Employee Portal Overview

Welcome to the SONAN DIGITAL CRM Employee Portal. As an employee, you have access to a focused set of CRM modules designed to help you manage your daily work — tracking time, handling support tickets, viewing project details, and staying informed through real-time notifications. This guide explains what you can access and where to find help for each area.

What Employees Can Access

Module	Purpose
Tasks	View and update tasks assigned to you
Projects	Browse project details, timelines, and deployments for your assigned projects
Time Logs	Log hours against tasks and view your personal time history
Support Tickets	View, reply to, and close tickets assigned to you
Notifications	Real-time bell notifications for new assignments, replies, and updates
Profile	Update your name, avatar, and account settings

Getting Started

If you are new to the CRM, begin with the onboarding guide to set up your account and understand how to navigate the portal.

• Onboarding — First Login & Setup
• CRM Usage Guide — Navigation & Modules
• Time Logs — Tracking Your Hours
• Projects — Viewing Your Assigned Projects
• Support Tickets — Handling Client Issues
• Internal Workflows — Processes & Handoffs

Getting Help

If you encounter access issues, are missing a module, or cannot log in:

1. Contact your direct manager or the admin team via internal chat.
2. Email support@sonandigital.com with your account email and a description of the issue.
3. Check the Knowledge Base for self-service troubleshooting.

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Employee Onboarding

This guide walks you through everything you need to do when you first join SONAN DIGITAL and receive your CRM account invitation. Follow each step in order to ensure your account is fully set up before you begin working.

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Step 1 — Receiving Your Invitation

An admin will send you an account invitation to your work email address. The email comes from noreply@sonandigital.com and contains a single-use invite link.

• [ ] Check your inbox (and spam folder) for the invitation email
• [ ] Click the Accept Invitation button in the email
• [ ] You will be taken to a password setup screen

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Step 2 — Setting Your Password

On the password setup screen:

1. Enter a strong password (minimum 10 characters, mix of letters, numbers, and symbols).
2. Confirm the password in the second field.
3. Click Set Password & Continue.

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Step 3 — First Login

After setting your password, you will be redirected to the CRM login screen.

1. Enter your work email address.
2. Enter the password you just created.
3. Click Sign In.

If login is successful, you will land on your Dashboard.

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Step 4 — Setting Up MFA (TOTP)

Multi-factor authentication (MFA) using a Time-based One-Time Password (TOTP) app is required for all employee accounts.

Supported authenticator apps:

App	Platform
Google Authenticator	iOS, Android
Authy	iOS, Android, Desktop
1Password	iOS, Android, Desktop
Microsoft Authenticator	iOS, Android

Setup steps:

1. After first login, you will be prompted to set up MFA. Click Enable MFA.
2. Open your authenticator app and scan the QR code displayed on screen.
3. Enter the 6-digit code generated by the app to confirm the setup.
4. Save your backup codes in a secure location. These allow account recovery if you lose access to your authenticator app.
5. Click Finish Setup.

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Step 5 — Complete Your Profile

Once MFA is set up, fill in your profile details:

1. Click your avatar or initials in the top-right corner.
2. Select Profile Settings.
3. Fill in:
   • Full name
   • Job title / role
   • Profile photo (optional but recommended)
   • Phone number (for internal contact)
4. Click Save Profile.

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Step 6 — Introduction to Your CRM Modules

After your profile is complete, explore the modules available to you. As a new employee, your admin will have pre-assigned you to relevant projects and tasks. Here is a brief overview:

Module	Where to Find It	What to Do First
Tasks	Left sidebar → Tasks	Review open tasks assigned to you
Projects	Left sidebar → Projects	Familiarise yourself with your active projects
Time Logs	Left sidebar → Time Logs	Log your first hours once you begin work
Support Tickets	Left sidebar → Support	Check if any tickets are assigned to you
Notifications	Bell icon (top-right)	Read any pending notifications

See the CRM Usage Guide for a full walkthrough of each module.

