Product Learning Session Framework: Complete Onboarding Structure

Overview

This document outlines the complete Product Learning Session (PLS) framework for Housing.Cloud onboarding. The framework uses a building-block approach where each session builds on the previous one, creating a clear progression from foundational navigation to advanced system configuration and automation.

Purpose: Provide a structured roadmap for delivering comprehensive product training aligned with your 5-month implementation timeline.

How to use this document: Each PLS includes session goals, topics covered, and recommended duration. Training can be delivered live, recorded for on-demand viewing, or used as a self-paced learning guide.

Understanding the PLS Journey Structure

The PLS framework is organized into five distinct phases that mirror how Housing.Cloud actually works:

Phase 1: Foundation (PLS 0-2)

Goal: Understand what Housing.Cloud is, how to navigate it, and see what a working system looks like with data.

You'll learn: System basics, navigation, how to explore sample profiles/applications/residents/inventory, and get introduced to tags and finance.

Key insight: You're seeing the destination - what your system will look like when fully operational.

Phase 2: Building Blocks (PLS 3-6)

Goal: Learn the individual tools and configurations you need before building a housing cycle.

You'll learn: What cycles need (by exploring a sample cycle), how to create tags and rulesets for matching, and how to build application forms and bio forms.

Key insight: You're building the pieces - tags, forms, and rules that will power YOUR production cycle.

Phase 3: Assembly (PLS 6)

Goal: Take all the pieces you built and assemble them into YOUR production housing cycle.

You'll learn: How to create your cycle from scratch, configure all phases, assign forms/rulesets, set up roles and permissions.

Key insight: You're assembling - putting tags, forms, charge codes, and rulesets into a functioning cycle.

Phase 4: Testing (PLS 7)

Goal: Validate your cycle works correctly by experiencing it from the student perspective.

You'll learn: The complete student journey from application through room selection, what students see, how to troubleshoot issues.

Key insight: You're validating - testing YOUR cycle to catch issues before go-live.

Phase 5: Operations (PLS 8-12)

Goal: Learn how to operate your housing cycle day-to-day once it's live.

You'll learn: Processing applications, making assignments, managing finance, checking students in/out, handling tasks and communications, supporting students.

Key insight: You're operating - managing the cycle you built and tested.

Core PLS Sessions (0-12): Required Onboarding

Complete these 12 sessions to achieve full operational readiness. All sessions are designed for 45-60 minutes and delivered sequentially over your 5-month implementation timeline.

Total Core Training Time: ~595 minutes (9.9 hours)

Core Sessions Overview

Optional Elective PLS Sessions (PLS-A through PLS-M)

These sessions are available based on your institution's specific needs, enabled features, and operational requirements. Schedule these sessions as needed - they are not required for basic system operation but provide deeper expertise in specialized areas.

What "Elective" means: These are optional training sessions we can deliver if the topic is important to your institution or if specific features are enabled. Not all schools need all elective sessions - choose what's relevant to your operations. Some elective sessions cover topics briefly mentioned in core sessions but provide deeper, hands-on expertise.

Total Elective Training Time: ~565 minutes (9.4 hours) if all sessions delivered

Elective Sessions: Advanced Operations

Elective Sessions: Advanced Configuration & Integration

Elective Sessions: Feature-Specific (Requires Feature Flags)

Detailed Session Descriptions

Phase 1: Foundation

PLS-0: What is Housing.Cloud

Duration: 20 minutes When: Month 1, Week 1 (Kickoff) Audience: All stakeholders Format: Presentation/Overview

Session Goals:

• Understand what Housing.Cloud is and what problems it solves

• Learn the key functions and capabilities of the platform

• Understand why Housing.Cloud was chosen for your institution

• Set expectations for the onboarding journey

Topics Covered:

• System Explanation: End-to-end student housing management platform that replaces fragmented tools

• Key Functions: Applications, assignments, inventory, meal plans, roommate matching, communications, billing integration

• Value Proposition: Streamlined operations, improved student experience, AI-powered matching, no-code configuration

• Implementation Timeline: 5-month journey, sandbox practice, production rollout

PLS-1: System Navigation & Core Concepts

Duration: 60 minutes When: Month 2, Week 3 Audience: All admin users Format: Live demo + hands-on practice

Session Goals:

• Learn how to log in and navigate the admin portal

• Understand the primary and secondary navigation structure

• Master the list-to-detail navigation pattern used throughout the system

• Learn advanced filtering and saved views

• Understand how permissions control what you see

• Learn the basics of roles and permission-based access

Topics Covered:

• Logging In & Landing Page: Accessing admin portal, SSO vs password, dashboard overview

• Navigation Panel: Primary sidebar, permission-based visibility, mobile navigation, keyboard shortcuts

• Secondary Navigation: Inventory subsections, Setup subsections, efficient navigation

• Quick Search: Global and table-level search, search tips

• General UI Patterns: Tables, clickable names, detail pages, bulk actions, export buttons, filters

• List-to-Detail Pattern: Navigating from tables to detail pages, breadcrumbs, section tabs

• Understanding Hierarchy: Building → Suite → Room → Bed → Furniture navigation

• Advanced Filtering: Creating complex filters, saving custom views, column customization, exporting data

• Roles & Permissions Basics: Understanding how roles control what you see, permission-based access, introduction to admin roles

Hands-On Practice:

• Log in to sandbox and explore navigation

• Create custom filtered views and save them

• Navigate through inventory hierarchy

• Export sample data to CSV

PLS-2: Understanding Your Housing Data, Inventory & Finance Basics

Duration: 60 minutes When: Month 2, Week 4 Audience: All admin users Format: Live demo + exploration

Session Goals:

• Learn how to work with student profiles

• Understand applications and residents (using sample data)

• Master the inventory hierarchy and management

• Understand finance basics and charge codes

• Learn about meal plan configuration

• Get introduced to tags and how they organize data

Topics Covered:

• Profiles: Viewing, searching, adding, editing profiles, custom fields, bulk operations

• Applications (Sample Data): Understanding application lifecycle, statuses, filtering

• Residents (Sample Data): Residency records, statuses, room assignments, filtering

• Inventory: Building → Suite → Room → Bed → Furniture hierarchy, statuses, bed types/variations, bulk operations

• Finance & Charge Codes: What are charge codes, how they price inventory and meal plans, viewing transactions

• Meal Plans: Creating meal plan options, setting pricing, flex points, assigning meal plans to residents (manual and bulk), student self-selection workflows

• Introduction to Tags: What tags are, tag types (profile, application, inventory, task), public vs private, how tags drive automation

Hands-On Practice:

• Navigate profiles and explore sample data

• Review sample applications and residents

• Explore inventory hierarchy

• View charge codes and meal plan options

• Practice assigning meal plans to sample residents

• Filter by tags and export data

Phase 2: Building Blocks

PLS-3: Introduction to Housing Cycles

Duration: 45 minutes When: Month 3, Week 1 Audience: Super admins, housing directors Format: Guided exploration (no creation yet)

Session Goals:

• Understand what a housing cycle is and why it's foundational

• Explore all cycle phases (application, roommate, room selection, move-in)

• Identify what tools and configurations are needed to build a cycle

• See the destination before learning to build the pieces

Topics Covered:

• What is a Housing Cycle: Complete housing term container, defines dates and workflows

• Exploring Sample Cycle: Walk through a pre-configured cycle in sandbox

• Application Phase: "See this form? You'll build yours in PLS-5" | "See this ruleset? You'll create yours in PLS-4"

• Roommate Phase: Bio forms, phase dates, multiple phases

• Room Selection Phase: Lottery configuration, pricing, inventory settings

• Move-In Configuration: Moving groups, time slots, buffer days

• Meal Plans & Documents: Assignment to cycles

• Phase Calendar: Visual timeline of how everything flows

• What You'll Build: Preview of upcoming sessions (tags, finance, forms, rulesets, documents)

Hands-On Practice:

• Explore the sample cycle configuration

• Review each phase and its settings

• View the phase calendar timeline

• Write down questions about cycles (answered as you build pieces in PLS 4-7)

PLS-4: Tags & Rulesets: Categorization & Matching Logic

Duration: 60 minutes When: Month 3, Week 2 Audience: Super admins, application managers Format: Live demo + hands-on practice

Session Goals:

• Learn how to create tag categories and individual tags

• Understand how tags categorize students, inventory, and preferences

• Learn how rulesets use tags to automate roommate matching

• Build matching rules using the tags you create

Topics Covered:

• Understanding Tags: Tag types, categories (exclusive vs non-exclusive), public vs private

• Creating Tags: Tag categories, individual tags, colors, applicability, visibility

