Employee Training for Using the Project Management Agent and Dashboards

1. Purpose

This SOP explains how employees should properly use the project-management agent, dashboards, tracker workbook, and draft-email workflow to manage remodel and field projects.

The goal is to make sure employees:

• Ask the agent for the right work
• Use the correct dashboard for their role
• Keep project data consistent
• Avoid sending incomplete or incorrect communications
• Escalate issues early instead of hiding them in notes or memory

2. Scope

This SOP covers:

• Using the project-management agent in chat
• Using project dashboards
• Using the project tracker workbook
• Using saved draft emails
• Updating project packs
• Basic rules for approvals, escalation, and documentation

3. Systems and Files

Agent Skill

skills/ice-project-manager/SKILL.md

Project Folder Pattern

project-management/<site-id>-<city-state>/

Site 2726 Files

• project-brief.md — scope, contacts, and key dates
• action-checklist.md — running task list
• risk-log.md — active risks and mitigations
• weekly-lookahead-board.md — week-by-week planning
• site-2726-tracker.xlsx — structured data workbook
• Dashboards: standard, executive, field-ops

Portfolio Dashboard

project-management/project-portfolio-dashboard.html

4. Definitions

• Agent — The AI assistant used to analyze emails, build project packs, draft updates, and maintain project documentation.
• Project pack — The set of files for one site: brief, checklist, risk log, dashboards, and tracker.
• Dashboard — A visual project view for monitoring priorities, deadlines, risks, and status.
• Tracker workbook — The Excel workbook for risks, AP tracking, inventory, ports, and checklists.
• Draft email — A prepared email saved for later review and sending.

5. Roles

5.1 Executive / Owner / Senior Manager

Use: executive dashboard, portfolio dashboard, project brief, risk log.

Purpose: see project health quickly, identify escalations, review communications.

5.2 Project Manager / Coordinator

Use: standard dashboard, project brief, weekly look-ahead board, tracker, draft email pack.

Purpose: manage scope, deadlines, risks, and communication.

5.3 Field Lead / Onsite Employee

Use: field-ops dashboard, action checklist, daily update draft, tracker workbook.

Purpose: execute night-by-night work, document cables/ports/photos, escalate issues early.

6. Core Operating Rules

1. Do not trust memory alone. If it matters, it goes into the project files or tracker.
2. Do not send external communication without approval unless explicitly authorized.
3. Do not invent or assume missing facts. Mark unclear items as unconfirmed.
4. Use the correct dashboard for your role. Field staff should not rely on the executive view.
5. Escalate early. Surface problems with ports, materials, photos, access, OT approvals, and construction conflicts immediately.
6. Keep the tracker and dashboards aligned. Refresh the portfolio dashboard after material project pack changes.
7. Daily updates must reflect actual work completed, not intended work.

7. Standard Employee Workflow

Step 1. Identify the project

Before asking the agent for help, know: site ID, city and state, current week or phase, and what kind of help is needed (startup, daily update, risk review, inventory notice, port request, escalation).

Step 2. Open the correct dashboard

• Standard view: site-2726-dashboard.html
• Executive view: site-2726-dashboard-executive.html
• Field-ops view: site-2726-dashboard-field-ops.html
• Portfolio: project-portfolio-dashboard.html

Step 3. Review current priorities

Check: current priorities, critical deadlines, top risks, week-specific must-do items, and open communication tasks.

Step 4. Ask the agent for one clear task

Step 5. Review outputs before acting

Check: dates, names and email recipients, whether placeholders remain, whether contradictions were flagged, and whether anything external is waiting for approval.

Step 6. Approve or correct

If good: approve, save, and send if authorized. If incomplete: tell the agent what is missing and provide the missing facts.

8. Using the Dashboards

Standard Dashboard

General status review, key deadlines, draft email status, AP tracking, top risks, and file navigation. Best for PMs and coordinators.

Executive Dashboard

Decision points, top risk stack, leadership checkpoints, major milestones. Best for briefing leadership.

