allows you to effectively use master engagements without losing the documentation you created in the prior-period engagement.
To create a new master engagement:
  1. On the
    File
    menu, click
    New
    .
  2. Click
    Master Engagement
    .
    The Create Master Engagement window appears.
  3. Enter the appropriate master engagement information.
    • Select the database. (Use the
      Browse
      button to locate a remote machine/database.)
    • Enter the master group name (or select the name from the drop-down list).
    • Enter a name for the master engagement.
    • Enter the engagement date, or click
      Date
      to select from a calendar.
    • Select an engagement type from the drop down. Depending on your selection of the engagement type, another drop down may appear.
    • In case of the Review engagement type or Compilation engagement type, select a review type or compilation type as appropriate.
  4. Click
    Next
    .
  5. On the next window, select a practice aid title for this engagement. (Only licensed and installed practice aid titles are listed.)
If you select a practice aids title with SMART Start data, you may see an option ‘Use SMART Start?’ which you can answer with ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. (The default is set to ‘No’.)
  1. Select the
    SMART Practice Aids
    modules you want to include in the master engagement.
The modules available to include in the engagement depend on the engagement type you choose (in Step 3), and the system automatically selects modules, disables modules or provides the ability to enable modules based on the practice aid title you choose (in Step 5) for the engagement. For example, in a Review or Compilation engagement type, only
Compilation and Review
and
Disclosure
modules are available.
  1. Answer the question for Engagement Management Software. You can click on the 'Help me decide' link for more information. (See Engagement Setup Fieldwork.)
  2. Click
    Next
    .
  3. On the next window, select the areas to include in the master engagement by selecting the appropriate check boxes in the
    Include
    column.
  1. Click
    Next
    .
  2. Answer the setup questions displayed by selecting ‘Yes’ or ‘No’ as appropriate. You may click on the ‘Explain’ link to help you answer the question or click on the icon to add a comment. (See SMART Engagement Setup Questions.)
  1. Click
    Finish
    .
  2. Complete any information you want to include in the master engagement. Information added to this engagement will be imported into any client engagements created using the master.