• Assigning Tags: Manual assignment, bulk tagging operations

• Rulesets - Tags in Action: What rulesets are, hard rules vs soft rules

• Creating Rulesets: Building matching logic using your tags, weighting and scoring

• Connecting the Dots: How tags flow through forms → applications → rulesets → cycles

Hands-On Practice:

• Create 3 tag categories with multiple tags each (Sleep Schedule, Study Habits, Gender Identity)

• Assign tags to sample students

• Build a complete roommate matching ruleset using your tags

PLS-5: Building Forms for Applications & Roommate Matching

Duration: 60 minutes When: Month 3, Week 3 Audience: Super admins, application managers Format: Live demo + form-building workshop

Session Goals:

• Understand all form types in Housing.Cloud

• Master the form builder interface

• Build a complete housing application form

• Build a roommate questionnaire (bio form)

• Understand how form responses become actionable data

Topics Covered:

• Understanding Forms: All form types (Application, Bio, Additional, Task, Animal, Interaction), where they're used

• Form Builder Interface: Layout, question types, settings, conditional logic

• Building Application Form: Sections, questions, validation, required fields, preview, publish

• Building Bio Form: Roommate questionnaire for public profiles, compatibility questions

• Form Responses: Summary, individual, spreadsheet views, how data becomes tags

Hands-On Practice:

• Build complete housing application form with 15+ questions across 5 sections

• Build roommate questionnaire (bio form) with compatibility questions

• Configure required fields, validation, conditional logic

• Publish forms ready for assignment to YOUR cycle in PLS-6

Phase 3: Assembly

PLS-6: Creating YOUR Housing Cycle

Duration: 60 minutes When: Month 4, Week 1 Audience: Super admins, housing directors Format: Live demo + configuration workshop

Session Goals:

• Create a production housing cycle from scratch

• Configure all cycle phases using the tools you've built

• Assign forms, rulesets, charge codes, and documents to your cycle

• Use the phase calendar to visualize your cycle timeline

Topics Covered:

• Recap: What you've built (tags, rulesets, charge codes, forms) and why

• Creating New Cycle: Basic information, dates, external term code, applicability tags

• Application Phase: Assign YOUR application form, YOUR ruleset, set dates, configure auto-accept

• Roommate Phase: Assign YOUR bio form, create multiple phases with dates and tags

• Room Selection Phase: Configure lottery, multiple self-selection phases, inventory preview, pricing display

• Move-In/Out Configuration: Moving groups, time slots, capacity, rescheduling, early check-in buffer

• Meal Plans: Assign meal plans to cycle, create meal plan phases with defaults

• Documents (Optional): Brief introduction to document templates, assignment to cycles (detailed training available in elective PLS-B)

• Phase Calendar: Visualize timeline, check for overlaps, verify date logic

Hands-On Practice:

• Create YOUR production cycle for next term (e.g., "Fall 2025 Housing")

• Configure all phases using YOUR forms, rulesets, and charge codes

• Set up moving groups for move-in

• Assign meal plans to cycle phases

• Optionally explore document template assignment (if using)

• Review phase calendar and verify timeline

PLS-7: The Complete Housing Selection Journey

Duration: 60 minutes When: Month 4, Week 1 Audience: Super admins, housing directors Format: Live demo + configuration practice

Session Goals:

• Experience the housing workflow from a student's perspective

• See how YOUR cycle configuration affects student experience

• Identify and fix configuration issues before going live

• Understand where students get stuck and why

Topics Covered:

• Admin Preparation: Opening your cycle, verifying forms are published, setting test accounts

• Application Experience: Student login, dashboard, completing YOUR application, seeing form answers become tags

• Roommate Finder: Browsing bios using YOUR bio form, seeing YOUR tags in action, forming roommate groups

• Room Selection: Browsing inventory, seeing how tags control visibility, YOUR lottery in action, room pricing from charge codes

• Post-Selection: Residency dashboard, move-in scheduling, QR codes, signing YOUR documents, selecting meal plans

• Troubleshooting: Common issues and how to fix them

Hands-On Practice:

• Walk through YOUR cycle as 2-3 test students

• Apply, find roommates, select rooms, sign documents

• Identify 3 things to improve in your cycle config

• Make adjustments and test again

Phase 4: Testing

Phase 5: Operations

PLS-8: Managing Applications & Assignments

Duration: 60 minutes When: Month 4, Week 4 Audience: Housing directors, assignment managers Format: Live demo + hands-on practice

