Phase 4: Communication and activation
Estimated time: ~1 hour to prepare materials; communication runs over 2–4 weeks
Responsible: Project lead, Help desk Lead, Executive sponsor
Outcome: All users are notified, guided through onboarding, and have a clear point of contact for support.
4.1 Communication strategy
A structured communication sequence reduces help desk volume and improves adoption rates. Users who receive clear, step-by-step guidance are more likely to complete onboarding and less likely to ignore the invite.
Recommended sequence
| Timeline | Communication | Audience | Channel |
|---|---|---|---|
| T−7 days | Announcement: "Passwork is coming" | All users | Company email / intranet |
| T−3 days | Manager briefing | Department managers | Meeting or email |
| T+0 (launch day) | Invite email + Email 1: Welcome | All users | Passwork invite + email |
| T+2 days | Email 2: Security (2FA setup) | All users | |
| T+5 days | Email 3: Daily use (autofill, generator) | Users who activated | |
| T+10 days | Email 4: Team collaboration | Users who activated | |
| T+14 days | Follow-up to non-activated users | Users who did not activate | Email (from manager or IT) |
Pre-launch announcement
Send a brief announcement one week before launch explaining what Passwork is, why the organization is adopting it, and what users should expect. Include:
- What Passwork is and why the company is using it
- The launch date
- That users will receive an invite email
- Who to contact with questions
Having an executive sponsor send or co-sign the announcement increases response rates.
4.2 Activation kit
The Activation kit is a collection of materials that help users complete onboarding without requiring IT support at each step.
| Material | Description |
|---|---|
| Member onboarding guide | Link to the Member onboarding section in this documentation |
| Manager onboarding guide | Link to the Manager onboarding section |
| Email sequence | 4 pre-written emails (see Email templates) covering welcome, 2FA setup, daily use, and team collaboration |
| Quick reference card | One-page PDF summarizing the 5 onboarding steps for end users (create at your organization) |
| FAQ | Common questions and answers, prepared based on pilot feedback |
| Support contact | Dedicated email or Slack channel for Passwork questions during rollout |
4.3 Prepare the help desk
Brief your help desk team before the launch wave so they can respond confidently to user questions.
Cover these topics in the help desk briefing:
- How to find the Passwork URL
- How to accept an invite and complete registration
- How to set up 2FA (TOTP app and hardware key)
- How to install and connect the browser extension
- How to reset a local Passwork password (not the master password)
- What to do if a user loses their master password
- How to request access to a vault
The master password cannot be recovered by IT staff when client-side encryption is enabled. If a user loses their master password, they lose access to their encrypted private key. The only resolution is to re-initialize their account and re-grant access to all vaults. Communicate this clearly to users during onboarding.
Help desk escalation path
| Issue | Resolution |
|---|---|
| Cannot receive invite email | Check spam folder; verify email address with IT; verify mail service settings |
| Forgot Passwork login password | Admin resets via Settings → Users → User profile → Authentication |
| Forgot master password | Account must be re-initialized; all private vault content is permanently lost |
| Cannot see expected vault | Manager or admin grants access to the vault |
| 2FA app device lost or replaced | Admin opens the user profile → Authentication → click Reset next to the 2FA method. After reset, the user sets up 2FA again on their next login. |
| Passkey lost | Admin opens the user profile → Authentication → click Reset next to Passkey. User adds new passkeys after signing in with their password. |
| Browser extension not connecting | Verify the Passwork server URL; check VPN/network access; ensure the user has extension permissions in their role |
4.4 Track activation progress
Monitor onboarding progress through the Passwork admin panel during the rollout:
- Go to Settings and users → Invites and check for users who have not yet accepted their invite.
- Or go to Settings and users → Users and filter by Status: Unconfirmed to see users who are not activated yet.
Follow up with non-activated users and department managers for stragglers after the two-week mark.
Phase 4 completion criteria
- Pre-launch announcement sent
- Manager briefing completed
- invite emails sent to all target users
- Email sequence scheduled or ready to send
- Help desk briefed with FAQ and escalation path
- Activation progress reviewed at day 7 and day 14
- Follow-up sent to non-activated users
Proceed to Phase 5: Monitoring and ongoing management.