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Onboarding Checklist

• [ ] Received and accepted invitation email
• [ ] Set a strong password
• [ ] Logged in successfully
• [ ] Enabled MFA with an authenticator app
• [ ] Saved backup codes
• [ ] Completed profile (name, title, photo)
• [ ] Reviewed assigned tasks
• [ ] Reviewed assigned projects
• [ ] Read at least one notification
• [ ] Logged first time entry

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Who to Contact for Access Issues

Issue	Contact
Invite link expired	Your direct manager or admin
Cannot log in	support@sonandigital.com
MFA device lost	Admin to reset MFA via admin panel
Missing module access	Admin to adjust your role/permissions
Wrong role assigned	Admin team

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CRM Usage Guide

This guide explains how to navigate the SONAN DIGITAL CRM as an employee and gives an overview of each module available to you. Bookmark this page as a reference while you get up to speed.

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Navigation Overview

The CRM uses a left sidebar for primary navigation and a top bar for account actions.

Left Sidebar

Sidebar Item	Module
Dashboard	Overview of your tasks, time, and notifications
Tasks	Your assigned tasks across all projects
Projects	Projects you are a member of
Time Logs	Log and review your personal hours
Support	Support tickets assigned to your queue

Top Bar

Element	Function
Bell icon (🔔)	Notification centre — new items appear with a red badge
Avatar / initials	Profile menu: settings, sign out
Search bar	Global search across tasks, tickets, and projects

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Tasks

The Tasks module lists every task that has been assigned to you by your project manager or admin.

What you can do

• View task details: title, description, project, due date, priority
• Update task status: to_do → in_progress → in_review → done
• Add comments to a task to keep stakeholders informed
• View attachments added by the admin or project manager

Task Statuses

Status	Meaning
to_do	Not yet started
in_progress	Actively being worked on
in_review	Submitted for review, awaiting feedback
done	Completed and accepted

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Projects

The Projects module shows you the projects you have been assigned to.

What you can see

• Project name, client, and current status
• Project description and scope notes
• Milestones and target dates
• Deployment artifacts (live URLs, staging links, version tags)
• All tasks within the project (filtered to your assignments)

See Projects for a detailed guide.

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Time Logs

The Time Logs module is where you record the hours you spend on tasks each day. Accurate time logging is essential for billing, reporting, and profitability tracking.

Logging hours

1. Navigate to Time Logs in the sidebar.
2. Click Log Time.
3. Select the task you worked on.
4. Enter the date, hours spent, and an optional note.
5. Click Save.

See Time Logs for full details including editing, deleting, and best practices.

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Support Tickets

The Support module shows you client support tickets that have been assigned to your queue. You are expected to respond within your team's agreed SLA.

What you can do

• View ticket details: subject, client, priority, status, history
• Reply to the client (visible to them in their portal)
• Add internal notes (visible only to staff)
• Update ticket status
• Escalate to admin

See Support Tickets for a full guide.

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Notifications

The Notification Centre keeps you informed about events relevant to your work without requiring you to check each module manually.

Accessing notifications

Click the bell icon in the top-right of the page. A red badge shows the count of unread notifications. Click any notification to jump directly to the related record.

Notification types you may receive

Type	When it appears
Task assigned	An admin assigns a task to you
Task updated	Status or details of your task are changed
Support reply	A client replies to a ticket you are handling
Ticket assigned	A new support ticket is routed to you
Project update	Your project status or details are changed
Mention	Someone mentions you in a comment

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Search

Use the search bar in the top bar to quickly find:

• Tasks by title or description
• Tickets by subject or client name
• Projects by name

Search results are scoped to records you have access to — you will not see other employees' tasks or unassigned tickets in your results.

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Profile & Account Settings

Click your avatar or initials in the top-right corner to access:

• Profile Settings — update your name, photo, title, and phone
• Security — change your password or update your MFA device
• Sign Out — log out of your current session

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Time Logs

Accurate time tracking is one of the most important habits for any employee in the CRM. Time logs feed directly into admin reports, project profitability analysis, and client billing reconciliation. This guide explains how to create, edit, and delete time entries, and how your data is used.

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Logging Time

How to log a time entry

1. Click Time Logs in the left sidebar.
2. Click the Log Time button (top-right of the page).
3. Complete the form:

Field	Required	Notes
Task	Yes	Select from tasks assigned to you
Date	Yes	Defaults to today; can be set to any past date
Hours	Yes	Decimal format allowed (e.g. 1.5 for 90 minutes)
Note	No	Brief description of what you worked on

1. Click Save Entry.

The entry will appear in your time log list immediately.

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Editing a Time Entry

You can edit any of your own time entries at any time, provided the admin has not locked the reporting period.

