AI Training — Course 1

Module 1 Logging In to the Bergan Team Account

Bergan Marine Systems provides every employee a seat on a Claude Team plan. This is a company-managed account — it is not the same as a free personal Claude account, and the difference matters for data security (see Module 10).

How to Log In

1. Go to claude.ai in your browser (or open the desktop app once installed).
2. Sign in with your @berganmarinesystems.com email address.
3. Complete the verification step (email code or company sign-on, depending on how your account was provisioned).
4. Confirm you're in the company workspace: your organization name appears in the lower-left account menu. If you see a personal/free account instead, sign out and sign back in with your Bergan email.

Why the Team Account Matters

• Data protection: Team plan conversations are not used to train AI models by default — unlike some consumer/free tools.
• Shared resources: Company skills, connectors, and projects are only available inside the Bergan workspace.
• Admin support: IT can manage access, billing, and permissions centrally.

Module 2 Downloading & Installing the Desktop App

Claude works in the browser, but the desktop app unlocks the most capable features — including Cowork mode (Module 3), local file access, and scheduled tasks. Every Bergan employee should install it.

Installation Steps

1. Go to claude.com/download.
2. Download the installer for your machine — Windows or macOS.
3. Run the installer. If prompted for an administrator password, contact IT.
4. Open the app and sign in with your Bergan email (same account as Module 1).
5. Optional: pin the app to your taskbar/dock for quick access.

Mobile

Claude is also available for iOS and Android from the app stores. The mobile app is handy for quick questions and for checking on Cowork tasks you started at your desk. Sign in with your Bergan email there too.

Module 3 Chat vs. Cowork vs. Code vs. Design

Claude has four working modes. Picking the right one is the single biggest factor in getting good results quickly.

Rules of Thumb

• Question or draft? → Chat.
• Multi-step task with files or a finished deliverable? → Cowork.
• Software? → Code.
• Something visual? → Design.

In Cowork, you can control how much freedom Claude has: Manual mode asks approval for each action, while Auto mode lets Claude work continuously with built-in safety checks. New users should start in Manual until comfortable.

Module 4 Integrations & Connectors

Connectors link Claude to the business systems Bergan already uses, so Claude can pull live data instead of relying on copy-paste. Company-approved connectors are managed by our admins; you connect your own login once and Claude only sees what your account can already see.

How to Connect

1. In Claude, open Settings → Connectors.
2. Find the connector (e.g., HubSpot, Microsoft 365, Ramp) and click Connect.
3. Sign in to that system with your normal work credentials and approve access.
4. Done — Claude can now use it in Chat and Cowork when relevant.

Bergan's Core Connectors

Module 5 Using Projects

A Project is a workspace inside Claude that keeps related chats together and gives Claude standing context, so you don't repeat yourself in every conversation.

What a Project Holds

• Project knowledge: Upload reference documents — product specs, price lists, templates, style guides. Claude consults them in every chat inside the project.
• Custom instructions: Standing directions like "Always use Bergan Marine Systems naming conventions" or "Format quotes using our standard structure."
• Chats: All conversations in the project are grouped in one place.

Creating a Project

1. Click Projects in the left sidebar → New Project.
2. Name it clearly (e.g., "SmartBarge Proposals," "Service Reports").
3. Choose visibility: Private (only you / invited members) or shared with the organization.
4. Add knowledge files and instructions.

When to Use a Project

• You keep pasting the same background into chats — put it in project knowledge instead.
• A recurring workflow (quoting, service reporting, RFQ responses) needs consistent context.
• A team needs to work from the same source documents — share the project (Module 7).

Module 6 Skills — Using & Building Them

A skill is a saved, repeatable set of instructions that teaches Claude how to do a specific job the Bergan way — the right format, branding, data sources, and steps. Once a skill exists, anyone with it can trigger the full workflow with a single sentence.

Using Company Skills

Bergan admins provision approved skills to the whole organization. They appear automatically in your skills list — you don't build them, you just use them. Current examples include:

Building Your Own

If you do something in Claude more than a few times the same way, it's a candidate for a skill. The easiest path: finish a task you're happy with, then tell Claude, "Turn what we just did into a skill I can reuse." Claude captures the steps, format, and rules. You can refine it over time ("update the skill so the table is sorted by date").

Module 7 Sharing with Other Bergan Employees

The Team plan is built for collaboration. Here's what you can share and how.

Module 8 Writing Good Prompts

Claude's output quality tracks your input quality. Five habits make the biggest difference:

1. Give Context

Say who the output is for and why. "Write an email" gets a generic result; "Write an email to a barge fleet operator who reported a level-sensor fault, apologizing for the delay and confirming a technician visit Tuesday" gets a usable one.

2. Be Specific About the Output

State the format, length, and tone: "One page, bullet points, professional tone, ready to paste into Outlook."

3. Show an Example

Paste a past deliverable you liked and say "match this structure and tone." Examples beat descriptions.

4. Ask for Reasoning on Hard Problems

For analysis, add "think through this step by step before answering" or "list your assumptions." You'll catch errors earlier.

5. Iterate — Don't Restart

The first answer is a draft. Reply with corrections ("shorter," "more technical," "use gallons not liters") instead of starting a new chat. Claude keeps the whole conversation in mind.

Before / After

Module 9 Scheduled Tasks — Automating Recurring Work

In Cowork, Claude can run tasks automatically on a schedule — daily, weekly, or at any cadence — using your connectors and skills. Set it up once; the output is waiting for you.

Creating a Scheduled Task

1. In a Cowork session, type /schedule — or click Scheduled in the left sidebar.
2. Describe the task exactly as you would a one-time request. This becomes the standing instruction.
3. Set the cadence (e.g., "every Friday at 7:00 AM").
4. Review the first run's output and refine the instructions if needed.

Bergan-Relevant Examples

• Friday sales refresh: "Every Friday at 7 AM, pull fresh HubSpot data and rebuild the sales forecast dashboard."
• Morning brief: "Each weekday at 7:30 AM, summarize my unread Outlook email and today's calendar."
• Procurement watch: "Every Monday, search government procurement databases for new marine tank-level and fuel-management solicitations."
• Expense hygiene: "Every Friday, list my Ramp transactions missing receipts."

Module 10 Data Security & Responsible Use

(Suggested addition) The most important rule in this course: know the difference between company-domain AI and public AI.

Ground Rules

• Bergan business data goes only into Bergan-managed AI accounts.
• Extra caution with: customer pricing, contracts, employee personal data, and anything export-controlled or government-related. When unsure, ask your manager before pasting.
• You are responsible for what you send. AI drafted it; you sent it.
• Review connector write actions (emails, CRM updates, expenses) before approving.

Module 11 Verifying AI Output

(Suggested addition) Claude is a powerful assistant, not an authority. It can occasionally state something incorrect with complete confidence — especially specific figures, part numbers, regulations, and dates.

Verification Habits

• Check load-bearing facts. Any number, spec, standard (ABS, USCG, IMO), price, or legal claim that will go to a customer or into a decision gets verified against the source.
• Ask for sources. "Where did that figure come from?" If it came from a connector or an uploaded document, Claude can point to it. If it can't, treat it as unverified.
• Use your expertise. If output contradicts what you know about our products or the marine industry, trust your judgment and push back — Claude corrects course well.
• Human review before external release. Anything customer-facing or government-facing gets a human read before it leaves the building.

Final Knowledge Check