Every company that grows beyond the initial founder is going to face the challenges of inconsistency, training, and delegation. When each employee does something their own way, results will vary and leaders will spend their time putting out fires instead of building the business.
So, what is the solution?
It is twofold:
- Document all of the processes in your business that work.
- Create or settle on new processes for new software, products, or services.
Well-documented and accessible business processes bring order, efficiency, and scalability to your company, supporting growth without the chaos.
Ten Steps for Building a Useful Process
Are you ready to create consistency across your organization? Do you want to make speed up the onboarding process, improve accountability, and reduce errors? Are you ready to delegate tasks so you can focus on leading your company?
It’s time to build and implement business processes!
Here are ten steps to follow:
1. Set up a central location to allow the team to access all processes.
Before you begin documenting, establish a place where processes can be stored and accessed easily. This could be cloud-based software, an internal drive, or a process management platform. The key is accessibility and consistency.
2. Communicate with the team.
Explain why you’re documenting processes and how it will make everyone’s job easier. Get buy-in by listening to concerns and showing how processes can help. It may be that your key employees need help, and processes will allow them to automate tasks, rapidly train new hires to assist them, and free up time for meaningful work.
3. Add documentation to the calendar
Treat process-building as a priority. Set aside dedicated time on the calendar for writing, recording, or refining documentation. Be sure to include your team in the scheduled process documentation time. You want them involved in the process documentation/building tasks.
4. Decide how to document
Processes can be written as step-by-step instructions, videos, audio recordings, screen captures, or annotated images. The best format depends on the task and the way your team works most effectively.
5. Choose where to begin
Start with the area that causes the most disruption or requires constant leadership intervention. Tackling the “on fire” area first provides immediate relief and demonstrates the value of documenting processes.
6. Document the main processes in those areas
Focus on core business functions such as onboarding, quality assurance, sales, or marketing. Document them clearly and concisely. You want to ensure the process is filled with actionable steps, not long explanations.
7. Test and refine with the team
Run through the documented processes with the people who will use them. Collect feedback and integrate proven suggestions that make the process more efficient and easier to perform.
8. Finalize and create checklists
After refining, do a final run-through with the team to confirm the process is workable. Then, create checklists to simplify execution and ensure no steps are missed.
9. Schedule process reviews
Plan to revisit and review documented processes every three to four months. Businesses evolve, and processes must remain dynamic to stay relevant and effective.
10. Ensure adoption across the company
Make sure everyone can access the processes and agrees to follow them. This includes leadership! Encourage employees to note unique circumstances or exceptions so they can be discussed during reviews.
Documented processes keep your business running smoothly, reduce errors, and empower your team to work with confidence.
At Business Success Consulting Group, we specialize in helping companies create, document, and implement processes that streamline operations and support growth. If you want consistency, efficiency, and freedom from day-to-day firefighting, we can help you build systems that work. Schedule your free initial consultation today!
