What you'll accomplish
By the end of this guide, you'll have a Claude Project set up as your personal Department Manager Assistant — one that already knows your department type, your store's policies, your team structure, and your preferred communication style. Every time you open it, you won't have to re-explain who you are or what you do. You'll get to useful output in seconds instead of minutes.
What you'll need
- A Claude account (free at claude.ai — works for basic setup; Claude Pro at $20/month adds more context space)
- 20–30 minutes to gather and type your department context
- Time needed: 30–45 minutes initial setup; 5–10 minutes per use after that
- Cost: Free (basic) / $20/month (Claude Pro for larger documents)
How-To Guide: Set Up Your Department Manager AI Assistant
Step 1: Create a Claude account
Go to claude.ai. Click Sign up and create an account using your email. The free tier works for this guide — you can upgrade to Claude Pro later if you want to upload documents.
What you should see: After signing up, you'll land on the Claude chat interface — a white screen with a text box at the bottom. Troubleshooting: If you see an error, try a different browser (Chrome works best).