Session Goals:

• Learn how to review and approve housing applications

• Master manual assignment methods

• Run auto-assignment workflow using YOUR rulesets

• Use occupancy reporting for tracking and planning

Topics Covered:

• Assignment Lifecycle: Application → Approval → Assignment → Check-in

• Reviewing Applications: Viewing answers from YOUR forms, reviewing tags, bulk approval workflows

• Manual Assignment: 3 methods (from resident list, from occupancy view, drag-and-drop)

• Auto-Assignment Workflow: Running auto-assign using YOUR rulesets, algorithm selection, reviewing match scores, finalizing assignments

• Occupancy Reporting: Gantt chart deep dive, aggregate graphs, filtering, direct assignment, exporting

Hands-On Practice:

• Review and approve applications

• Make manual assignments using different methods

• Run auto-assignment with YOUR ruleset, review match confidence scores

• Explore occupancy Gantt chart and aggregate graphs

• Export occupancy data

PLS-9: Finance Operations & Transactions

Duration: 30 minutes When: Month 4, Week 3 Audience: Housing directors, dining services, finance staff Format: Live demo + configuration practice

Session Goals:

• Master charge code management for housing and meal plans

• Learn how to view and track financial transactions

• Generate financial reports for billing and reconciliation

• Monitor SIS integration sync for billing data

Topics Covered:

• Charge Code Deep Dive: Creating and editing charge codes, pricing strategies, effective dates, SIS mapping codes

• Transaction Management: Viewing resident transactions, filtering by charge code/date/status, understanding transaction lifecycle

• Financial Reporting: Exporting transaction reports, revenue tracking, balances and payments, reconciliation workflows

• SIS Integration Monitoring: Sync status dashboard, troubleshooting billing sync issues, manual sync triggers

Hands-On Practice:

• Create and edit charge codes for various scenarios

• Review resident transaction history

• Generate financial reports and export data

• Monitor SIS sync status

PLS-10: Student Staff & Check-In/Out

Duration: 45 minutes When: Month 4, Week 4 Audience: Residence life staff, RA supervisors, housing operations Format: Live demo + hands-on practice

Session Goals:

• Learn how to create student staff positions and roles

• Assign student staff to buildings and room groups

• Master check-in and check-out procedures

• Understand key distribution workflows

Topics Covered:

• Student Staff Setup: Creating positions (RA, desk attendant), adding staff members, assigning to buildings

• Room Groups: Creating groups for RA oversight, assigning RAs

• Check-In Procedures: Via admin portal and mobile app, key distribution, bulk check-in

• Check-Out Procedures: Key collection, bulk check-out, undo operations

• Cycle Rollover Preview: Brief overview of rollover for continuing residents and staff

Hands-On Practice:

• Create student staff positions and add staff members

• Create room groups and assign RAs

• Check in residents and record key distribution

• Check out residents and collect keys

PLS-11: Tasks & Communications

Duration: 60 minutes When: Month 5, Week 1 Audience: All admin users Format: Live demo + hands-on practice

Session Goals:

• Learn how to create and manage tasks/maintenance requests

• Send targeted messages to residents using broadcasts

• Create reusable message templates

• Post portal updates and manage notifications

• Configure tenant email settings for professional communications

Topics Covered:

• Tasks: Creating tasks, managing status, assigning to staff, bulk operations, task categories

• Student-Submitted Tasks: How students submit requests via portal

• Broadcast Messages: Sending email/SMS to resident groups, filtering recipients by tags, scheduling

• Message Templates: Creating templates with variables for personalization

• Portal Updates: Creating announcements, priority levels, pinning, targeting by tags

• Notification Management: Configuring system notifications, delivery methods, priority settings

• Tenant Email Configuration: Setting custom reply-to addresses for institution-branded communications

• AI Email Assistant: Brief overview of AI-powered email composition features (if enabled)

• Communication Analytics: Tracking delivery, open rates, effectiveness

Hands-On Practice:

• Create tasks with different priorities and assignments

• Create message templates with variables

• Send test broadcast to filtered resident group

• Create portal update with targeting

• Review and configure notification settings

PLS-12: Understanding the Student Portal & Field Management

Duration: 60 minutes When: Month 5, Week 2 Audience: All admin users, student services staff Format: Overview and best practices

Session Goals:

• Understand student portal features and navigation from a support perspective

• Learn best practices for supporting students using the portal

• Master notification system and action items logic

• Configure field visibility to control what students see on their profiles

• Configure resource links and understand attachments functionality

Topics Covered:

• Portal Navigation: Sections, mobile vs desktop, keyboard shortcuts

• Dashboard Components: Action items system, portal updates, notifications, resources, attachments

• Notifications Deep Dive: Priority levels, delivery timing, preferences, how notifications generate

• Field Management: Controlling which profile fields are visible in the student portal, public vs private fields, edit permissions

• Resource Links: Configuring helpful links for students

• Residency Section: What students see post-assignment, self-service features

• Staff Dashboard: What RAs see and can do in the portal

• Common Issues: Troubleshooting student portal questions and errors

Hands-On Practice:

• Explore student portal features

• Configure field visibility settings

• Review notification settings and delivery logic

• Configure resource links

• Practice answering common student support questions

How the Learning Flow Works

The PLS framework uses a deliberate progression designed to match how Housing.Cloud actually operates:

1. See It (Foundation - PLS 0-2)

You explore sample data in your sandbox - profiles, applications, residents, inventory that were imported during data migration. You see what the system looks like when operational, even though you haven't created this data yourself yet.

Purpose: Understand the destination before learning the journey.

2. Understand the Destination (Building Blocks Start - PLS 3)

You explore a complete sample housing cycle to see how all the pieces fit together - forms, tags, rulesets, charge codes, documents, and phases all working in harmony.

Purpose: Know what you're building toward so every tool you learn has clear context.

3. Build the Pieces (Building Blocks - PLS 4-5)

You create the individual components your production cycle needs: tags for categorization and matching, rulesets for automation, and forms for data collection.

Purpose: Master each tool independently before assembling them.

4. Assemble Your Cycle (Assembly - PLS 6)

You take all the pieces you built and create YOUR production housing cycle from scratch, assigning your forms, rulesets, and tags to phases.

Purpose: Put everything together into a functioning workflow.

5. Test It (Testing - PLS 7)

You experience YOUR cycle from the student perspective - applying with your forms, seeing your tags in the roommate finder, selecting rooms with your lottery configuration, signing documents (if you've created templates).

Purpose: Validate your cycle works correctly and catch issues before go-live.

6. Operate It (Operations - PLS 8-12)

You learn how to manage your cycle day-to-day - processing applications created by your forms, running auto-assignment with your rulesets, managing finance and transactions, checking students in/out, handling tasks and communications, and supporting students through the portal.

Purpose: Master the operational workflows for running housing once your cycle is live.

Understanding Elective Sessions

Elective sessions (PLS-A through PLS-M) are optional training modules delivered based on your institution's specific needs, enabled features, and operational complexity. Unlike core sessions (PLS 0-12), which everyone completes, elective sessions are scheduled selectively based on which features you use and what advanced expertise your team needs.

When to Schedule À La Carte Sessions

You need advanced roles and permissions configuration: Schedule PLS-A (Roles & Permissions Deep Dive)

You use Room Condition Reports or document templates: Schedule PLS-B (Room Condition Reports & Furniture Management)

You need advanced occupancy analytics: Schedule PLS-D (Advanced Occupancy Reporting & Analytics)

You have complex rollover scenarios: Schedule PLS-C (Cycle Rollover Best Practices)

You frequently use bulk operations: Schedule PLS-E (Mastering Bulk Operations)

You manage key inventory and distribution: Schedule PLS-F (Keys & Access Management)

You manage your own SIS integration: Schedule PLS-G (SIS Integration & Sync Management)

You need advanced system customization: Schedule PLS-H (Advanced System Configuration)

You use lottery-based room selection: Schedule PLS-I (Lottery Configuration & Strategies)

You need complex auto-assignment strategies: Schedule PLS-J (Advanced Rulesets & Auto-Assignment Strategies)

Feature is enabled at your school: Schedule the relevant feature-specific session (PLS-L, PLS-M)

How Elective Sessions Differ from Core

• Core PLS (0-12): Required for all institutions, covers essential operational workflows

• Elective PLS (A-M): Optional based on school needs, covers specialized features or advanced techniques

Example: A small college without RCR enabled would complete PLS 0-12 only (~9.9 hours). A large university using RCR, advanced lottery, and SIS integration might add elective sessions PLS-A through PLS-J for additional specialized training.

"On Your Own" Self-Guided Resources

These are quick-reference articles (not full PLS sessions) that provide targeted guidance on specific topics. Use these for just-in-time learning when you need specific functionality.