1. Go to Time Logs in the sidebar.
2. Find the entry you want to edit. Use the date filter if needed.
3. Click the Edit (pencil) icon on the entry row.
4. Update the task, date, hours, or note as needed.
5. Click Save Changes.

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Deleting a Time Entry

1. Go to Time Logs in the sidebar.
2. Find the entry you want to delete.
3. Click the Delete (trash) icon on the entry row.
4. Confirm the deletion in the prompt.

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Viewing Your Time Log History

Default view

When you open Time Logs, you see your entries for the current week by default.

Filtering

Use the filter controls at the top of the list to narrow down entries:

Filter	Options
Date range	Custom from/to picker, or presets: Today, This week, Last week, This month
Project	Filter to a specific project
Task	Filter to a specific task

Summary row

At the bottom of the filtered list, a total hours summary shows you how many hours you have logged for the selected period.

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How Time Logs Feed Into Reports

Your time entries are visible to admins through the Reports module. Specifically:

• Time Logs Report — admins can filter by employee and date range to see hours worked per project and per task.
• Project summaries — project managers can see aggregated hours logged against each project they manage.
• Billing reconciliation — for time-and-materials clients, your logs may be used to verify billed hours.

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Best Practices for Accurate Time Tracking

Follow these guidelines to ensure your time data is useful and accurate:

• Log daily — do not let entries accumulate for more than one day.
• Be specific in notes — instead of "Development", write "Built invoice PDF generation and unit tests".
• Round to the nearest 15 minutes — log 0.25, 0.5, 0.75, or whole hours for consistency.
• One entry per task per day — if you worked on the same task across the day, log one combined entry rather than many small ones.
• Log interruptions separately — if you were pulled into a meeting or review unrelated to your main task, log it under the correct task or under an overhead/admin task if one exists.
• Do not pad hours — log only time actively spent on the task. If you are uncertain, log less rather than more.

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Troubleshooting

Problem	Solution
Can't find the task in the dropdown	The task may not be assigned to you — ask your admin
Entry shows wrong project	Edit the entry and select the correct task (the project is derived from the task)
Entry disappeared	Check your date filter — it may be outside the selected range
Can't edit an old entry	The period may be locked — contact your admin

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Projects

The Projects module gives you a view into the projects you have been assigned to. You can see project status, deliverables, deployment details, and the tasks that make up each project. This page explains how to use this module effectively.

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Viewing Your Assigned Projects

1. Click Projects in the left sidebar.
2. The projects list shows all projects you are a member of.
3. Each row displays: project name, client name, status badge, and last-updated date.

Filtering the list

Filter	Options
Status	All, Active, On Hold, Completed, Cancelled
Client	Filter to a specific client's projects
Search	Type to filter by project name

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Project Details Page

Click on any project name to open its detail page. The detail page is divided into several sections:

Overview

Field	Description
Project Name	The display name of the project
Client	The client organisation this project belongs to
Status	Current lifecycle stage (see statuses below)
Start Date	When the project formally began
Target Date	Expected completion or next milestone date
Description	Scope notes and project brief added by the admin
Assigned Manager	The admin or project manager responsible

Tasks Panel

The tasks panel lists all tasks within the project. As an employee, you see:

• Tasks assigned to you (highlighted)
• All other tasks in the project (read-only view for context)

Click any task to open its detail view and update its status or add a comment.

Deployments Panel

Shows deployment artifacts tied to this project — URLs, environments, version tags, and notes. See the Deployment Artifacts section below.

Documents Panel

Lists client-facing documents linked to this project (uploaded by admins). You can view and download these documents but cannot upload or delete them.

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Understanding Project Statuses

Status	Meaning
Planning	Project scoped and set up but work has not begun
Active	Work is ongoing
On Hold	Temporarily paused — check with your manager before logging time
In Review	Work complete, awaiting client or internal sign-off
Completed	Project delivered and closed
Cancelled	Project terminated — no further work required

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Deployment Artifacts

Deployment artifacts are records of each deployment linked to the project. They are created by admins and project managers when a release goes live.

What each record shows

Field	Description
Environment	production, staging, or development
URL	The live link for that deployment
Version / Tag	Git tag, build number, or release label
Deployed At	Date and time of the deployment
Notes	Any context (e.g. hotfix, feature release, rollback)

How to use deployment records

• Share the live URL with stakeholders — the production URL is the authoritative link to share with clients or QA reviewers.
• Reference version tags when reporting a bug — include the version tag so developers know exactly which build you are testing.
• Check staging before production — use the staging URL to review features before they go live.

