User Onboarding

Welcome to Colabmacs! This guide walks you through the initial setup process so you can start using the platform quickly and confidently.

For most users, onboarding takes only a few minutes and follows a clear, guided flow. Depending on your account and facility, some steps may be skipped automatically.

What to Expect

Onboarding is designed to help you:

• Accept the Terms of Service
• Connect to an existing team or create one
• Set up (or join) a project
• Invite collaborators (optional)

Once complete, you’ll be taken directly to your dashboard.

Step 1: Accepting the Terms & Conditions

When you first access Colabmacs, you’ll be asked to review and accept the Terms and Conditions.

What You’ll See

• The Facility Terms of Service
• The date the terms were last updated
• A welcome message confirming your account

Action Required

You must choose one of the following options:

• AGREE TO TERMS — Accept and continue onboarding
• DECLINE — Exit without creating or activating your account

Need Help?

If you have questions about the Terms of Service, contact your facility administrator before proceeding.

Step 2: Team Setup

After accepting the terms, you’ll be guided to the Team Setup step.

A team represents a group of people working together — such as a lab, research group, or organization.

Existing Projects

If your account was imported from a previous system and is already linked to one or more projects, this step may be skipped. You’ll be asked to select a default project instead.

You’ll be given two options.

Join an Existing Team

Best for:
Users who were invited to collaborate or are joining an established group.

What this allows you to do:

• Join an existing team
• Access shared projects and resources
• Start collaborating immediately

Action: Click JOIN EXISTING TEAM

Create a New Team

Best for:
Users starting a new lab, group, or organization.

What this allows you to do:

• Create and manage your own team
• Invite others as collaborators
• Control team settings and permissions

Action: Click CREATE NEW TEAM

Step 3A: Joining an Existing Team

If you choose to join a team, you’ll see a list of available teams.

Finding a Team

• Use the search bar to find a team by name
• Browse the list to see available options

Can’t Find Your Team?

If you don’t see your team listed, double-check with your administrator or consider creating a new team.

Team Types

• Open Teams
  You can join immediately without approval.

• Public Teams
  Joining requires approval from a team administrator.

How to Join

1. Find the team you want to join
2. Review the team details
3. Click Click to Join
4. Once approved (if required), onboarding will continue automatically

You can return to the previous step at any time using the Back button.

Joining Confirmation

After successfully joining a team, you are all set to proceed to the application.

Step 3B: Creating a New Team

If you choose to create a team, you’ll be asked for some basic information.

Financial Responsibility

By creating a team, you may be agreeing to take on financial or administrative responsibilities. Ensure you understand these obligations before proceeding.

Required Information

• Team Name
  A descriptive name for your lab or group

• Description
  A short explanation of the team’s purpose or focus

• Visibility
  Most teams should be set to Private (invite only)

Continue

• Click CREATE TEAM to move on
• Use Back if you need to change your selection

Step 4: Creating a Project

After your team is set up, you’ll create your first project.

A project represents a specific piece of work, research effort, or activity within your team.

Required Settings

• Project Type
  Choose the type that best matches your work (e.g., Industrial, Academic)

• Visibility
  Projects are typically Private (invite only)

Optional Details

You can also provide:

• End Date — for planning and timelines
• Account Code — for internal tracking or billing
• Budget — to monitor usage or costs
• Description — project goals or context

Click CREATE PROJECT to continue.

Step 5: Adding Team Members (Optional)

You can invite collaborators to your team right away, or skip this step and do it later.

Inviting Members

For each invitation, provide:

• Email address
• Role

Available Roles

• Administrator
  Full control over team and project settings

• Editor
  Can work within projects but cannot manage team settings

Click SEND INVITE to invite a member.

Pending invitations will appear in a list until accepted.

Step 6: Onboarding Complete

You’re all set!

You’ll see a confirmation screen indicating:

• Terms accepted
• Team setup complete
• Onboarding finished

Click GO TO DASHBOARD to start using Colabmacs.

What’s Next?

From your dashboard, you can:

• Browse and request access to resources
• Complete required training
• Book equipment or spaces
• Collaborate with your team

If you’re new, we recommend continuing with:

• Finding and Browsing Resources
• Training & Access Requirements