Available Self-Guided Articles

• Advanced Filtering & Saved Views: Complex filter combinations, AI query suggestions, managing views across workflows

• Notification Management Deep Dive: Customizing notification delivery, muting strategies, priority tuning

• Document Template Best Practices: Template design, merge fields, signature workflows

• Task Categories & Workflow Configuration: Creating categories, task templates, automated assignment

• Communication Templates & Variables: Template library, variable reference, personalization techniques

• Understanding Statuses Throughout Housing.Cloud: Comprehensive reference guide for application statuses, residency statuses, RCR statuses, task statuses, inventory statuses, communication statuses, and quick reference charts for support staff

Difference from Elective PLS: "On Your Own" articles are self-service reference guides you can read in 10-15 minutes. Elective PLS sessions are structured 30-60 minute training workshops with hands-on practice.

Role-Based Training Paths

Not all staff members need all training sessions. Customize your training plan based on job responsibilities:

Super Admins / Housing Directors

Core: PLS 0-12 (all core sessions) Recommended Electives: PLS-A (Roles Deep Dive), PLS-B (RCR & Document Templates), PLS-C (Rollover), PLS-D (Occupancy), PLS-E (Bulk Operations), PLS-G (SIS Integration), PLS-H (System Config), PLS-I (Lottery)

Application Managers

Core: PLS 0-5 (foundation + building blocks), PLS 7-8 (student journey + assignments), PLS 12 (student portal) Recommended Electives: PLS-D (Occupancy), PLS-E (Bulk Operations), PLS-J (Advanced Rulesets)

Residence Life Staff

Core: PLS 0-2 (foundation), PLS 10-12 (student staff, tasks, communications, student portal) Recommended Electives: PLS-B (RCR), PLS-F (Keys)

Finance Managers

Core: PLS 0-2 (foundation), PLS 9 (finance) Recommended Electives: PLS-H (SIS Integration for billing sync)

Operations Staff

Core: PLS 0-2 (foundation), PLS 8 (assignments), PLS 10 (check-in/out), PLS 11 (tasks), PLS 12 (student portal) Recommended Electives: PLS-B (RCR), PLS-E (Bulk Operations), PLS-F (Keys)

Desk Staff / Mail Room

Core: PLS 0-1 (overview, navigation), PLS 12 (student portal for support questions) Recommended Electives: None (or feature-specific if PACKAGES/GUEST_MANAGEMENT enabled)

IT/Integration Staff

Core: PLS 0-1 (overview, navigation) Recommended Electives: PLS-H (SIS Integration), PLS-I (System Configuration)

Student Services / Support

Core: PLS 0-2 (foundation), PLS 7 (student journey), PLS 11 (communications), PLS 12 (student portal) Recommended Electives: PLS-B (RCR if handling damage disputes)

Training Delivery Recommendations

Live Sessions

• Deliver core PLS 0-12 as live, interactive sessions via Zoom or in-person

• Schedule sessions weekly to allow time for practice between sessions

• Record all sessions for on-demand viewing and future reference

• Provide hands-on practice time during each session (typically 10-20 minutes per session)

• Assign homework: practice tasks in sandbox between sessions to reinforce learning

Self-Paced Learning

• Provide recordings of all PLS sessions for on-demand viewing

• Create step-by-step written guides for each session topic

• Build a knowledge base with searchable articles linked from each PLS

• Offer certification: complete all core PLS sessions, pass quiz, earn certificate

Hybrid Approach (Recommended)

• Deliver PLS 0-2 live (foundation for everyone)

• Deliver PLS 3-8 live for super admins and housing directors (building and testing cycles)

• Record PLS 9-12 and deliver live or on-demand based on role

• Offer elective sessions as optional live workshops or self-paced recordings

Implementation Timeline

Recommended scheduling across your 5-month implementation:

Success Metrics

Track these metrics to measure onboarding effectiveness and ensure your team is ready for go-live:

• Session Attendance: % of stakeholders attending each PLS (target: 85%+ for role-relevant sessions)

• Sandbox Usage: # of hours staff spend practicing in sandbox between sessions (target: 2-3 hours per week)

• Task Completion: % of assigned homework/practice tasks completed (target: 90%+)

• Knowledge Retention: Quiz scores after each PLS phase (optional, target: 80%+ average)

• System Adoption: # of admin users logging in weekly post-training (target: 100% of trained staff)