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Staying Updated on Project Changes

When changes are made to a project you are assigned to, you may receive a notification in the bell icon (top-right). Types of project notifications:

• Project status changed
• New task assigned to you within the project
• Deployment added
• Important comment or mention

Check the notification centre daily to stay on top of project changes without needing to manually refresh project pages.

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Support Tickets

The Support module is where you handle client issues and questions that have been routed to your queue. This guide covers how to view tickets, respond to clients, add internal notes, manage ticket status, and escalate when needed.

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Viewing Your Assigned Tickets

1. Click Support in the left sidebar.
2. The ticket list defaults to showing open tickets assigned to you.
3. Each row shows: ticket subject, client name, priority badge, status, and last-activity date.

Filters

Filter	Options
Status	Open, In Progress, Pending Client, Resolved, Closed
Priority	Low, Normal, High, Urgent
Date range	Created date or last updated date
Client	Filter to a specific client

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Opening a Ticket

Click on any ticket subject to open the full ticket view. The ticket page shows:

• Header — subject, client, priority, status, assigned employee, creation date
• Thread — chronological history of all client messages and staff replies
• Internal notes — staff-only notes visible below the thread (highlighted in a different colour)
• Reply box — compose your next message at the bottom

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Replying to a Ticket

Client-visible replies are how you communicate directly with the client. The client sees these replies in their portal under their support history.

How to send a reply

1. Open the ticket.
2. In the reply box at the bottom, make sure Reply to Client is selected (not Internal Note).
3. Type your response.
4. Optionally attach a file using the attachment button.
5. Click Send Reply.

The client receives an email notification with your reply, and the ticket's last activity timestamp updates.

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Internal Notes

Internal notes are visible only to staff — the client cannot see them. Use internal notes to:

• Document troubleshooting steps you have taken
• Flag something for another team member's attention
• Note that you are waiting on a third-party response
• Add context that should not be shared with the client

How to add an internal note

1. Open the ticket.
2. In the reply box, click the Internal Note tab (next to Reply to Client).
3. Type your note.
4. Click Add Note.

Internal notes appear in the thread with a distinct background (yellow/amber) so they are visually distinct from client-facing replies.

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Ticket Statuses

Status	Meaning	Who sets it
Open	New, unread ticket awaiting first response	System (auto on creation)
In Progress	You are actively working on a resolution	Employee
Pending Client	You have replied and are waiting for the client to respond	Employee (set after replying)
Resolved	Issue has been resolved; client may still reopen	Employee
Closed	Ticket is closed and locked	Admin or auto-close

Updating ticket status

1. Open the ticket.
2. In the header section, click the Status dropdown.
3. Select the appropriate status.
4. The status change is logged in the thread automatically.

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Closing a Ticket

When the issue is resolved and no further action is needed:

1. Open the ticket.
2. Send a closing reply to the client: thank them, confirm the resolution, and let them know they can reopen the ticket if the issue returns.
3. Set status to Resolved (you can also set it to Closed if you are certain no follow-up is needed).

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Escalating to Admin

If a ticket requires decisions beyond your authority — such as a refund, contractual dispute, scope change, or complex technical issue requiring another team — escalate to an admin.

How to escalate

1. Add an Internal Note explaining why you are escalating and what you have tried so far.
2. Change the Assigned To field to the relevant admin.
3. Notify the admin directly via your internal communication channel (Slack, email, etc.) so they are aware.

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Response Time Guidelines

Priority	First Response Target
Urgent	Within 1 hour
High	Within 4 hours
Normal	Within 1 business day
Low	Within 2 business days

These targets are guidelines. Check with your manager for your team's specific SLA commitments.

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Internal Workflows

This page documents the key internal processes that employees participate in at SONAN DIGITAL. Understanding these workflows helps ensure nothing falls through the cracks as work moves between team members and stages.

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1. Lead Handling

When a prospective client submits an inquiry through the website or another channel, the CRM creates a lead record and notifies the team.

Your role

As an employee, you may be assigned initial outreach for new leads depending on your role.

