# AOSWARE CRM — Web Portals Only

**A simple guide for everyone**

There are only **2 websites (portals)**.

| Portal | Who logs in | When it starts |
|---|---|---|
| **1. Staff Portal** | People who work at the company | Phase 1 |
| **2. Customer Portal** | The company you sell to | Phase 4 |

Salesperson, Manager, Admin, Marketing person, and Service person are **roles** inside the Staff Portal.  
They use the **same login and the same website**. After login, each person sees **only the sections for their role**.

We do **not** build a Sales website, a Manager website, an Admin website, a Marketing website, or a Service website.  
Those are **sections**, not portals.

This document covers **websites only**. No mobile app.

---

## The 2 portals

| # | Portal | Who uses it | What it is | Own login? | Starts in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **1** | **Staff Portal** | Salesperson, Manager, Admin, Marketing person, Service person | One company website for daily work, reports, marketing, service, and setup | Yes — staff login | Phase 1 |
| **2** | **Customer Portal** | Your customer | Their own website: invoices, service requests, documents, sign papers. They never see the Staff Portal. | Yes — **separate** customer login | Phase 4 |

**How it works**

- One staff person → one Staff Portal login → menu and Home match their **role**
- A person can have more than one role (for example Manager + Salesperson). They then see both sets of sections.
- We do **not** build a new website for each industry (Distribution, Software, Contract, Service). Those are **setups** inside the same two portals.

---

## Staff Portal roles (not portals)

| Role | What they see in the Staff Portal | Sections start in |
|---|---|---|
| **Salesperson** | Home / My Day, Accounts, Contacts, Leads, Deals, Tasks, Calendar, personal email | Phase 1 |
| **Manager** | Team Home, pipeline reports, forecast, lead assignment, later approvals | Phase 1 |
| **Admin** | Users and roles first; later names, fields, stages, forms, and rules | Phase 1 (simple), Phase 3 (full) |
| **Marketing person** | Campaigns, lists, templates, opens/clicks, unsubscribes | Phase 2 |
| **Service person** | Visits and notes first; later jobs and equipment | Phase 2 (light), Phase 4 (full) |

If a section is not for your role, it does **not** show in the menu.

---

## Staff Portal modules — what each one means

These are the modules listed under **What they see in the Staff Portal**.  
A short description is below. A person only sees the modules for their role.

### Salesperson modules

| Module | What it is (simple) |
|---|---|
| **Home / My Day** | The first page after login. It shows today’s work only: tasks due today, overdue items, new leads, deals that need a next step, and upcoming meetings. The idea is: open Home and know what to do now. |
| **Accounts** | The companies you sell to. One account is one customer company. The account page shows its people, notes, open deals, and later orders or contracts. This is the main customer file. |
| **Contacts** | The people who work at those companies. A contact has a name, phone, email, and role (for example buyer or owner). One account can have many contacts. |
| **Leads** | New people or companies who might buy, but are not customers yet. You add a lead with only a few boxes, then qualify them (are they a real chance or not?). |
| **Deals** | Live sales. Each deal is one chance to win business. You see deals as cards in columns (stages) or as a list. You move a deal forward when something happens (quote sent, order won, and so on). |
| **Tasks** | To-dos linked to a lead, deal, or customer: “Call tomorrow,” “Send the price list,” “Visit on Friday.” Late tasks show on Home so nothing is forgotten. |
| **Calendar** | A week/month view of meetings, calls, and visits. It can connect to Outlook or Google Calendar so the same meeting shows in both places. |
| **Personal email** | One-to-one email from the salesperson’s Outlook or Gmail, saved on the customer or deal. The team can see that an email was sent, without using a separate mail program as the record. |

### Manager modules

| Module | What it is (simple) |
|---|---|
| **Team Home** | Like Home / My Day, but for the **whole team**. The manager sees who has late follow-ups, which deals need action, and what is due today across people, not only their own work. |
| **Pipeline reports** | A picture of all open deals: how many are in each stage, who owns them, and how much they are worth. The manager does not need to ask each salesperson for a list. |
| **Forecast** | A simple “what might we close” view. It uses deal value and stage (or chance to win) so the manager can see expected sales for this month or quarter. |
| **Lead assignment** | The place to give a new lead to the right salesperson. This can be by area (territory), type of business, or “next person in line.” |
| **Approvals** (later, Phase 4) | The manager says yes or no before a quote, bid, or special price goes to the customer. Until the manager approves, the salesperson cannot send it. |

