7 Keys to Developing Great Procedures

Bizmanualz is one of the leaders in policies and procedures documentation. Our policy and procedure manuals are written with small to medium businesses (SMBs) in mind. Thousands of companies that have been looking for a way to develop and implement a system of effective policies and procedures quickly have relied on us.

We’ve worked steadily on improving our procedures, using the process model (or the Deming Cycle) as the basis for improvement. The typical business process isn’t static, and your procedures shouldn’t be, either. The best companies are the best because they know “change is the only constant”.

So, procedures that describe processes have to be written with change in mind. That’s what we’ve done, and that’s what you need to do as you move forward, molding the procedures to your company’s — and your customer’s — needs.

So, how do you develop great procedures? With these seven keys:

• Purpose;
• Policy;
• User Involvement;
• Clarity;
• Accuracy and Completeness;
• Feedback and Control; and
• Continual Improvement.

PURPOSE – What’s the goal of this procedure? What’s the point of writing it? What problem are you trying to solve by implementing the procedure?

POLICY – Policy provides the “what”; the procedure provides the “how”. So, what policy do you want carried out in this procedure?

USER INVOLVEMENT – The person who’s writing the procedure may or may not have any experience with the process. The writer doesn’t need the experience so much as they need to ask the right questions. Can they get the process owner to describe the process, and can they convey that information clearly and accurately?

Having to explain the situation forces the process owner to look at the process from a different angle. It makes them look at things in a different light. It may even make them ask, ”Why ARE we doing this?”

Both parties – the writer and the process owner - being full participants in procedure development means a better result for all.

CLARITY – Also known as simplicity, or directness. Don’t put a lot of verbiage or twisted logic in the procedure. Tell the ones who will be involved in the process how it operates and what’s expected of it — and them.

Or, show them. Nothing — not even the ISO 9001 standard – says the procedure has to be in writing. Don’t let language be a barrier.

ACCURACY AND COMPLETENESS – A procedure has to have everything your staff needs to know in order to perform the process well and with consistency. You can’t leave critical steps or information out.

FEEDBACK AND CONTROL – A procedure should follow the Plan-Do-Check-Act model. Don’t forget that “check” step. If you’re not measuring performance and analyzing the measurements, how do you know if the process is in control?

How are you going to know if you’re approaching your goals, or what to do next if you’re not measuring? You can’t improve a process without gathering feedback and acting on it.

CONTINUAL IMPROVEMENT – If you plan to write and rewrite a procedure until it’s perfect, you’re wasting your time. Recognize that no process will ever be perfect. Build in room for improvement. Implement the procedure, check it, improve it, and implement the improvement. Keep repeating the process. Remember — the best companies know change is the only constant.

If you have questions or concerns, or you need help, please contact us right away. We measure our success by your successes.

Best wishes,
Steve

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Originally published in 2010 by Bizmanualz, Inc. under the title 7 Keys to Developing Great Procedures. All rights reserved. Reproduction permitted with attribution only. www.bizmanualz.com