Lead handling process

1. Notification received — you receive a new_lead notification via the bell icon. The notification links directly to the lead record.
2. Review the lead — open the lead and review: name, company, email, phone, source (how they found us), and any notes from the intake form.
3. Initial contact — contact the lead within the agreed response window (typically 1 business day for new leads). Log your outreach in the lead notes.
4. Update status — after first contact, update the lead status to contacted. If the lead shows genuine interest, update to qualified.
5. Hand off to manager — once a lead is qualified and ready for a proposal, notify your manager to take over or to convert the lead to a client.

Status	Who typically sets it
new	System (auto on lead creation)
contacted	Employee after first outreach
qualified	Employee or manager
proposal_sent	Admin after sending a proposal
converted	Admin after creating client record
lost	Admin after lead goes cold or declines

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2. Client Onboarding

Once a lead converts to a client, the onboarding process begins. Employees often assist with the technical and operational setup.

Onboarding steps

1. Admin creates the client record — the admin converts the lead to a client in the CRM, filling in company details, address, and assigned manager.
2. Portal access invitation — admin sends the client a portal invitation so they can log in, view proposals, sign contracts, and raise support tickets.
3. Contact records added — add all relevant client contacts (name, email, phone, title) in the Contacts section of the client record. Mark the primary contact.
4. Project created — admin or project manager creates the project, assigns team members, and sets the initial status to Planning.
5. Kickoff meeting scheduled — coordinate the kickoff meeting with the client. Use the meeting to confirm scope, timeline, and communication preferences.
6. Kickoff notes documented — after the meeting, document key decisions and action items as notes on the project record.

7. Tasks created and assigned — project manager breaks down the scope into tasks and assigns them to relevant team members.

8. [ ] Client record created

9. [ ] Portal invitation sent
10. [ ] Primary contact added
11. [ ] Project created and team assigned
12. [ ] Kickoff meeting held and notes logged
13. [ ] Initial tasks assigned

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3. Proposal Process

Proposals are formal documents outlining scope and pricing. They are drafted by admins but employees may contribute content.

Process overview

1. Draft created — admin creates a proposal in the CRM linked to the client. Line items (services, quantities, unit prices) are added. The subtotal is calculated automatically.
2. Internal review — the draft is shared internally (via internal chat or email) for team review. If you are asked to review, check:
   • Accuracy of scope descriptions
   • Correct pricing for services you are involved in delivering
   • Completeness of deliverables
3. Revisions — provide feedback to the admin. The admin makes changes to the draft.
4. Send to client — once approved internally, the admin sends the proposal via the CRM. The client receives an email with a link to view and respond.
5. Client response — the client approves or declines from their portal. The CRM sends a notification to the team.
6. Approved proposals — if approved, an admin converts the proposal to an invoice and the project moves forward.
7. Declined proposals — if declined, log a follow-up note on the lead/client record and discuss next steps with your manager.

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4. Invoice Lifecycle

Invoices track what clients owe and are the foundation of revenue reporting.

Invoice stages

Stage	Who acts	What happens
Draft	Admin	Invoice created with line items; not yet visible to client
Sent	Admin	Client emailed; invoice visible in client portal
Overdue	System (cron)	Auto-flagged if payment not received by due date; reminder email sent
Paid	Admin (manual) or Stripe webhook	Marked paid; revenue reported

Employee responsibilities

Employees do not directly manage invoices, but you may be asked to:

• Confirm hours/deliverables so the admin can build accurate line items
• Follow up with clients informally if a relationship-level nudge is appropriate
• Notify your admin if a client mentions payment issues

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5. Project Handoff Process

When a project is complete and ready for delivery or transition, a structured handoff ensures nothing is missed.

Handoff checklist

• [ ] All tasks marked as done and reviewed by project manager
• [ ] Deployment artifacts recorded in the CRM (production URL, version tag, deployment date)
• [ ] Final documents uploaded to the client's document library
• [ ] Client portal reviewed — ensure client can see all relevant items (proposal, contract, invoice, documents)
• [ ] Knowledge transfer document prepared (if applicable) — architecture notes, credentials handoff, admin guides
• [ ] Final invoice raised and sent (if not already done)
• [ ] Signed contract on file
• [ ] Client satisfaction check — brief call or email to confirm satisfaction before closing
• [ ] Project status updated to Completed in the CRM
• [ ] Internal retrospective scheduled — 30–60 minute team review of what went well and what could improve

Post-handoff

• Support tickets remain open for 30 days post-handoff under standard terms.
• Any out-of-scope requests after handoff should be directed to your admin to initiate a new project or change order.