Why Document Processes?

Have you ever said to yourself, “We’re too busy, there’s no time to document processes? We have REAL work to do.” If so, I’d like to suggest that one of the reasons you are so busy is that you lack documented processes.

Documenting existing processes:

• Prevents re-inventing the wheel for each project
• Assures continuity of process and, therefore, the continuity of quality that the process represents
• Makes training new employees and contractors easier; it gets them to productivity faster.
• Makes possible a conscious examination of the processes to improve them. Makes it possible for an organization to learn from the past
• Preserves the intellectual property of the organization. When it comes time to sell or merge, the existence of documented procedures facilitates the process, increases the value of the company.

“Yeah, but we still don’t have time, and we can’t afford to pay someone from outside to document them.” No one gets benefits without paying a price, but it might be easier than you think:

• Don’t seek perfection. The greatest enemy of the good is the perfect.
• Give everyone a Word template for recording procedures for their job so everybody’s stuff looks sort of the same.
• Get people to list the tasks in their jobs and send them to one person who will collect all the tasks as they are documented.
• Ask people to record one or two tasks a week and submit them to the collecting person.
• Send a gentle reminder if someone skips a week.

Pretty soon, you’ll have quite a collection and be on the way to enjoying the benefits of having documented procedures. You will also be surprised at how people get into the task and begin to ask questions that ought to be asked about better ways to do things. David Orr