• Support Tickets: # of "how do I..." questions after each PLS (expect decrease over time)

• Cycle Readiness: Production cycle built and tested by end of Month 4

• Time to Production: Ability to launch on schedule in Month 5

Homework & Practice Between Sessions

Maximize learning retention by assigning practice tasks between PLS sessions:

After PLS-1: Practice navigating all sections, create 3 saved views, export data from 2 different tables

After PLS-2: Explore sample profiles/applications/residents, practice filtering by tags, review charge codes and meal plans

After PLS-3: Re-explore the sample cycle, write down 5 questions about cycle configuration

After PLS-4: Create 2 additional tag categories, build a second test ruleset, assign tags to 10 sample students

After PLS-5: Build a second application form with 10+ questions, create a custom survey form

After PLS-6: Refine your production cycle, adjust phase dates, test different lottery configurations

After PLS-7: Have 3 different staff members test your cycle as students, document issues and fix them

After PLS-8: Practice manual assignments, run auto-assignment multiple times with different settings, analyze occupancy data

After PLS-9: Create 3 charge codes, review transaction history, export financial reports

After PLS-10: Create room groups for all RAs, practice check-in/out workflows with 10 residents

After PLS-11: Create 5 tasks, send 2 test broadcasts, create 3 portal updates, create 3 message templates

After PLS-12: Log in as different student types (first-year, transfer, graduate), document common support scenarios, practice field visibility configuration

Complete Feature Coverage

This framework provides comprehensive training coverage for all core admin portal and resident portal features:

✅ Covered in Core PLS (0-12)

• Dashboard, Profiles, Applications, Residents, Inventory

• Tags (all types), Finance/Charge Codes, Meal Plans, Forms (all types), Rulesets

• Housing Cycles (all phases), Roles & Permissions (basics)

• Student Experience (complete housing selection journey)

• Assignments (manual + auto-assignment), Occupancy Reporting (basics)

• Student Staff, Check-In/Out, Key Distribution (basics)

• Tasks, Communications (broadcasts, templates, portal updates), Notifications

• Student Portal (navigation, dashboard, action items, field management, self-service features)

✅ Covered in Elective PLS (A-M)

• Roles & Permissions (deep dive)

• Document Templates & E-Signatures (optional)

• Room Condition Reports, Furniture Management (advanced)

• Cycle Rollover (advanced scenarios)

• Occupancy Reporting (advanced analytics)

• Bulk Operations (comprehensive guide)

• Keys & Access Management (detailed workflows)

• SIS Integration (setup and troubleshooting)

• System Configuration (branding, custom fields)

• Lottery (advanced configuration)

• Advanced Rulesets (complex matching)

• Room Swap Workflows (feature-gated)

• Alternative Housing (feature-gated)

❌ Not Covered (Separate Training)

• Events & Programming: Feature-gated (EVENTS), not yet included in PLS framework

• Package Management: Feature-gated (PACKAGES), not yet included in PLS framework

• Guest/Visitor Management: Feature-gated (GUEST_MANAGEMENT), not yet included in PLS framework

• HR/Recruitment Module: Feature-gated (HR), covered in standalone article: How the HR/Hiring Module Works

• Advanced Reporting & Analytics: Covered in separate training with Rujuta (reporting specialist)

What's Next

After reviewing this framework:

1. Schedule Core Sessions: Add PLS 0-12 to your implementation calendar based on the recommended timeline

2. Identify Elective Needs: Work with your Housing.Cloud team to determine which elective sessions (PLS-A through PLS-M) are relevant for your institution

3. Assign Roles: Map staff members to role-based training paths

4. Prepare Sandbox: Ensure sandbox environment is ready with sample data for hands-on practice

5. Plan for Recording: Set up recording infrastructure to capture sessions for on-demand viewing

6. Create Practice Schedule: Block time for homework and sandbox practice between sessions (2-3 hours weekly recommended)

7. Set Success Metrics: Define attendance, completion, and adoption targets for your institution

8. Plan Post-Launch Support: Schedule quarterly refresher sessions, establish office hours, plan new feature announcements

Need Help?

If you have questions about the PLS framework or need to customize your training plan:

• During Implementation: Contact your dedicated implementation specialist

• After Go-Live: Reach out to Housing.Cloud support for training resources, session scheduling, or custom workshop requests

• For Elective Sessions: Email your account manager to schedule optional advanced training based on your team's needs