Onboarding is the name of the process during which IBM? sets up your company and your trading partners to access Sterling File Transfer Service. You can have IBM configure Sterling File Transfer Service in various ways. Sterling File Transfer Service can be set up for data to originate from your trading partners who would push data to IBM and to your Sterling File Transfer Service account. You can also have it set up so that you poll periodically logging in and retrieving data from your Sterling File Transfer Service account.

You will receive help from IBM in getting started with Sterling File Transfer Service. The following table shows the general sequence of steps in the onboarding process. The columns on the right show who performs the task: a designated person from IBM or your company contact person. The steps after the table correspond to the steps in the table and provide additional information.

1. IBM sends you a Welcome Letter and questionnaire.
2. You send the completed questionnaire to IBM.
3. IBM grants you access to Sterling File Transfer Service.
4. Test your connection to Sterling File Transfer Service working with IBM as necessary.
5. IBM onboards your trading partners.
6. After your trading partners are onboarded IBM sends you information on how to contact IBM customer support for assistance in the future.