What does the easyAML account setup process involve?
Setup runs across the seven steps with an in-platform tutorial that guides the Compliance Officer through Risk Assessment, Program, training and integrations.
Setup runs across the seven steps of the customer-facing setup checklist — see the "Is there a customer-facing setup checklist?" entry above for the phase-by-phase summary. This entry covers what BDM/CS staff should know about how the journey plays out in practice.
In-platform tutorial behaviour. On first login, an interactive setup tutorial guides the Compliance Officer through the steps required to get the account operational. The tutorial is role-based — the CO sees the full setup; other users see only the steps relevant to their role. It persists across logins until all required steps are complete — the CO can leave the platform, return later, and pick up where they left off. Once setup is complete the tutorial drops away. The tutorial primarily covers Phases 1–3 of the published checklist (account setup, user invitations, Risk Assessment / Program generation); Phases 4–7 are managed outside the tutorial flow.
Time expectations. Most accounts complete the initial in-platform setup (Phases 1–3) in a single ~1-hour session if the CO sets aside the time. The Risk Assessment is the longest step at 25–30 minutes; inviting the team and assigning roles takes a few minutes each. Phase 4 (PDD and training) typically rolls out over several days because it involves multiple staff and external evidence-gathering (police checks etc.). The end-to-end journey from first login to operationally ready usually spans 1–3 weeks for a small firm with a focused CO; longer for larger firms.
What gates what — three critical-path dependencies:
- Risk Assessment gates AML Program generation. The Program cannot generate until the RA is approved.
- Role assignment gates training allocation. Training modules don't appear in a user's dashboard until their primary AML role is set.
- Training and (for CDD User and above) PDD complete-status gates operational CDD access. A user can perform CDD work only once their mandatory training is finished and their PDD is on file.
Common stuck-points. Where customers most often stall:
- AUSTRAC enrolment delays — the AAN is independent of the platform and managed via AUSTRAC Online. Customers can continue platform setup without it but can't lodge reports.
- 2IC not appointed before CO takes leave — the firm can't sign off transactions, lodge SMRs, or respond to AUSTRAC during the absence.
- Frontline Staff assigned to someone who needs sign-off authority — they can't sign off, creating a bottleneck where the CO must close every transaction at volume.
- Training left to the final week before go-live — operational CDD access is gated by mandatory module completion, so a delayed training rollout delays the practical go-live.
For the published customer-facing walkthrough, see https://knowledge.easyaml.com/set-up-checklist.
For the in-platform tutorial walkthrough specifically, see https://knowledge.easyaml.com/account-setup.