### Admin modules

| Module | What it is (simple) |
|---|---|
| **Users** | The list of staff who can log in. The admin adds a person, stops a login when someone leaves, and resets access. |
| **Roles** | The job type of each user: Salesperson, Manager, Admin, Marketing person, or Service person. The role decides which modules appear in the menu. |
| **Names** (later, Phase 3) | Change the words on the screen to match how the company talks. Example: “Opportunity” becomes “Deal,” or “Account” becomes “Customer.” |
| **Fields** (later, Phase 3) | Extra boxes on a form. The admin can add a text box, number, date, dropdown, or money field (for example “Last order date” or “Renewal date”). |
| **Stages** (later, Phase 3) | The steps of a deal (the pipeline). The admin can add, rename, or remove a step, and say which boxes must be filled before a deal can enter that step. |
| **Forms** (later, Phase 3) | How the add/edit screens look. The admin chooses which boxes show when someone creates a lead, deal, visit, or service request. Extra boxes stay hidden until they are needed. |
| **Rules** (later, Phase 3) | Automatic “if this, then that.” Example: if a lead is new, create a follow-up task; if a task is late, tell the manager; if a deal is won, assign the next step. |

### Marketing person modules

| Module | What it is (simple) |
|---|---|
| **Campaigns** | A group email (or a series of emails) sent to many people at once. The marketing person creates it, picks the list, sends or schedules it, and later sees how it did. |
| **Lists** | Groups of people who should get a campaign. A list can be saved or live (it updates when customer data changes). Example: “Customers in the East with no order in 90 days.” |
| **Templates** | Ready-made emails. The customer’s name and company can fill in automatically. The team reuses the same good email instead of writing it from scratch each time. |
| **Opens / clicks** | Proof that someone opened the email or clicked a link. This also shows on the customer page so the salesperson can see it. |
| **Unsubscribes** | People who said “do not email me.” This list is protected. A data sync must never put them back on a campaign. |

### Service person modules

| Module | What it is (simple) |
|---|---|
| **Visits and notes** (Phase 2) | Log a site visit or call: who you saw, what you did, and what happens next. Notes stay on the customer page so the next person can read them. |
| **Jobs** (later, Phase 4) | A service ticket or work order: the problem, the customer, who is assigned, and the status (open, in progress, done). |
| **Equipment** (later, Phase 4) | The machines or items you service at the customer site (for example a copier). The page shows model, location, and service history. |

---


## Who uses which portal?

| Person | Portal | What they see |
|---|---|---|
| **Salesperson** | Staff Portal | Sales sections |
| **Manager** | Staff Portal | Manager sections (and they can open a deal like a salesperson) |
| **Admin** | Staff Portal | Admin sections |
| **Marketing person** | Staff Portal | Marketing sections |
| **Service person** | Staff Portal | Service sections (and customer pages) |
| **Your customer** | Customer Portal only (from Phase 4) | Their own invoices, files, and service. Never staff screens |

---

## The 5 phases at a glance

| Phase | Name | What we add | New portal? |
|---|---|---|---|
| **1** | Daily sales on the web | Staff Portal opens. Roles: Salesperson, Manager, simple Admin | **Staff Portal** starts |
| **2** | Industry setups + marketing | Same Staff Portal. New roles/sections: Marketing, light Service | No. Still only Staff Portal |
| **3** | Self-setup tools | Admin role gets full setup sections | No |
| **4** | Connect other systems | Staff get orders, quotes, jobs + **Customer Portal** | **Yes — Customer Portal** |
| **5** | Smart help | Same 2 portals get tips and risk warnings | No |

---

# Phase 1 — Staff Portal opens

**In simple words:** Company staff log in to one website. Salespeople and managers can do their daily work. Admins can add users.

