R&D Survey Scheduler
Decide how often your people are asked about their R&D work. The company sets its own cadence for periodic surveys, so evidence is collected regularly instead of once a year from memory.
Why a schedule helps
The difficulty with R&D records is rarely that people refuse to write them. It is that nobody thinks to, until the claim is being prepared and the details have faded. A schedule solves that by making the request regular and small. A question that arrives each month, about a project the person is working on now, gets a fresher and fuller answer than a request in January to recall the previous March. The scheduler is the part of TaxTrex, a Swanson Reed product, that sends those requests and keeps them on time.
What it does
The company sets its own cadence for periodic R&D surveys, so evidence is collected regularly instead of once a year. It decides who is asked, about which projects and how often, and the scheduler sends the surveys, sends reminders and files the answers with the project record. In white-label form, the surveys carry the partner's branding.
How it works
- 1
Set a cadence
Choose weekly, monthly or another rhythm, and decide which projects each survey covers.
- 2
Surveys go out
The right people receive the right questions, with a short, clear invitation.
- 3
Reminders
People who have not answered are reminded, and the coordinator can see who is outstanding.
- 4
Answers are filed
Responses are stored with the project record, with the date they were given.
Choosing a rhythm
The options available are confirmed by Swanson Reed. The right rhythm depends on your business.
| Rhythm | Suits | Watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Weekly | Fast-moving projects with frequent experiments | Survey fatigue if questions are repetitive |
| Monthly | Most teams, as a starting point to discuss | Details may fade between surveys |
| Quarterly | Slower projects or stretched teams | Gaps in the record between surveys |
| Milestone-based | Projects with clear phases | Needs someone to trigger each survey |
What you get
- Regular evidence instead of year-end recall.
- A rhythm that fits your business and can be changed.
- Visibility of who has answered and who has not.
- Answers filed automatically with the right project, with dates.
Writing good survey questions
The best questions are specific and easy to answer. "What did you work on?" invites a vague reply. "What was the main technical problem on the search project this month, and what did you try?" invites a useful one. Ask about uncertainty, alternatives and results, since those are what a reviewer looks for. Keep the number of questions small, and vary them a little so people do not answer on autopilot. If you want help with wording, we will suggest examples, but you know your projects best.
A worked example (illustrative)
This scenario is invented. A firm sets a monthly survey for four projects. Each technical lead receives three questions on the first Monday: the main technical challenge, what was tried and what the result was. A reminder goes out on Thursday to anyone who has not answered. By the second month, the coordinator notices that one lead's answers are one line long. She asks him to add detail on the experiments and shares an example of a good answer. The next month's answers are fuller. By year end, each project has twelve dated entries, which the reviewer reads as a story.
Keeping response rates high
Response rates depend more on culture than on software. If people see that the answers are used, and that the request takes minutes, they respond. If the survey feels like a chore with no purpose, they do not. Explain at the start why the answers matter, thank people when they respond and fix problems they raise. Have a named person follow up quietly with those who miss a survey. And review the questions occasionally, so they stay relevant.
Limits
The scheduler collects what people write. It cannot make them answer, and it cannot create evidence for periods when nobody was asked. Answers are the respondent's own words, and a reviewer should read them critically. The scheduler does not decide whether work qualifies and does not give tax advice. Integrations, review tiers and partner pricing are proposals until confirmed by Swanson Reed.
Integrations, review tiers and partner pricing are proposals until confirmed by Swanson Reed.
Sample questions for a monthly survey
Adapt the questions to your projects. Short and specific works best.
- What was the main technical challenge on this project this month?
- What did you try, and what happened?
- Was there anything you expected to work that did not?
- Did the direction of the project change, and why?
- Is there a file or result you can attach that shows this?
Using the answers
Survey answers are raw material. A coordinator can read them each month to spot trouble early: a project with no answers, a person whose replies are always brief, a topic that keeps coming up. A reviewer can read them in sequence at year end, as the story of a project. And a manager can use them to check that people agree on what a project is for. The scheduler gathers the answers, and people turn them into insight.
Changing the schedule
The first schedule is a guess. After a couple of cycles you will know whether the rhythm is right: too frequent and answers get thin, too rare and details fade. Adjust, and keep a note of the change and why, so the record is clear. If a project ends, close its surveys. If one starts, add it before the next cycle. A schedule that follows the work is more useful than one that was set once and forgotten.
Scheduler questions
Can different teams have different schedules?
That is the intention. Details are confirmed with Swanson Reed.
What if someone is away?
The coordinator can see who is outstanding and decide whether to wait, ask a colleague or note the gap.
Can surveys be changed mid-year?
The aim is that they can. Changes should be recorded so the history is clear.
Are survey answers private?
Access is limited by role and agreed in writing. Ask about the terms before you start.
Keep exploring
R&D Project Register
One list of the projects and business components behind an R&D claim, ready for Form 6765 Section G.
Learn moreR&D Evidence Vault
A safe place for the proof behind each R&D project: time-stamped notes, files and approvals.
Learn moreCost and Time Sync
Bring costs in from the ERP or accounting system and match them to projects using time data.
Learn moreClaim Pack Export
When the year is done, hand the reviewer a pack they can work from: draft forms and a supporting binder.
Learn morePlease note: Estimates and drafts are prepared by software for review by a licensed CPA or enrolled agent. This is not tax advice.
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