M
Mandi Peach
I'm a dedicated Akiflow user in the legal field. Akiflow is vital for my daily planning, but my core case/task management is in Clio Manage (www.clio.com). The lack of direct task integration creates significant daily inefficiency. I urgently request a native, two-way task synchronization feature between Akiflow and Clio Manage.
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  1. The Problem & Current Inefficient Workflow:
Clio Manage plays a pivotal role in helping law firms like mine to effectively handle client tasks, deadlines, and case information by streamlining essential operations. Clio acts as the central repository for all client-related tasks, deadlines, case information, and more. When it comes to task and deadline management, Clio’s functionality does not match the flexibility and efficiency offered by Akiflow. This disconnect is a barrier for my colleagues who are interested in Akiflow but need Clio integration.
My current workaround is an unsustainable manual process:
Daily Export/Modify/Import: Manually export Clio tasks, modify columns in csv export for Akiflow's fields, then copy-paste into a chat with Aki for deduplication and planning.
End-of-Day Reconciliation: Manually cross-reference Akiflow updates with Clio:
End-of-Day Reconciliation: Crucially, at the end of each workday, I must manually cross-reference my completed and updated tasks in Akiflow with the tasks in Clio Manage. This involves:
  • Reviewing Clio tasks to ensure I am updating the status of the correct task(s).
  • Updating task statuses or notes in Clio based on work done and tracked in Akiflow.
  • Entering the time spent on each task into the Estimated Time field.
  • Ensuring any new tasks added in Akiflow during the day (if related to Clio matters) are also created in Clio Manage.
  • Ensuring any new tasks added in Clio Manage post export are accounted for and planned accordingly in Akiflow.
This consumes a minimum of ~1 hour of billable time daily, risking human error, missed tasks or inaccurate case information. The lack of a seamless integration remains a key challenge that impacts efficiency and workflow consistency daily.
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  1. Limitations of Zapier/IFTTT for Clio Manage:
Zapier/IFTTT are insufficient for integrating Clio Manage with Akiflow due to:
  • Limited True Two-Way Sync: Real-time, comprehensive two-way updates (especially for changes/deletions from either platform) are often error-prone or unsupported.
  • Data Integrity/Field Mapping Issues: Reliably mapping Clio fields (e.g., Matters to Akiflow Projects) and ensuring data integrity via multi-step Zaps is difficult.
  • Delays & Looping: Sync delays disrupt workflow; misconfigured syncs risk data duplication.
  • Cost/Complexity: Reliable multi-step Zaps can be complex and costly.
A native integration is needed for a reliable connection.
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  1. Proposed Solution: Native Two-Way Sync
A direct, native Akiflow-Clio Manage integration with seamless two-way task sync. Key features:
Initial Bulk Sync: Sync all existing Clio matters and tasks to Akiflow.
Automatic Two-Way Sync and Updates:
  • Clio tasks automatically appear in Akiflow, with the Akiflow project matching the Clio Manager matter.
  • Akiflow tasks (optionally linked to Clio Matter/Client) created in Clio.
  • Near real-time updates to status, due dates, titles, descriptions in both platforms.
  • Deletion in one prompts option for deletion/archiving in the other.
Field Mapping (Highly Desirable): Map Clio fields (Matter, Client, Due Date, Priority, Description, Assignee) to Akiflow fields.
Conflict Resolution: Basic strategy for rare sync conflicts (e.g., default to most recent).
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  1. Why This Is Valuable:
For Legal Professionals:
  • Saves ~1 hour daily (manual entry).
  • Boosts productivity/focus by leveraging Akiflow's superior interface for planning / task management and Clio's strengths for case management without any disconnect
  • Reduces errors.
  • Streamlines task workflow.
For Akiflow:
  • Expands user base to Clio's large legal audience — this direct integration would make Akiflow significantly more attractive to legal staff seeking better task management solutions from Clio… which is many of them.
  • Offers competitive advantage.
  • Increases user engagement/retention.
  • Shows responsiveness to professional user needs.
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  1. Technical Feasibility (Clio API):
Clio Manage has a comprehensive API (https://docs.developers.clio.com/) supporting task operations, including creating, reading, updating, and deleting tasks. This suggests that a robust two-way sync is technically achievable.
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  1. Final Thoughts:
A native Clio Manage integration would be a game-changer for legal Akiflow users. I urge you to consider this. I'm willing to:
  • Beta test this feature.
  • Provide detailed workflow feedback.
  • Connect with other interested legal professionals for feedback.
Akiflow is a fantastic product, and this integration would make it an absolutely indispensable tool for my practice… and life.