Getting Started with iSu Technologies Document Hub

Getting Started with iSu Technologies Document Hub

New Team Member Onboarding Guide

Last Updated: November 8, 2025 Estimated Time: 30 minutes Version: 1.0

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👋 Welcome to iSu Technologies!

This guide will help you get up to speed with our document management system in 30 minutes or less.

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🎯 What You’ll Learn

1. How our document hub is organized
2. Where to find what you need
3. How to create and save documents
4. Document standards and best practices
5. Who to ask for help

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📚 Step 1: Understand the Structure (5 minutes)

Our documents are organized into 6 main categories:

1. Marketing 📧

When you need it: Sending emails to prospects, partners, or clients

What’s there:

• Email templates (education institutions, NGOs, SETAs, government, partnerships)
• Follow-up email templates
• Event/exhibition request templates
• Email tracking tools

Quick access: /docs/marketing/

Your first task: Browse /docs/marketing/EMAIL_TEMPLATES_CHEAT_SHEET.md for quick reference

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2. Business Development 💼

When you need it: Writing proposals, responding to RFPs, creating business cases

What’s there:

• Proposal templates and examples
• RFP/RFI response templates
• Business case templates
• Pitch deck materials
• Opportunity assessment templates

Quick access: /docs/business-development/

Your first task: Review a completed business case in /business-development/business-cases/ to see our standard

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3. Projects 📊

When you need it: Working on client projects, documenting deliverables

What’s there:

• Project documentation templates (charter, specs, reports)
• Active project folders (MGSLG, SACE, etc.)
• Completed project archives
• Handover documentation

Quick access: /docs/projects/

Your first task: Look at /projects/templates/ to see how we structure project docs

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4. Operations ⚙️

When you need it: Following company procedures, taking meeting notes

What’s there:

• Company policies and procedures
• Workflow documentation
• Meeting notes templates
• Internal process guides

Quick access: /docs/operations/

Your first task: Read key policies relevant to your role

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5. Knowledge Base 🧠

When you need it: Learning from past projects, finding best practices

What’s there:

• Client case studies
• Lessons learned from projects
• Best practices documentation
• Industry research and insights

Quick access: /docs/knowledge-base/

Your first task: Read 2-3 case studies to understand our impact and approach

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6. Templates 📝

When you need it: Creating any new document

What’s there:

• Templates for proposals, business cases, project docs
• Meeting notes templates
• Report templates
• Memo and communication templates

Quick access: /docs/templates/

Your first task: Bookmark this folder - you’ll use it constantly

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🔍 Step 2: Find What You Need (10 minutes)

Method 1: Use the Master Index

👉 Start here: /docs/00-INDEX/MASTER_INDEX.md

The master index has:

• Quick navigation by department
• “I need to…” task-based navigation
• Complete directory structure
• Common tasks table

Try it now: Open MASTER_INDEX.md and find where you’d go to write a proposal.

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Method 2: Use Your Code Editor Search

If you know what you’re looking for:

1. Search by keyword:

   • Press Cmd + Shift + F (Mac) or Ctrl + Shift + F (Windows)
   • Type keyword (e.g., “proposal”, “SETA”, “meeting notes”)
   • Browse results

2. Search by file name:

   • Press Cmd + P (Mac) or Ctrl + P (Windows)
   • Type partial file name
   • Select from results

Try it now: Search for “business case” and see what you find.

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Method 3: Browse Category README Files

Each main folder has a README.md that explains:

• What’s in that category
• How to use it
• Key documents
• Quick links

Try it now: Open /docs/marketing/INDEX.md to see marketing hub overview.

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📝 Step 3: Create Your First Document (10 minutes)

Scenario: You Need to Write a Proposal

Step-by-step process:

1. Find the Template

Go to: /docs/templates/business-development/proposal-template.md

2. Copy Template to Appropriate Folder

• Copy the template file
• Paste into: /docs/business-development/proposals/
• Rename following our convention: YYYY-MM-DD-client-name-proposal.md
• Example: 2025-11-15-acme-university-proposal.md

3. Fill in Metadata Header

Every document starts with metadata:

---
title: Proposal for ACME University
type: Proposal
category: Business Development
version: 1.0
created: 2025-11-15
updated: 2025-11-15
author: Your Name
status: Draft
client: ACME University
---

4. Customize the Content

• Replace all [PLACEHOLDERS] with actual information
• Use our standard metrics (78% accuracy, 134% ROI, etc.)
• Follow the structure provided in template
• Personalize for the specific client

5. Review Against Checklist

Templates include review checklists. Use them!

• All placeholders replaced?
• Client name spelled correctly?
• Metrics accurate and up-to-date?
• Grammar and spelling checked?
• Appropriate tone for audience?