Field Ops Dashboard

Nightly checklist, photo shot list, shift discipline, escalation rules, AP and switch/port focus. Use before and during active shifts.

Portfolio Dashboard

All tracked projects — opening individual dashboards quickly and spotting which sites are in startup, active, or closeout phases.

9. Using the Tracker Workbook

Required Tabs

• Overview — basic project facts
• Weekly Board — week-by-week sequence and status
• Risks — log real risks and mitigations
• AP Tracking — verify new and moved APs
• Daily Updates — actual work history
• Inventory — received, missing, and backordered items
• Port Requests — requests sent to Night Support / Phil
• Startup Checklist — control startup completion

Rules

• Update the workbook the same day the information is learned.
• Use plain, factual language.
• Do not delete historical entries.
• Do not mark items complete unless the work is actually done.
• If something is blocked, mark it blocked and explain why.

10. Using Draft Emails

Employees may

• Open drafts, fill in placeholders, review recipients and subject lines
• Request edits from the agent
• Route drafts for approval

Employees may not

• Send externally without approval unless explicitly authorized
• Leave placeholders like <ITEM> or <DAY 1> in a final draft
• Change recipients casually without understanding the escalation path

Typical draft categories

Date clarification, morning meeting plan, initial photo package, inventory/backorder notice, grounding material needs, port request, DMB/MOKA turn-up, escalation note.

11. Training Prompts

Startup and Planning

• Build a project pack from Wayne's latest email.
• Tell me what is due this week for Site 2726.
• Update the weekly look-ahead board from the new email thread.

Daily Operations

• Draft the daily update from these field notes.
• Turn these handwritten notes into a Wayne-compliant update.
• Add these blockers to the risk log and tracker.

Communication

• Draft a port request to Phil using these devices and switch ports.
• Create an escalation email for a delayed conduit install.
• Save this email as a draft instead of sending it.

Dashboard and Records

• Update the dashboard and tracker for Site 2726.
• Refresh the portfolio dashboard after creating this project pack.
• Summarize the top 5 risks for leadership.

12. Escalation Standards

• Initial photo deadline is at risk
• Inventory cannot be completed within 24 hours of receipt
• Material shortages or backorders threaten progress
• AP locations do not match prints or field expectations
• Switch / port / closet naming does not reconcile
• Port allocation is blocking device turn-up
• OT approval documentation is missing
• Grounding requires outside trade coordination and is not aligned
• Pharmacy, deli, signage, or construction dependencies are unclear

When escalating, include: issue, site and area affected, schedule impact, what has already been checked, and what help is needed.

13. Prohibited Behaviors

• Send unapproved external emails
• Mark blocked work as complete
• Hide missing information
• Ignore contradictions in customer instructions
• Wait until end of project to document ports, photos, or grounding status
• Rely on personal memory instead of project files and tracker
• Rewrite dashboards manually when underlying project files should be updated instead

14. Manager Training Checklist

• Open the correct dashboard for their role
• Explain the difference between standard, executive, field-ops, and portfolio views
• Ask the agent for a clear project-management task
• Draft a daily update from raw notes
• Log a risk correctly
• Log an inventory issue correctly
• Prepare a port request correctly
• Identify when approval is needed before sending email
• Identify when an issue should be escalated

15. Minimum Onboarding Exercise

Each new employee must complete this training scenario:

1. Open the Site 2726 field-ops dashboard.
2. Identify the week-1 must-do items.
3. Ask the agent to draft a daily update from sample field notes.
4. Ask the agent to draft a port request.
5. Review the tracker workbook and log one sample blocker.
6. Explain when the escalation draft should be used.
7. Explain why the portfolio dashboard should be refreshed after new project packs are created.

16. File Governance and Maintenance

• The project pack is the source of truth.
• Dashboards should reflect the source files, not replace them.
• Rebuild the portfolio dashboard after new or materially updated project packs.
• Refresh command: skills/ice-project-manager/scripts/refresh-portfolio-dashboard.sh

17. Quick-Reference Summary