## Staff Portal in Phase 1

### Login (same door for every staff role)
- Sign in with email and password
- Each employee belongs to **one company only**. After sign-in, that company’s Staff Portal opens.
- Open the Staff Portal with the menu for that person’s **role**

### Salesperson sections
| Section | What it is |
|---|---|
| **Home / My Day** | Today’s work: tasks, new leads, deals that need you, meetings, late items |
| **Accounts** | Companies you sell to. One page shows people, notes, and open deals |
| **Contacts** | People at those companies |
| **Leads** | New possible buyers. Only a few boxes to fill |
| **Deals (Opportunities)** | Live sales as cards in columns, or as a list |
| **Tasks & notes** | Calls, emails, meetings, visits. All on one timeline |
| **Calendar** | Meetings. Can connect Outlook or Google Calendar |
| **Personal email** | One-to-one email from Outlook or Gmail, saved on the customer |
| **Search** | Find a name, phone, or email from one box |

### Manager sections
| Section | What it is |
|---|---|
| **Team Home** | Late follow-ups and deals that need the team |
| **Pipeline report** | Deals by person and by stage |
| **Simple forecast** | What might close |
| **Lead assignment** | Give a lead to the right person (by area, type, or “next in line”) |

### Admin sections (simple only)
| Section | What it is |
|---|---|
| **Users** | Add or stop a staff login |
| **Roles** | Salesperson, Manager, Admin, Marketing person, Service person |
| **Email / calendar connect** | Turn on Outlook or Gmail |

**Not in Phase 1:** Marketing sections, full Service sections, Customer Portal, industry setups, smart tips.

## What each role can do in Phase 1

### Salesperson
- See today’s list on Home
- Add a lead in under a minute
- Move a deal to the next stage
- Add a call, email, note, or task in a few clicks
- Open a customer and see the full story on one page

### Manager
- See the team’s deals without asking someone to make a report
- See who is late
- Assign new leads

### Admin
- Add users and pick their role
- Cannot yet change field names or stages (that is Phase 3)

### Marketing person / Service person / Your customer
- Marketing: role exists later; no marketing sections yet
- Service: can open customers and add notes if the admin gives access
- Your customer: **no website**

### Phase 1 is done when
- A salesperson can add and qualify a lead in under 60 seconds in the Staff Portal
- A manager can see late work in the Staff Portal without a special report

---

# Phase 2 — Industry setups + Marketing and Service sections

**In simple words:** The same Staff Portal can match four kinds of business. Marketing and Service roles now see their own sections. Still **no** second website.

## Staff Portal in Phase 2

### Industry setups (admin picks one)
Screens and words change. We do not build a new website.

| Setup | Best for | Deal path (Salesperson sections) |
|---|---|---|
| **A. Distribution** | Office products, wholesale, cleaning supplies | Lead → Qualified Account → Quote → First Order → Active Customer → Reorder / Growth |
| **B. Software** | Software and subscriptions | Lead → Discovery → Demo → Evaluation → Proposal → Verbal Commit → Closed Won → Onboarding / Renewal |
| **C. Contract** | Bids, projects, school/government | Lead → Scope → Estimate / Bid → Submitted → Negotiation → Awarded → Fulfillment / Project |
| **D. Service** | Copier dealers, field service, consultants | Inquiry → Qualification → Site Visit / Consultation → Proposal → Agreement → Active Client → Service / Renewal |

### Marketing person sections (new)
| Section | What it is |
|---|---|
| **Campaigns** | Plan and send a group email. See how it did |
| **Lists / Groups** | Who should get the email (area, type, last order, deal stage) |
| **Email templates** | Ready emails with the customer’s name filled in |
| **Email history** | All emails on the customer page |
| **Opens and clicks** | Shows on the customer timeline (Salesperson can see this too) |
| **Unsubscribes** | “Stop emailing me” is saved forever. A data sync must never undo it |
| **Bounces** | Bad emails are marked so we stop sending |
| **Email connections** | Link Mailchimp, Constant Contact, Outlook, Gmail, and similar |
| **Campaign reports** | Sent, opened, clicked, bounced, unsubscribed |

**Three kinds of email (kept separate)**
1. Personal — one to one (Outlook / Gmail)  
2. Marketing — group campaigns (Mailchimp / Constant Contact)  
3. System — “your quote is ready” (Elastic Email / SendGrid)

### Service person sections — light start
| Section | What it is |
|---|---|
| **Visit / next service fields** | If the company picked the Service setup |
| **Assigned person** | Who will visit |
| **Notes after a visit** | Saved on the customer |

Full service jobs and equipment wait until Phase 4.

