Nguzo User Guide
Everything you need to know to use Nguzo effectively. Written for beginners.
What is Nguzo?
Nguzo is a strategy execution platform designed for businesses in East Africa and beyond. The word “Nguzo” means “pillar” in Swahili — and that is exactly what this tool helps you build: strong pillars for your business strategy.
In simple terms: Nguzo helps your company turn big goals into small, trackable tasks that your team can execute day by day.
The Nguzo Flow:
Business → Pillars → Goals → Activities → Tasks → Evidence → Verification
| Level | What It Means | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Business | Your company or organisation | Apex Solutions Ltd |
| Pillar | A major strategic area | Revenue Growth |
| Goal | A specific objective under a pillar | Increase revenue by 20% by Q4 |
| Activity | An initiative working toward a goal | Launch digital marketing campaign |
| Task | The actual work item assigned to someone | Design social media ads |
| Evidence | Proof that a task was completed | Screenshot, photo, document |
| Verification | A manager reviews and approves | Manager clicks Verify |
Getting Started
Creating Your Account
- 1Open your web browser and go to your Nguzo URL
- 2On the landing page, click "Get Started" or "Register"
- 3Fill in: First Name, Last Name, Email (your login), Password (min 8 characters), Confirm Password
- 4Click "Create Account"
- 5You will be redirected to set up your first business
Logging In
- 1Go to your Nguzo URL and click "Login"
- 2Enter your email and password
- 3Click "Sign In"
- 4You will be taken to the Dashboard
Forgot Your Password?
- 1On the login page, click "Forgot password?"
- 2Enter the email address you registered with
- 3Click "Send Reset Link"
- 4Check your email inbox for a password reset link
- 5Click the link, enter your new password, and confirm it
- 6Click "Reset Password" — you can now log in
Setting Up Your First Business
- 1After registering and logging in, you will be guided through onboarding
- 2Enter your business name
- 3Select your industry sector (Technology, Healthcare, Retail, etc.)
- 4Click "Create Business"
- 5You will be redirected to the Strategy page to start building your strategy
Strategy Hierarchy
Before using Nguzo, it is important to understand how everything connects. Think of it like a tree:
YOUR BUSINESS
Pillar: Revenue Growth
Goal: Increase monthly revenue by 20%
Activity: Launch digital marketing campaign
Task: Design social media ads
Task: Set up Google Ads account
Task: Write blog content
Activity: Expand to 3 new counties
Task: Research target markets
Task: Hire regional sales reps
Pillar: Operations
...
Pillar: Human Resources
...
Dashboard
The Dashboard is the first page you see after logging in. It gives a high-level overview of your strategy execution.
What You Will See
- Portfolio Health Score — Overall strategy health
- Metric Cards — Total units, completion rate, goals on track vs. at risk, blockers
- Risk Heatmap — Visual map of which areas are at risk
- Business Unit Cards — Each unit with health status (On Track, At Risk, Off Track)
- Recent Activity — Latest actions across the system
- Insights Panel — AI-generated recommendations
- Upcoming Items — Tasks and deadlines coming soon
Strategy Page
The Strategy page is where you build and manage your strategic hierarchy: Pillars, Goals, and Activities.
Creating a Pillar
A Pillar is a major strategic area (e.g., “Revenue Growth”, “Operations”, “HR”).
- 1Go to Strategy from the sidebar
- 2Click the "+ Add Pillar" button
- 3Enter a Pillar Name, optional Description, and select an Owner
- 4Click "Create Pillar"
Creating a Goal
A Goal is a specific, measurable objective under a pillar.
- 1On the Strategy page, find the pillar you want to add a goal to
- 2Click "+ Add Goal" inside that pillar
- 3Enter: Goal Title (be specific), Description, Owner, Deadline, optional KPI and Target
- 4Click "Create Goal"
Creating an Activity
An Activity is an initiative or project that contributes to a goal.
- 1On the Strategy page, find the goal you want to add an activity to
- 2Click "+ Add Activity" inside that goal
- 3Enter: Activity Title, Description, Owner, and Deadline
- 4Click "Create Activity"
Goals
The Goals page shows all goals across your businesses in one place.
- Search — Find goals by name
- Filter by Status — On Track, At Risk, Off Track, Done
- Filter by Business — If you have multiple businesses
- Progress Tracking — Each goal shows completion percentage based on task progress
- Click a Goal — Opens a detail panel showing activities, tasks, and KPIs
Activities
The Activities page shows all activities (initiatives) in a unified view.
