Ops-workflow update

Process external information into the ops repo's knowledge base. Drop files in .update/ or pass content inline. Use when you have new information (research, status changes, reference material, deliverables) to integrate into the project's structured knowledge system.

install
source · Clone the upstream repo
git clone https://github.com/OdinMB/ops-workflow
Claude Code · Install into ~/.claude/skills/
T=$(mktemp -d) && git clone --depth=1 https://github.com/OdinMB/ops-workflow "$T" && mkdir -p ~/.claude/skills && cp -r "$T/skills/update" ~/.claude/skills/odinmb-ops-workflow-update && rm -rf "$T"
manifest: skills/update/SKILL.md
source content

Update

Ingest external information into this ops repo's knowledge base. Two modes depending on whether arguments are provided.

Detect Mode

  • If
    $ARGUMENTS
    is non-empty
    Inline mode: the arguments contain the information to integrate.
  • If
    $ARGUMENTS
    is empty or blank
    Inbox mode: process files from
    .update/
    .

Inline Mode

The user provided content directly: $ARGUMENTS

  1. Load context. Read

    CLAUDE.md
    and
    MEMORY.md
    to understand the repo structure, goals, and current state.

  2. Classify the information. Determine what kind of knowledge this is:

    • Status update → belongs in
      state/
    • Research / reference material → belongs in
      references/
    • Actionable opportunity or task → belongs in
      backlog/
    • Deliverable or work product → belongs in
      artifacts/
    • Strategic insight → may also warrant a MEMORY.md Key Learnings update
    • Mixed → split into appropriate destinations
  3. Integrate. For each piece of information:

    • Read the target file first — never overwrite blindly. Merge or append.
    • When updating state files, update the
      _Last updated: YYYY-MM-DD_
      line.
    • When adding backlog items, insert in priority order (highest first), not at the end.
    • If placement is genuinely ambiguous, ask the user before proceeding.
  4. INDEX.md cascade. For every file created or significantly changed, update that folder's

    INDEX.md
    . If the folder's overall summary changed, cascade to the parent
    INDEX.md
    .

  5. MEMORY.md check. If the information shifts the project's strategic understanding — a new constraint, a key learning, a changed goal — add or update an entry under Key Learnings. Don't add specific data points (those belong in state/references); only add general insights.

  6. Summarize. Tell the user what was placed where.


Inbox Mode

Process all files in the

.update/
directory.

  1. Load context. Read

    CLAUDE.md
    and
    MEMORY.md
    .

  2. List files. Check

    .update/
    for files (skip
    .gitkeep
    ). If empty, tell the user "No files in
    .update/
    to process" and stop.

  3. Process each file. For each file in

    .update/
    :

    a. Read and understand the file's contents. Consider the filename, format, and content to determine what it is.

    b. Classify — same categories as inline mode (status update, research, task, deliverable, mixed).

    c. Extract and integrate relevant information into the knowledge base:

    • Create or update files in
      state/
      ,
      references/
      ,
      backlog/
      , or
      artifacts/
      as appropriate.
    • Read target files before writing — merge, don't overwrite.
    • Update
      _Last updated:_
      dates on state files.
    • Insert backlog items in priority order.

    d. INDEX.md cascade — update every affected INDEX.md.

    e. Dispose of the source file:

    • Delete if all useful information has been extracted into structured knowledge (the common case — raw notes, status emails, data dumps).
    • Move to
      references/
      if the file itself is a useful reference to keep (e.g., a PDF report, a detailed analysis document).
    • Move to
      artifacts/
      if the file is a deliverable or work product (e.g., a submitted application, a finalized spec). Date-prefix it if it's been delivered.
    • If unsure whether to keep or delete, ask the user.
  4. MEMORY.md check — same as inline mode. Update Key Learnings if warranted.

  5. Summarize. List each file processed, where its information was placed, and whether the file was deleted or moved.


Rules

  • State vs. backlog separation — facts about current reality go in
    state/
    . Actions and opportunities go in
    backlog/
    . Don't mix them.
  • Don't duplicate — before creating a new file, check if an existing file already covers that topic. Extend the existing file rather than creating a parallel one.
  • Preserve structure — follow the repo's existing organizational patterns. If grants info lives in
    references/grants/
    , new grant research goes there too.
  • Cite sources — if the incoming information references external sources (URLs, documents, people), preserve those citations in the integrated output.
  • Be conservative with MEMORY.md — most updates don't warrant a Key Learnings entry. Only add entries that change the project's strategic understanding.