6. Save and Update Version

• Save your document
• If you make major changes later, update version number
• Update “updated” date in metadata

7. Share with Team (if needed)

• Commit to Git if using version control
• Or share via Office 365 if collaborating
• Notify relevant team members

Practice now: Create a practice proposal using template (you can delete it after).

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🎯 Step 4: Learn Document Standards (5 minutes)

File Naming Convention

Document Type	Naming Format	Example
Dated documents	YYYY-MM-DD-description.md	2025-11-08-mgslg-followup.md
Client documents	client-name-document-type.md	acme-university-proposal.md
Templates	document-type-template.md	proposal-template.md
General docs	descriptive-name.md	email-templates-cheat-sheet.md

Rules:

• ✅ Use lowercase
• ✅ Use hyphens (not underscores or spaces)
• ✅ Be descriptive but concise
• ✅ Include dates for time-sensitive docs

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Folder Naming Convention

• ✅ Use lowercase
• ✅ Use hyphens for multi-word folders
• ✅ Keep names short but descriptive
• ✅ Number folders if order matters (e.g., 01-introduction, 02-setup)

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Document Metadata

Every document should start with metadata header:

---
title: [Document Title]
type: [Proposal/Template/Guide/Policy/Report/Case Study]
category: [Marketing/Business Development/Projects/Operations/Knowledge Base]
version: 1.0
created: YYYY-MM-DD
updated: YYYY-MM-DD
author: [Your Name]
status: [Draft/Review/Approved/Archived]
tags: [relevant, keywords]
---

This helps with:

• Finding documents later
• Tracking versions
• Knowing document status
• Understanding document purpose

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Version Control

Version	Meaning	When to Use
v1.0	Initial release	First complete version
v1.1, v1.2, etc.	Minor updates	Small changes, corrections, additions
v2.0, v3.0, etc.	Major revisions	Significant restructuring or changes

When to update version:

• ✅ Fixing typos/grammar = no version change (just update date)
• ✅ Adding section or minor content = increment minor (v1.1 → v1.2)
• ✅ Major restructure or purpose change = increment major (v1.x → v2.0)

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🤝 Step 5: Know Who to Ask (2 minutes)

Document-Related Questions

Question Type	Ask…
”Where do I find…?”	Check MASTER_INDEX.md first, then ask team lead
”How do I create…?”	Check /templates/ first, then ask document owner
”Is this document current?”	Check metadata “updated” date, verify with owner
”Can I change this document?”	Check document owner in metadata
”What’s our process for…?”	Check /operations/workflows/

Category Owners

Category	Owner	When to Contact
Marketing	[Marketing Lead]	Email templates, campaigns, brand questions
Business Development	[BD Lead]	Proposals, RFPs, business cases
Projects	[Project Manager]	Project docs, deliverables, client work
Operations	[Operations Lead]	Policies, procedures, internal processes
Knowledge Base	[Team Lead]	Case studies, lessons learned, research

Technical Questions (Phase 2+)

Question	Ask…
Git/GitHub issues	[Technical Lead]
Website access (docs.isutech.co.za)	[Technical Lead]
Permissions/access control	[Leadership]

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✅ Quick Checklist: Are You Ready?

After 30 minutes, you should be able to:

• Navigate to all 6 main document categories
• Find the master index and use it for navigation
• Search for documents using keyword search
• Locate and use a template
• Understand file naming conventions
• Add proper metadata to a document
• Know who to ask for help

If you checked all boxes: You’re ready! Start exploring and using the system.

If you’re missing some: That’s okay! Spend another 10-15 minutes on those areas.

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🚀 Your First Week Tasks

Day 1: Orientation

• Complete this getting started guide (30 min)
• Browse MASTER_INDEX.md (10 min)
• Explore your department’s category (20 min)
• Read 2-3 templates relevant to your role (30 min)

Day 2-3: Deep Dive

• Read all policies in /operations/policies-procedures/ (1 hour)
• Review 3-5 case studies in /knowledge-base/case-studies/ (1 hour)
• Practice creating a document using a template (30 min)

Day 4-5: Apply Learning

• Create your first real document using our system
• Share with team lead for feedback
• Ask questions about anything unclear
• Contribute any improvements you see

Week 2+: Mastery

• Use document hub daily
• Suggest improvements or new templates
• Help newer team members
• Contribute to knowledge base (lessons learned, best practices)

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💡 Pro Tips for New Team Members

1. Bookmark These Files

Keep these handy in your browser/editor:

• /docs/00-INDEX/MASTER_INDEX.md - Your home base
• /docs/marketing/EMAIL_TEMPLATES_CHEAT_SHEET.md - Quick email reference
• /docs/templates/ - Template library (you’ll use constantly)

2. Use Templates, Always

Never start from blank document. Always:

1. Find relevant template
2. Copy template
3. Customize for your need

Templates ensure consistency and save time.