Views
- List View — Activities as rows in a table
- Board View — Grouped by status (On Track, At Risk, Off Track, Done)
Features
- Filter Bar — Scope (All Accessible / My Items), status, owner, date range, search
- Quick Status Chips — Click to quickly filter by On Track, At Risk, etc.
- Sort — Newest or oldest first
- Bulk Operations — Select multiple activities for batch actions
- 3-Dot Menu — Edit, Duplicate, Archive, or Delete an activity
Click any activity to open its detail drawer with Overview, Execution, Performance, and Changelog tabs.
Tasks
The Tasks page is where the real execution happens. This is where your team manages day-to-day work.
Creating a Task
- 1Click the "+ Add Task" button (top right on desktop, floating button on mobile)
- 2Select a Business (pre-selected if you only have one)
- 3Optionally select an Activity to link the task to (if you skip this, it appears under "General Tasks")
- 4Enter a Task Title (required) and Description (optional)
- 5Choose an Assignee from the dropdown (optional)
- 6Set a Due Date (optional — click "+1 week" for a quick suggestion)
- 7Select Priority: P1 (High), P2 (Medium), or P3 (Low)
- 8Optionally set Recurrence for repeating tasks
- 9Check "Personal task" if you want it visible only to you
- 10Click "Create Task"
Kanban Board View (Default)
Tasks are shown as cards in columns by status:
| Column | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Ready | Task created but work has not started |
| In Progress | Someone is actively working on it |
| In Review | Work is done, waiting for approval |
| Done | Task has been approved |
| Verified | Task verified by a manager — final status |
Drag and drop a card from one column to another to change its status. Click any card to open the detail drawer.
List View
Click the “List” toggle to see tasks as rows in a table with columns for Title, Status, Priority, Assignee, Due Date, and Business.
Task Workflow
Uploading Evidence
- 1Open a task by clicking on it
- 2Click the "Evidence" tab in the detail drawer
- 3Click "Upload" or drag and drop files (images, PDFs, documents)
- 4You can upload multiple files — each is timestamped
AI Review
- 1Submit your task for review (move to "In Review")
- 2Click the "AI Review" tab in the task drawer
- 3Click "Request AI Review"
- 4The AI analyses your evidence and provides a Pass/Fail with feedback
- 5Passed tasks advance; failed tasks return to In Progress with notes
Verifying Tasks
Only Managers, BU Heads, and MDs can verify tasks. Open a “Done” task and click “Verify” to give final sign-off.
Rejecting Tasks
- 1Open a task that is "In Review"
- 2Click "Reject"
- 3Enter a reason, select a category (Incomplete Evidence, Quality Issue, etc.)
- 4Choose which stage to return the task to (Ready or In Progress)
- 5The assignee will be notified
Filters
- All Accessible / My Items — Toggle between all tasks or just yours
- Status — Multi-select (Ready, In Progress, etc.)
- Priority — P1, P2, P3
- Owner — Filter by assignee
- Date — Today, This Week, This Month, Overdue, or custom range
- Search — Find by title or description
- Clear — Reset all filters
KPIs
The KPIs (Key Performance Indicators) page lets you track measurable metrics tied to your goals.
- View all KPIs across your businesses
- Each KPI shows: current value, target value, progress percentage
- Track trends over time with charts
- Add new KPI entries with actual values
- Link KPIs to specific goals for automatic progress tracking
Timeline
The Timeline page shows all tasks on a time-based view.
Views
| View | Description |
|---|---|
| List | Tasks grouped by due date (overdue first, then today, then future) |
| Calendar | Tasks on a monthly calendar |
| Workload | How tasks are distributed across team members |
| Heatmap | Visual density map of task due dates |
Quick Actions
- Mark as Done — Complete a task directly
- Reschedule — Change the due date
- Reassign — Change who is responsible
Reports
The Reports page provides data analysis and visual reports on your strategy execution.
- Goal progress across pillars
- Task completion rates
- Activity status breakdown
- Overdue task analysis
- Team workload distribution
- Trend analysis over time
Filter by business, pillar, date range, and status. Export as PDF, Excel, or CSV.
Team
The Team page shows all members of your business and their roles.
- View all team members with name, email, role, and status
- See which business(es) each person belongs to
- Quick overview of team size and composition
AI Assistant (Taji)
Taji is Nguzo's built-in AI assistant. It helps with strategy questions, task planning, and general guidance.
How to Use
- 1Click "AI Assistant" in the sidebar
- 2Type your question or request in the chat box
- 3Taji responds with helpful guidance based on your data
Example Questions
- “What tasks are overdue this week?”
- “Help me write a goal for increasing customer retention”
- “What activities should I create for a marketing campaign?”
