Business Continuity & Handover Guide (Exit Readiness Kit)

Objective: Enable a new owner/operator to understand, access, and operate the MDL Ops Engine within 60 minutes.

⏱️ The 60-Minute Onboarding Checklist

1. 🔐 Access & Credentials (10 Minutes)

• [ ] Password Manager Setup: Ensure you have access to the corporate Bitwarden vault.
  • Reference: See System Credential Inventory for the full list of accounts you must find in the vault.
• [ ] Master Access Check: Verify login to:
  • Google Workspace (admin@mdlcommunications.com or equivalent).
  • Supabase (Database hosting).
  • Railway/Vercel (App hosting).
  • N8N Self-Hosted (Local Docker).
  • GitHub (Code repository).
• [ ] Environment Variables: Verify you have the latest .env file (stored in secrets/ or 1Password secure notes).

1.1 Service Account Ownership (Critical)

2. 🧠 System Overview (15 Minutes)

• What we do: System Architects and reseller of broadcast & broadband technology with AI assisted automated dropshipping and logistics as well as AI business intelligence functions
• Execution Tiers: All operational steps support three levels of redundancy:
  1. Fully Automated: System monitors Outlook, parses documents via AI, and syncs to QBO without human intervention.
  2. Semi-Automated: Manual file upload via the Mission Control Dashboard (Intelligent Drop Zone) or command-line scripts.
  3. Fully Manual (Method of Last Resort): Hand-entry into QuickBooks Online following specific SOP rules to maintain project data integrity.

• Operational Lifecycle:

  1. Quote Creation: Intake -> AI/Manual Analysis -> QBO Estimate.
  2. Order Validation: PO Received -> AI/Manual Validation -> QBO Purchase Order.
  3. Logistics & Billing: BSC Shipping Calculation -> Blind Shipping Label -> Customer Invoice.

• The "Backbone": We use a Google Sheet as our central database (Stage Management).

  • Action: Open the Automation Backbone Sheet.
  • Key Tabs: WORK_ITEMS (Live Deals), AUDIT_LOG (History), SOP_REGISTRY (Rules).

3. 🛠️ Critical Infrastructure Check (20 Minutes)

• [ ] BSC App (Shipping Calculator):
  • URL: [Production URL] (or localhost:3000 dev).
  • Test: Login -> Go to "Calculator" -> Run a mock quote from "TotalShip Kirkland" to "Toronto".
  • Verify: Did it generate rates?
• [ ] N8N Automation:
  • URL: [N8N Instance URL].
  • Test: Open SOP-001 Quote Intake workflow -> Click "Execute Workflow" (Test Mode).
• [ ] Email Sync:
  • Check: Send a test email to quotes@mdlcommunications.com. Does it appear in WORK_ITEMS on the Backbone within 2 minutes?

4. 💵 Run a Test Transaction (15 Minutes)

To be fully operational, verify all three levels of system redundancy: 1. Fully Automated: Forward a sample supplier quote PDF to quotes@mdlcommunications.com. 2. Semi-Automated: Save a quote PDF and upload it via the Mission Control Dashboard "Intelligent Drop Zone". 3. Fully Manual: Open QBO and follow SOP-002: Method B to hand-enter an estimate. 4. Verify: Check the [Backbone Sheet]; all test cases should be logged with their respective status.

5. System Environment & Local Access

The entire local ecosystem is unified under the MDL Ops Hub. * Startup: Run .\start-engine.ps1 from the project root. * Primary Entry Point: http://opshub.mdlcommunications.com (Port 80) * Legacy Port Access: * PO Validator: Port 3102 * BSC App (Local): Port 3100 * n8n (V2): Port 5678

Restarting the Stack: If local tools are offline, open a terminal in the project root and run: docker-compose up -d

🚨 Critical Dependencies & Contacts

📅 Daily Operations Routine

• Morning (9:00 AM):
  • Check WORK_ITEMS in Backbone for status = 'exception' (Red flag).
  • Review AUDIT_LOG for any FAILURE messages from the night before.
• Mid-Day:
  • Approve any approval_required = TRUE items in the Backbone.
• Weekly (Friday):
  • Backup WORK_ITEMS tab (File -> Download -> CSV).
  • Check Supabase storage usage.

🆘 Troubleshooting Strategy

"The System is Down!" - What to do: 1. Check the Backbone: Is the Google Sheet accessible? (If not, Google is down). 2. Check N8N: Is the server running? Restart the docker container if self-hosted. 3. Check APIs: Are API keys expired? (OpenAI, NoviShip). 4. Call Developer: Contact [Developer Name/Email] (or refer to docs/06_Tech_Docs/TROUBLESHOOTING_LOG.md).

🏮 Emergency & Succession Plan

What happens if the owner is unavailable?

1. Physical Master Key: A physical copy of the Bitwarden Master Password and the .env backup is stored in: [REDACTED - See Owner for Physical Location].
2. Digital Emergency Access:
   • The bernard.cresencia@mdlcommunications.com Bitwarden Cloud account has Emergency Access enabled for: [TRUSTED CONTACT NAME - e.g. Spouse/Business Partner].
   • Wait period is set to 7 Days.
3. Server Recovery:
   • Access to the physical server/workstation is required.
   • Username: [OS USERNAME]
   • The mdl-ops-engine folder is the entire business. As long as the bitwarden_data volume is backed up, the business can be restored.

🔗 Key Documentation Links

• Business Continuity & Handover Guide (Access & Redundancy)
• Exit Readiness & Sale Prep Kit (Strategic Handover & Business Intelligence)
• Strategic Decision Logic (Codified CEO Heuristics)
• MDL Automation Constitution (The Rules)
• System Manual Index (Deep Dive)
• Workspace Developer Guide (Code Maintenance)