---
title: "Step by step guide"
url: "https://docs.ops.center/en/article/step-by-step-guide"
language: "en"
last_updated: "2025-05-05T11:01:02.494Z"
---

# Step by step guide

Estimated reading time: 5 minutes

Welcome aboard! Now that you have the Operations Center system, you might be wondering: *“Where do I start?”*

This module is here to help. We’ll walk you through the process of getting Operations Center up and running using a common, real-world example—**work ticketing**. Step by step, you’ll learn how to set up a board, configure it for your team, and get everything in place so you can hit the ground running.

Let’s dive in and get started!

### **Step 1: Building Your First Board in Operations Center**

Operations Center is designed to grow with your team through **incremental configuration**. The key idea? **Start small and build as you go.** Begin with the basics, get feedback from your team, and evolve the setup based on real-world needs.

The platform is intentionally flexible and highly customizable. That’s a great strength—but it also means there’s often more than one “right” way to solve a problem. Don’t get stuck trying to perfect the setup from day one. Instead of spending dozens (or even hundreds) of hours planning every detail before launch, we recommend a faster and more effective approach:  
**Configure a couple of complete, end-to-end processes** and let field feedback guide your next steps.

#### **A Simple Approach to Configuration**

When setting up your board, follow this general order:

1.  **Board**
2.  **Categories**
3.  **Fields**
4.  **Layouts**

![](https://cdn-assets.productfruits.com/4c66b01e-fe35-4036-9d07-d2c323eda8c1)

These are the core building blocks of Operations Center. Together, they define the **purpose**, **process**, and **language** of your team's work.

Other features like **tags**, **checklists**, and **recurrences** can be added later for additional functionality—but they’re not essential to get started.

#### **Translating Team Work into Operations Center**

Let’s walk through how to begin this process.

First, define your **use case**—the purpose or system the team needs to manage. This determines the need for a new board. In this module, we’ll use the **Work Ticketing** template as our example. It’s a great starting point for teams managing maintenance tasks or service requests across systems and sites.

![](https://cdn-assets.productfruits.com/bc109490-6a41-47b5-b7bf-90b004d5ef1e)

Once you know the purpose of the board, identify the **process** these tasks will follow. This helps shape your board’s layout.

Often, the process is simple—something like **“Doing” and “Done”**. You’ll use **columns** and **lanes** to visually represent the workflow.

**Columns** reflect the stages of a task. For example, a work item might start in an **Inbox**, move to **In Progress** when a technician starts the job, and end in **Completed**.

Columns can also mark **handoffs between teams**, such as from a **Network Technician** to a **Service Technician**.

### **Step 2. Tailoring the Board to Match How Your Team Works**

By default, the **Work Ticketing** template includes four columns that represent a typical workflow:

-   **Requested**
-   **Scheduled**
-   **Active**
-   **Completed**

![](https://cdn-assets.productfruits.com/54f04ca4-38a7-4a3f-af28-9bf01fd76cc7)

But every team works a little differently.

Ask yourself:  
**Does the team schedule tickets in advance, or do they just pick up one at a time and start working?**  
If scheduling isn’t part of their process, feel free to **remove the "Scheduled" column**. The goal is to make the board reflect the way your team *actually* works—not how a generic template is set up.

Also consider:  
**Do the column names make sense to your team?**  
If not, update them! Clear, familiar labels make the board easier to understand and use day to day. We have a dedicated post on how to customize boards [here](https://docs.ops.center/en/article/customise-boards).

### **Step 3: Define the Work – Using Categories and Fields**

Once your board is structured, the next step is to think about the **types of tasks** or **activities** your team handles. These become the **Categories** on your board.

For example, common tasks in a **Work Ticketing** scenario might include:

-   A camera going offline
-   Doors not locking or unlocking
-   A workstation not operating

![](https://cdn-assets.productfruits.com/782fa6e0-1e77-4939-b3fd-37e167afd9c4)

These tasks are already represented in the default categories provided by the board template.

Now, let’s say the team also handles **badge replacements**—this is a different kind of task, so we’ll create a new category to reflect it.

✅ Create a New Category: “Badge replacement”

-   Open **Board settings**

![](https://cdn-assets.productfruits.com/f7508753-1a4a-4efa-b003-ffff3e3523b6)

-   Go to the **Category** section of your board.
-   Click **Create new category**.
-   Name it **Badge replacement**.

![](https://cdn-assets.productfruits.com/c84c0a15-89d0-4700-9d47-5231e08251ed)

### **Step 4: Identify What Info is Needed – Creating Fields**

For each task type, think about the **information your team needs** to begin the work. For a badge replacement, you’ll likely need:

-   The **name of the badge holder**
-   The **reason** the badge needs to be replaced
-   Let’s turn those into fields:

In board settings, there is a tab for **Custom fields**. Open that and create a Field: “**Badge holder**” and "**Reason for replacement**"

![](https://cdn-assets.productfruits.com/770e7751-86ab-470e-902d-d84f516be1ec)

“**Badge holder**”

-   Field title: **Badge holder**
-   Field type: **Single line text**
-   Purpose: To enter the name of the employee or badge holder.

