Processes — Why You Need Them 0

Posted On May 19, 2022, by Admin

Processes are the backbone of any business, no matter how small or big it is. You and your coworkers need processes to smoothly navigate the workday, especially if you’re juggling multiple tasks. Without them, the entire company would struggle, including its relationship with partners or investors.

Given that the goal of any organization or company is to achieve its full potential and lead a successful business, implementing and following a business process is crucial.

Read the following article if you need clarification on the concept. We’ll briefly introduce you to processes and explain why they are an integral part of any business.

What Is a Business Process?

A business process is a series of steps carried out by a team of coworkers to achieve a specific goal. You can think of it as a checklist of tasks assigned to different people (or teams). Every item on the list explains a concrete assignment that must be completed.

The entire process is over only after all the items have been checked off the list. Of course, they have to be successful to achieve the predetermined goal. To ensure high efficiency, each task should be assigned to a person with enough skill and knowledge to finish it.

However, companies perform processes over and over again until they iron out the issues and create a cohesive whole.

Steps of the Business Process

While there are different process types, they all have the same (or similar) phases. Below is an overview of the steps each process has:

1. Defining goals – Explain the purpose of the process. Use this step to outline the reasons behind its conception, include your expectations, and describe its overall layout. 

2. Planning and mapping the process – Here, you’ll have to discuss the strategies you plan to implement and map out the entire process, detailing the roles of everyone participating to ensure clarity and maximize productivity. 

3. Setting actions and assigning them to coworkers – Now, it’s time to assign everyone to specific tasks you outlined earlier. Make sure you play to everyone’s strengths to guarantee success. 

4. Testing – Test the process on a small scale before pushing it further. See whether there are any issues or gaps that need touching up. 

5. Implementing the process – After it passes the testing phase, the process is ready for implementation. Run the process in a live environment while keeping everyone updated and properly trained. 

6. Following the results – Monitor the results while reviewing the entire process and try to notice any patterns. Finally, don’t forget to document the process in great detail.

Why Is Documenting Processes Important

Process documentation is a method of collecting the necessary information to execute a process within your company. To guarantee delivery, you must write documentation continuously as the process is created and carried out.

The process document contains all relevant information — a detailed description of every method, step, problem, and solution. Many undermine its importance, but we’re here to explain why documenting a process can make or break your business.

Here are some of the reasons why you should always document a process:

• Consistency enhancement — If you’re constantly repeating a process, you won’t have to redesign it. Simply apply the proven logic and follow the steps.
• Access to shared knowledge — Documenting a process allows your company to keep all knowledge and experience in one place. That way, if someone leaves, they won’t take their process with them. Instead, everyone will have access to the same information.
• Increased scalability — Creating a more scalable process will help you manage the company’s growth to the desired level, regardless of the pace your business develops.
• Easier training — A documented process is excellent learning material, allowing new team members to learn everything they need to perform at the highest possible level.
• Simplified process improvement — Having insight into the process documents lets you find potential problems or aspects that could be improved.

Benefits of Documenting a Process

Now that you understand why documenting a process is vital, you should explore the benefits this action brings. Check them out:

• Heightened employee engagement and productivity — As employees take part in documenting the process, they tackle various issues and take ownership of their work. By involving coworkers, you’ll also increase their productivity.

• No operational ambiguity — If there’s any confusion as to who does what, the best way to determine it is to look at the documentation. That way, you’ll eliminate operational ambiguity and provide more clarity.

• Improved quality — Documenting each step of the process will highlight potential issues and improve overall quality.

• Time-saving — If you streamline the method of creating a process, you’ll save time when a new process begins.

• Single reference point — You’ll avoid confusion if everyone refers to only one resource.

• Reduced costs — Through process documentation, you’ll be able to uncover inefficient steps and improve upon them. On the other hand, you can also automate repetitive processes and boost overall productivity.

• Trade secrets and patents — If you want to file for a patent or trade secret, you won’t be able to do it without process documentation.

How to Ensure a Good Quality Process Documentation

Not everyone should work on process documentation. Writing a high-quality document requires a balance between being detail-oriented and concise. While you should include the necessary details in the document, you should first decide what you can leave out.

Don’t forget to think about your “audience” — who will read the documentation? What language and tone should you use? Will you include graphics and images to help with explaining complex phases? Answer these questions, and you’ll know what the document should look like.

Remember to write about the motivation behind the process, explain why it’s important, and talk about the goals. However, keep in mind that the methods are constantly being updated, so the follow-up documentation should also be up to date.

If you need help, you can always rely on various tools and make the documentation easier to write and read.

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This blog is not meant to provide specific advice or opinions regarding the topic(s) discussed above. Should you have a question about your specific situation, please discuss it with your GBA advisor.

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