3. Read Examples Before Creating

Before writing your first proposal/business case/etc.:

• Read 2-3 completed examples
• See what “good” looks like
• Learn our style and standards
• Then use template to create yours

4. Update Metadata Diligently

It seems tedious, but it’s crucial:

• Always fill in metadata header
• Update “updated” date when you change document
• Increment version for significant changes
• Add your name as author

Future you (and your teammates) will thank you.

5. Ask Questions Early

Don’t struggle in silence:

• If you can’t find something → ask
• If template is unclear → ask
• If you’re unsure about process → ask
• Better to ask than to do it wrong

6. Contribute Knowledge

After completing a project or task:

• Add lessons learned to /knowledge-base/lessons-learned/
• Update templates if you found gaps
• Share best practices you discovered
• Help make system better for next person

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🎓 Additional Learning Resources

Document Standards Deep Dive

📖 Read: /docs/00-INDEX/DOCUMENT_STANDARDS.md ⏱️ Time: 20 minutes

Comprehensive guide to:

• Detailed naming conventions
• Metadata requirements
• Version control practices
• Document lifecycle management
• Quality standards

Department-Specific Guides

Each category has detailed documentation:

Category	Guide	Time
Marketing	/marketing/QUICK_START_GUIDE.md	10 min
Marketing	/marketing/EMAIL_TEMPLATES_CHEAT_SHEET.md	5 min
Business Development	/business-development/README.md	15 min
Projects	/projects/README.md	15 min
Operations	/operations/README.md	15 min

Real-World Examples

Study these exemplary documents:

• /marketing/EXAMPLE_CUSTOMIZED_EMAILS.md - See how templates become personalized emails
• /business-development/business-cases/ - Review completed business cases
• /knowledge-base/case-studies/ - Read client success stories

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🆘 Common Questions from New Team Members

Q: Do I need to know Git to use this system?

A: Not for Phase 1! Just:

• Navigate folders like normal
• Open/edit files in your editor or Office 365
• Save files in correct locations

In Phase 2 (website), it’s even easier - just browse via web browser.

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Q: Can I edit existing documents?

A: Check document metadata for owner. If:

• You’re the owner → Yes, edit freely
• Shared document → Yes, but increment version and note changes
• Template → No, copy template instead of editing original
• Not sure → Ask document owner first

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Q: What if I don’t find a template for what I need?

A:

1. Check if similar template exists that you can adapt
2. If not, create document using general best practices
3. Share with team lead - maybe it should become a template!
4. Add to /templates/ if it’s reusable

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Q: How often should documents be updated?

A:

• Templates: Review annually or when process changes
• Policies: Review annually or per compliance requirements
• Project docs: Update in real-time as project progresses
• Case studies: Update when new results/data available
• Market research: Update quarterly or when major changes occur

Check metadata “updated” date. If >12 months old and still in use, probably needs review.

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Q: What’s the difference between /templates/ and category folders?

A:

• /templates/ = Reusable blank templates (never edit these, always copy)
• Category folders = Actual working documents (created from templates, filled with real content)

Think of templates as molds, category folders as the finished products.

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Q: Can I use Office 365 instead of markdown?

A: Yes! Workflow:

1. Draft in Word/Office 365 (easier collaboration, real-time editing)
2. Finalize document
3. Save final version as PDF or export to markdown
4. Store in appropriate category folder
5. Markdown becomes the “source of truth” in our hub

Best of both worlds: Office 365 for collaboration, document hub for organized storage.

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Q: What if I find outdated or incorrect information?

A: Please fix it!

1. Update the document
2. Increment version number (if major change)
3. Update “updated” date in metadata
4. Add note about what changed (in version history if document has one)
5. Notify team if it’s widely-used document

Keeping docs current is everyone’s responsibility.

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🎉 Congratulations!

You’ve completed the getting started guide! You should now feel comfortable:

• ✅ Navigating the document hub
• ✅ Finding documents you need
• ✅ Creating documents from templates
• ✅ Following our standards
• ✅ Knowing who to ask for help

Next Steps:

1. Start using the system in your daily work
2. Bookmark key files and folders
3. Ask questions when you need help
4. Contribute improvements as you learn

Welcome to the team! 🚀

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📞 Still Have Questions?

Primary Contact: [Your Manager/Team Lead] Document Hub Owner: [System Administrator] Technical Support: [Technical Lead] (for Phase 2 website issues)

Or: Ask in team chat/meeting - someone will help!

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Getting Started Guide maintained by iSu Technologies Team Last Updated: November 8, 2025 Feedback welcome - help us improve this guide!