At Business Success Consulting Group, we help business owners document their business processes and procedures, thereby ensuring systems are in place as the company grows. By building accessible SOPs and processes, companies can:
- Provide a consistent experience to all customers.
- Rapidly train employees.
- Explore automation opportunities.
- Increase efficiency.
- Grow and scale.
In this article, we will share a guide for documenting business processes that any business owner can use as they work to grow their company.
How to Document a Business Process
Are you hoping to document critical processes and procedures? Here is a brief “how to” to help:
0. Choose an accessible place to build and store business processes.
You want to ensure your business processes get used, right? Otherwise, you wouldn’t put in the necessary work of process documentation.
The first step for getting your processes used is determining where you will store them and how your team will access them.
1. Determine which process you plan to document.
Often, we recommend that you choose an area of your business that is causing the most chaos. This is the department in which you most often have to intervene. For example, if you are constantly bailing out sales, you should document the sales process for all.
2. Meet with the key employees in the department.
In the sales example above, you would want to meet with your sales team. Meeting with vital employees helps get everyone on board for process documentation and using those processes in the future. Additionally, you can get fantastic feedback from those on the ground doing the work.
3. Document the successful processes in those areas.
There are many ways to document a successful process. You can utilize video, written instruction, screenshots, recordings, and more.
4. Create a step-by-step guide.
Once you have the documentation, you must also organize it into steps so anyone can use the information you have recorded.
5. Run through the process you have built.
Now that everything is put together, run through the process. Does it work? Are there snags along the way? Is something missing? Does anything need to be simplified?
6. Modify the process to ensure all steps are included.
Modify the process based on your run-through. From here, you should review the process again to ensure your changes work with the overall system.
7. Have the entire team and any newcomers run through the process.
Once you believe you’ve gotten all the kinks out of the process, have your team members do a run-through. This includes both long-term team members and new hires. Having the entire team use the process will ensure they:
- Know what the process is.
- Can provide feedback about any future improvements.
- Are all on the same page.
- Understand how to access the process.
- Can train future employees on the process.
8. Set a calendar appointment to review the process.
Every business process is dynamic. Set a calendar reminder to review the process again in about six months. Doing this keeps business systems up-to-date with software and other changes as your company expands.
This brief guide is here to help you begin your process documentation journey. If you need help along the way, contact the experts at Business Success Consulting Group. We are here to help.