## What each role can do in Phase 2

### Salesperson
- Use stages and extra boxes that match their business
- See if a marketing email was opened

### Manager
- Use reports that match the industry (reorders, renewals, bids, service)

### Marketing person
- Build a list from live data (no Excel copy-paste)
- Send a campaign
- See opens come back onto the customer page
- Handle unsubscribes and bad emails

### Service person
- See visit fields and add notes after a visit

### Admin
- Pick setup A, B, C, or D
- Connect an email tool
- Give people the Marketing or Service role so those sections appear

### Your customer
- Still **no** Customer Portal

### Phase 2 is done when
- A new client starts with setup A, B, C, or D without a new copy of the software
- A marketing person can send a list from the Staff Portal and see opens on the customer page

---

# Phase 3 — Admin role gets full setup tools

**In simple words:** The admin changes the Staff Portal themselves. Then they press Publish. Still only **1** website (Staff Portal).

## Admin sections (full)
| Section | What the admin can change |
|---|---|
| **Name changer** | “Opportunity” → “Deal”, “Account” → “Customer” |
| **Field builder** | Add boxes: text, number, date, dropdown, money |
| **Pipeline builder** | Add or rename stages. Say which boxes are required at a stage |
| **Form builder** | What shows when you add a lead, deal, visit, or service request |
| **Automation builder** | “If this happens, then do that” (task, reminder, assign a person) |
| **Dashboard builder** | Which cards each **role** sees on Home |
| **Permissions** | Who can see or edit which records and sections |

Setup path: **pick industry → rename words → edit stages → pick fields → build forms → set alerts → set permissions → publish.**

Other roles do not get a new website. They only **see** the new names, stages, and forms after Publish.

## What each role can do in Phase 3

### Admin
- Change a stage, a field, or a label without a developer
- Undo a bad change (Publish is a save point)
- Decide which role sees which section

### Everyone else on staff
- Use the updated Staff Portal
- They do not set up the system

### Your customer
- Still **no** Customer Portal

### Phase 3 is done when
- An admin can change a stage, field, or label in the Staff Portal without a developer

---

# Phase 4 — Staff Portal connects to other systems + Customer Portal

**In simple words:** A won deal can become a real quote, order, contract, or service job. **Your customers get the second website.**

## Staff Portal — extra sections (by role)

### Salesperson and Manager
| Section | What it is | Who sees it |
|---|---|---|
| **Quotes** | Turn a deal into a quote. Upload the quote PDF when you create it | Salesperson, Manager |
| **Documents** | Share a PDF (up to 8 MB) with the customer | Salesperson, Manager |
| **Orders** | Real order history on the customer | Salesperson, Manager |
| **Contracts** | Dates, awards, reminders. Upload the contract PDF when you create it | Salesperson, Manager |
| **Invoices & payments** | What was billed and paid | Salesperson, Manager |
| **E-signature (staff side)** | Send a paper to sign | Salesperson, Manager |
| **Approvals** | Say yes before a quote or bid goes out | **Manager** |
| **Renewals** | “This is due to renew” | Salesperson, Manager |

### Service person — full sections
| Section | What it is |
|---|---|
| **Service jobs** | Tickets, visits, who is assigned |
| **Equipment / assets** | Machines at the customer site |
| **Job notes** | What was done |

### Marketing person
- Can build lists from real order data (example: “no order in 90 days”)

### Admin
- Connect the order / accounts / service system
- Turn the Customer Portal **on**
- Pick which customer pages each customer may see

## Customer Portal — the only new website

| Section | What your customer can do |
|---|---|
| **Customer login** | Their own email and password. They see only their company |
| **Invoices** | See bills and payment status |
| **Documents** | See quotes, contracts, and PDFs you shared. Open the file in a new tab |
| **Sign a paper** | Open the PDF, upload the signed PDF (required), and type your name |
| **Service request** | Ask for help / book a visit (Service setup) |
| **My equipment** | See machines you service (Service setup) |
| **My orders** | See recent orders (Distribution setup) |
| **My contract / renewal** | See dates (Software or Contract setup) |

**What the Customer Portal never shows**
- Other customers
- Your staff deals, commissions, or internal notes
- Admin setup screens
- Other staff people’s work

The admin chooses **what this customer is allowed to see**, based on the industry setup.