![](https://cdn-assets.productfruits.com/7fed9990-9472-4b5a-b7b0-a0685e202f65)

**Reason for replacement**

-   Field title: **Reason for replacement**
-   Field type: **Single select dropdown**
-   Values to add: **Lost**, **Damaged**

![](https://cdn-assets.productfruits.com/fa7b5b09-49fc-4748-807e-2d876840da49)

🧠 Tip: Choosing the Right Field Type

Each **field type** controls how information is entered and displayed. Choosing the right one helps:

-   Make the user’s input faster and easier
-   Improve the quality and consistency of your data

**For example:**

-   **Text fields** (single or multi-line) offer flexibility but less control.
-   **Dropdowns, checkboxes, and date pickers** ensure structured, consistent input.

💡 **Note:** Field types **cannot be changed once created**, so choose carefully!

### **Step 5: Show Only What Matters – Creating a Card Layout**

Now it’s time to bring all the pieces together so users only see what’s relevant to each task. Operations Center lets you customize what fields appear for each category using **Card Layouts**. Since badge replacements are quite different from the other categories, let’s create a layout just for that task.

Navigate to Card layouts tab inside board settings and create a Layout for “**Badge replacement**”:

-   Go to the **Card Layout** section.
-   Click **Create new layout**.
-   Title it **Badge replacement**, then open the layout.

![](https://cdn-assets.productfruits.com/d7aa5052-e285-481f-a032-a2fd6025e0d1)

**Inside the Layout Editor**

Each layout has **four tabs**, but we’ll focus on the two most used:

-   **Card** – controls what’s shown on the main board
-   **Mobile** – controls what’s shown in the mobile view

In the layout editor:

-   The **left panel** is where you drag and drop fields, rearrange them, and tweak display options.
-   The **right panel** gives you a **live preview** of what the card will look like.

![](https://cdn-assets.productfruits.com/538b70d3-c651-4ba1-b75b-dc3b709104a5)

Use this tool to make sure your badge replacement layout is clean, simple, and intuitive for your users. If you want to lear more on card layouts, click [here](https://docs.ops.center/en/article/customise-cards).

### **Step 6: Capturing the Right Info – Create Card and Card Details Tabs**

Once you’ve built your layout, it’s time to decide **what fields users should see when creating a card** and **what details they should fill in later**.

The “**Create Card**” Tab

This tab defines the fields a user sees when they **first create a task**. Think of it like this:  
**What information would the user know—or need to collect—right at the beginning?**

Having these fields available up front helps guide users through the **call-taking process** and ensures the right questions are asked. The faster information gets into the system, the faster your team can respond.

**In our example:**  
We need to know **who the badge is for**, so make sure the **Badge holder** field is included.

**To add the field:**

-   Go to the **Create Card** tab.
-   Click **Add field** in the left panel.
-   In the pop-up, scroll or search for “Badge holder”.
-   Click the field name or the plus (+) button to add it.
-   Close the pop-up and you’ll now see it in the layout preview.

![](https://cdn-assets.productfruits.com/c77c5065-1685-43b2-a613-3e9fda6f8ac0)

The “**Card Details**” Tab

This tab defines which fields appear **after the card has been created**, during or after the work is performed. Think about what details your team needs to **complete or document** the task.

**For badge replacement**, we want to:

-   Track the **reason** the badge was replaced
-   Still show the **badge holder** for reference

**To configure:**

In the **Card Details** tab, add both:

-   **Reason for replacement**
-   **Badge holder**

This ensures the card supports not just the task itself, but also **reporting, accountability, and billing** if needed.

💡 Pro Tip: Reporting Starts Here

Since **Operations Center** allows reporting directly from the card, including structured fields for:

-   Notes
-   Timelines
-   Follow-up

…means everything is captured in one place—**no need for a second system**.

### **Step 7: Assigning the Layout**

You’re almost there! Now that your layout is ready:

-   Click **Save** to return to the **Card Layouts** section.
-   Click **Assign Category** next to your **Badge replacement** layout.
-   In the pop-up, select the **Badge replacement** category.

![](https://cdn-assets.productfruits.com/0441d13e-0e9d-4016-9d5b-960c57c85350)

### **Step 8: Test Your Configuration**

Let’s make sure everything works:

Return to your **board and c**lick **New Card**. Change the category to **Badge replacement**.

Confirm you see the **Badge holder** field in the creation window and create the card.

Open the card and confirm both:

**Badge holder**

**Reason for replacement**  
...are visible.

![](https://cdn-assets.productfruits.com/01f5cf8c-cfe7-49cd-952b-ab2d7bfa742b)

If anything is missing, double-check the “Create Card” and “Card Details” tabs in your layout.

Success! You’ve now created an entirely new activity, complete with customized fields and layout.

### **🚀 Wrapping Up: Course Recap & Next Steps**

✅ What You’ve Learned

1.  You now understand how to:
2.  Translate a real-world process into Operations Center
3.  Use **boards**, **categories**, **fields**, and **layouts**
4.  Configure workflows based on how your team actually works

📘 What’s Next?

-   Continue adding new tasks and categories for your team.
-   Explore **Checklist Templates** to guide users through SOPs.
-   Use **recurrences** to schedule future work.
-   Try in-app **workshops** to expand your knowledge over time.

📎 Resources

**Documentation** on boards, categories, fields, and layouts

Other **training modules** for deeper learning

**In-app workshops**: Use triggers and suggestions to surface helpful tips or training based on activity

🆘 Need Help?

Email: **OC-support@genetec.com**

Use the **in-app support tool**