Most operations teams face a similar problem: Their most important knowledge — SOPs, compliance documents, vendor contracts, onboarding emails, and more — are scattered throughout their organization.
As a result, work slows down because people are spending time hunting for documents or running to their operations manager for answers. Sometimes if they can't find what they need, they might guess or simply put off their task.
Now there’s an easy fix for this. AI tools such as Google's Gemini Notebook let you upload your documents to search them quickly, ask questions or request summaries. Notebook quickly supplies accurate, source-cited answers drawn directly from your uploaded documents. No hallucinated responses pulled from the internet. Just your information, made instantly accessible.
Here's how to set up a Notebook:
Step 1: Pick Your Sources
Start by gathering the documents your team references most often. Think SOPs, process maps, quality standards, compliance policies, vendor contracts, onboarding guides; whatever generates the most repeat questions or the most time spent searching. You don't need every document you've ever created. Start with five to 10 of your highest-traffic sources. You can always add more later.
Step 2: Upload and Organize
In Gemini Notebook, create a notebook and give it a clear name: "Operations Knowledge Base" or "Q4 Compliance Docs." Then upload your files. Gemini Notebook accepts PDFs, Google Docs, website URLs, slides, even YouTube video links. Once uploaded, the tool automatically summarizes each source and pulls out key topics, so you can verify everything loaded correctly.
Step 3: Start Asking Questions
This is where it gets powerful. You can ask the notebook anything, and it will answer using only the documents you provided, with citations pointing to exactly where each answer came from. Try questions your team asks you: "What's the SOP for handling invoice exceptions over $10,000?" or "What are the top findings from our last compliance audit?" or "What's the 90-day onboarding plan for new team members?" Every answer is grounded in your documents, and every claim links back to a specific source you can verify.
Step 4: Share It
Once your knowledge base is working well, share it with your team. Now instead of pinging you on Teams or digging through folders, anyone can query the notebook directly. The questions they ask will also show you what information people need most, which helps you decide what to add or update next.
Why This Matters
The real value isn't just saving your team time finding information, though that’s a big win. It's that you stop being the bottleneck. Every recurring question the knowledge base answers is time you get back for work that actually requires your judgment and expertise. It also creates consistency: Everyone gets the same answer to the same question, grounded in the same source of truth.
Gemini Notebook is free to start, and you can have a working knowledge base up and running in under 30 minutes. Pick your five most-referenced documents, upload them, and test it with the questions you get asked most often. You'll see immediately whether it's worth expanding.
Learn More at AI Academy
Our AI for Operations course is a comprehensive learning journey designed to transform how you approach operations in the age of artificial intelligence. You will move from understanding the strategic imperative for AI adoption to building a complete, prioritized action plan for your specific role and organization.
Across four courses, you will master frameworks for identifying and prioritizing AI opportunities, learn to navigate the complex technology landscape with confidence, and develop hands-on skills that put you ahead of the vast majority of operations professionals. Whether you are a frontline practitioner managing processes, compliance, and cross-functional coordination or a senior leader responsible for driving performance at scale and leading transformation programs, this series will equip you with the mindset, methodology, and practical capabilities to lead AI transformation in your organization.