- “Summarise the progress of the Revenue Growth pillar”
Audit Log
The Audit Log shows a complete history of all actions taken in the system.
What Is Logged
- Task created, updated, deleted, status changes
- Goal and activity changes
- User actions and login events
- AI review decisions
- Rejection events with reasons
Search by keyword or filter by action type, entity type, user, and date range.
Settings
The Settings page has 8 tabs to configure your account and system.
Profile
Manage your name, email, avatar, phone number, and WhatsApp opt-in.
Notifications
Control which notifications you receive: task assigned, deadline approaching, status changed, weekly digest. Toggle email and WhatsApp channels.
Workflow Stages
Customise your task workflow. View/add/reorder stages, set colours, enable evidence requirements per stage, set WIP limits.
Employee Profiles
Create role templates with standard permission sets. Clone existing profiles for variations.
Employees (Invite & Manage)
Invite new team members by email, assign roles, view status (Active/Pending/Deactivated), resend or cancel invitations.
Task Visibility
Open Mode: everyone sees all tasks. Restricted Mode: team members see only their own tasks and those of people they manage.
AI Powers
Enable/disable AI task review, configure sensitivity, view AI review history.
Security
Change password, view active sessions, set auto-logout timer, export your data, or delete your account.
How to Invite a Team Member
- 1Go to Settings → Employees
- 2Click "Invite Employee"
- 3Enter their email address
- 4Select their role (MD, BU Head, Manager, Team Member, Viewer)
- 5Click "Send Invitation"
- 6They receive an email with an activation link
- 7They click the link, set their password, and can start using Nguzo
Roles & Permissions
| Role | What They Can Do |
|---|---|
| MD (Managing Director) | Full access. See all businesses, tasks, reports. Manage settings and users. |
| BU Head | Full access to their business unit. Manage goals, activities, tasks. Verify tasks. |
| Manager | Manage their team's tasks. Verify/reject tasks. View reports for their scope. |
| Team Member | Create and work on tasks. Upload evidence. View own assigned tasks. |
| Viewer | Read-only. View tasks and reports but cannot create or edit. |
| External | Limited access for external consultants or partners. |
Mobile Usage
Nguzo is fully responsive and works on phones and tablets.
- Bottom Navigation Bar — Home, Strategy, Tasks, KPIs, More
- Swipeable Cards — Metric cards scroll horizontally
- Floating Action Button — Blue “+” button for quick task/activity creation
- Collapsible Filters — Tap “Filters” to expand/collapse
- Touch-Friendly — All buttons sized for easy tapping (48px minimum)
- Snap Scrolling — Kanban columns snap when swiping
FAQ
Q: Can I use Nguzo on my phone?
A: Yes. Nguzo works in any browser on any device. It can also be installed as an app (PWA) from Settings.
Q: Can I manage multiple businesses?
A: Yes. Create and manage multiple businesses from one account. Use the business selector at the top to switch.
Q: I created a task but cannot see it.
A: Check your filters. If scope is "My Items", switch to "All Accessible". Also check you are viewing the correct business.
Q: Why can't I move my task to "In Review"?
A: You need to upload at least one piece of evidence first. Open the task, go to the Evidence tab, and upload a file.
Q: Can I create a task without an activity?
A: Yes. The Activity field is optional. Unlinked tasks appear under "General Tasks".
Q: What do the priorities mean?
A: P1 (High) = urgent and important. P2 (Medium) = standard work. P3 (Low) = can wait.
Q: Who can verify tasks?
A: Only Managers, BU Heads, and MDs.
Q: How do I invite a team member?
A: Settings → Employees → Invite Employee. Enter email, select role, send.
Q: Is my data safe?
A: Yes. HTTPS encryption, secure password hashing, PostgreSQL with backups, full audit trail.
Q: Can I export data?
A: Yes. Settings → Security → Data Export. Reports also export as PDF, Excel, or CSV.
Quick Reference Card
| Action | Where to Do It |
|---|---|
| Create a business | Onboarding page or Settings |
| Create a pillar | Strategy → + Add Pillar |
| Create a goal | Strategy → inside a pillar → + Add Goal |
| Create an activity | Strategy → inside a goal → + Add Activity |
| Create a task | Tasks → + Add Task |
| Upload evidence | Tasks → click task → Evidence tab |
| Verify a task | Tasks → click task → Verify button |
| Invite team member | Settings → Employees → Invite |
| Change password | Settings → Security |
| View reports | Reports page |
| Ask AI for help | AI Assistant (Taji) |
| See what is due | Timeline page |