## What each person can do in Phase 4

### Salesperson (Staff Portal)
- Win a deal and make a quote or order without typing the customer again
- Share a PDF from **More → Documents**, or attach one when sending a quote / asking for a signature
- Send a paper for e-sign (customer uploads a signed PDF and types their name; this is not DocuSign). Staff open the signed file from **More → Documents**

### Manager (Staff Portal)
- Approve quotes or bids
- See real orders and money, not only sales notes

### Service person (Staff Portal)
- Open jobs and equipment
- See requests the customer typed on the Customer Portal

### Marketing person (Staff Portal)
- Build lists from real order data

### Admin (Staff Portal)
- Connect other systems
- Turn the Customer Portal on and pick the pages

### Your customer (Customer Portal) — new
- Log in on a **different** website
- See invoices, files, or service (what you allowed)
- Sign a document
- They never enter the Staff Portal

### Phase 4 is done when
- A won deal becomes a quote, order, contract, or service job without retyping the customer
- A customer can log in to the Customer Portal and see their own information

---

# Phase 5 — Smart help (same 2 portals)

**In simple words:** The same two websites get tips. We do **not** add a third portal or an “AI” menu.

## What each role / portal gets

| Where | What is added |
|---|---|
| **Staff Portal — Salesperson** | “Call this person today.” Short summary. Warning if a deal is going cold |
| **Staff Portal — Manager** | Deals and customers at risk. Ask a simple question, get a list |
| **Staff Portal — Service person** | Short recap before a visit. Suggested follow-up |
| **Staff Portal — Marketing person** | Use scores and opens/clicks to pick better lists |
| **Staff Portal — Admin** | Turn smart tips on or off |
| **Customer Portal** | Stays as in Phase 4. No AI required |

### Phase 5 is done when
- A salesperson sees the next action on Home without digging through history
- A manager sees risk without building a report

---

## The 2 portals by phase (one page)

| Portal / role section | Phase 1 | Phase 2 | Phase 3 | Phase 4 | Phase 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Staff Portal** (the website) | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Staff login | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Role: Salesperson | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Role: Manager | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Role: Admin (users and roles) | ● | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Role: Marketing person | | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Role: Service person (light) | | ● | ● | ● | ● |
| Role: Admin (full setup tools) | | | ● | ● | ● |
| Role: Service person (jobs & equipment) | | | | ● | ● |
| Staff quotes, orders, contracts | | | | ● | ● |
| **Customer Portal** | | | | ● | ● |
| Smart tips (Staff Portal) | | | | | ● |

● = available from that phase onward.

---

## What each person can do — full picture

| Person | Portal | Phase 1 | Phase 2 | Phase 3 | Phase 4 | Phase 5 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| **Salesperson** | Staff | Daily sales | Industry stages | Uses new forms | Quotes, orders, e-sign | Next-step tips |
| **Manager** | Staff | Team pipeline | Industry reports | Custom Home | Approvals, real orders | Risk view |
| **Service person** | Staff | Notes (if allowed) | Light service sections | Service forms | Full jobs & equipment | Visit recap |
| **Marketing person** | Staff | — | Marketing sections | New fields in lists | Lists from order data | Lists using scores |
| **Admin** | Staff | Users and roles | Pick industry + email tools | Full setup sections | Turn on Customer Portal | Turn tips on/off |
| **Your customer** | Customer | No website | No website | No website | **Customer Portal** | Same Customer Portal |

---

## Easy rules

1. There are only **2 portals**: Staff and Customer.
2. Salesperson, Manager, Admin, Marketing person, and Service person are **roles**, not portals.
3. Staff have **one website** and **one login**. The menu changes by role.
4. Customers have a **separate website** and **separate login**.
5. Do not build a new website for each industry. Change the setup inside the same portals.
6. Keep the staff menu short (about 6 or 7 items). Extra items go under **More**. Hide sections the role cannot use.
7. Adding a lead or deal stays fast (only a few required boxes).
8. Every customer or deal page must show: **who owns it, status, next action, due date.**
9. If someone unsubscribes, marketing sections must never email them again by accident.
10. The Customer Portal never shows other customers or internal staff notes.

---

*This guide is web portals only (2 portals). The full product guide is in `AOSWARE_CRM_Phases_Simple_Guide.md`.*
