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What Is Process Documentation

The document discusses process documentation, which provides a detailed description of business processes to help employees and stakeholders understand how processes are carried out. Process documentation has several benefits, such as improving processes by identifying inefficiencies, training employees, preserving institutional knowledge, and maintaining operational consistency. The document provides tips for documenting processes, such as keeping documents concise, assigning process owners, and using visual tools like flowcharts. Process documentation can streamline operations and increase productivity and quality.

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Nicolas Martinez
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175 views

What Is Process Documentation

The document discusses process documentation, which provides a detailed description of business processes to help employees and stakeholders understand how processes are carried out. Process documentation has several benefits, such as improving processes by identifying inefficiencies, training employees, preserving institutional knowledge, and maintaining operational consistency. The document provides tips for documenting processes, such as keeping documents concise, assigning process owners, and using visual tools like flowcharts. Process documentation can streamline operations and increase productivity and quality.

Uploaded by

Nicolas Martinez
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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What is Process Documentation

|The Easy Guide to Process


Documentation
29 January 2018

As your business grows, so does its complexity. There are more steps, more
people, and more things involved that may not always be arranged in the most
efficient way.

Rethinking how your business works may sound daunting, but it’s bound to
get you major efficiencies. Process documentation is the first step towards
this!

This easy guide to process documentation will help you do it just right.

Read on to find;

 What is Process Documentation?


 Why Do it: The Importance of Process Documentation
 How to Document a Process
 Tips and Tricks: Process Documentation Best Practices
 What’s in It for You: Benefits of Process Documentation
 Easy Starter Process Flowchart Templates

What is Process Documentation?


Process documentation provides a detailed description of how to carry out a
business process.

It includes all types of documents that support a process, like

 policies
 checklists
 tutorials
 forms
 screenshots
 links to other applications
 process maps

It is used as a guide to help employees at all levels, including decision makers


and stakeholders, quickly understand company processes.

Why Do It? : The Importance of Process Documentation


Documenting a process will help you achieve 5 key things:

1) Helps improve processes. Identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies by


documenting the exact processes. You’ll quickly see what processes that you
need to improve or get rid of.

2) Helps train employees. You can use process documents to help new
employees understand their job roles and familiarize themselves with the
processes they’ll be involved in. Even experienced employees can still refer
to these documents whenever they want to make sure that they are executing
the process right.

3) Helps preserve company knowledge. Keep a record of processes known


only to a few people specialized in doing them. That way even when they
leave, the newcomers can resume the work easily.

4) Helps mitigate risks and maintain operational consistency.

5) Detailed process documentation is also a vital part of patents and trade


secrets.

Who is Involved in Process Documentation


There are 3 key ownership roles in process documentation. In some cases,
the same person may play all three roles.
How to Document Processes
Using a step-by-step method to document a process will help you get it done
quickly.

Step 1: Identify and Name the Process


Figure out which process you are going to document first. Determine its
purpose (why and how the process will benefit the organization) and provide a
brief description of the process.

Step 2: Define the Process Scope


Provide a brief description of what is included in the process and what is out
of the process scope, or what is not included in it.

Step 3: Explain the Process Boundaries


Where does the process begin and end? What causes it to start? And how do
you know when it’s done? Get these boundaries well defined.
Step 4: Identify the Process Outputs
Establish what will be produced by the process or what result the process will
achieve once it is completed.

Step 5: Identify the Process Inputs


List down what resources are necessary to carry out each of the process
steps.

Step 6: Brainstorm the Process Steps


Gather all information on process steps from start to finish. Either start with
what triggers the process or start at the end of the process and track back the
steps to the starting point.

The brainstorming session should involve those who are directly responsible
for the process tasks or someone with extensive knowledge of it, as they can
provide precise data.

Step 7: Organize the Steps Sequentially


Take the list of steps you’ve come up with and put them in a sequential order
to create a process flow.

Keep the number of steps to a minimum and if a step includes more than one
task, list them under the main step.

Step 8: Describe who is Involved


Decide each individual who will be responsible for the process tasks. Define
their roles. Keep in mind to mention their job title rather than their name.

Also be considerate about those who would be referencing the document.


Write it in a way that any employee with a reasonable knowledge can read
and understand it.

Step 9: Visualize the Process


This is to improve clarity and readability of your documentation. Using a
process flowchart, neatly visualize the process steps you’ve identified earlier.
Step 11: Note down Exceptions to the Normal Process Flow
A business process may not always follow the same flow due to various
reasons. Mention these exceptions and what steps will be taken to address
them.

Step 12: Add Control Points and Measurements


Identify where risks could occur in the process and add control points to help
the process owner when monitoring the process.

Establish measurements to determine the effectiveness of the process and to


help improve it.

Step 13: Review and Test the Process


Gather everyone involved and review the process flowchart you’ve mapped.
Are there any missing steps? Is everything in order? Once done, test the
process and see if you’ve missed anything.

Tips and Tricks: Process Documentation Best Practices


 Keep the document simple and concise. While it should be technically
accurate, it should be easy to follow.

 Have a proper plan in place to update the documents when/if the


process would change. Make sure to review them at least once a year.

 Or assign a process owner who can do regular reviews and notify


others of the changes.

 Keep separate documentation for every different process to avoid


confusion.

 When documenting processes for the first time, avoid covering the
entire organization at once. Start from a single process within a
department or a major process common to the entire organization.

 Store the documents in a location that is easy to be accessed by


anyone who is looking for it.

 Make sure that it is easy to be revised when needed and the new
version can easily be distributed to everyone involved.

 Have documents stored online in a central location via a process


documentation tool. This will automatically help with the above
mentioned two best practices.

 Use appropriate examples, graphics, color coding, screenshots, multiple


platforms etc. as necessary.

 Make sure the process documentation complies with the existing


standards of your organization.

 If you are highlighting the process flow in a verbal format, always


balance it with graphics – a process flowchart.

 Add swimlanes to your business process flowcharts to distinguish


different process roles, timelines etc.

 Create a process documentation guide, which anyone can refer to as a


standard template for documenting a process.
 Make use of existing documentary material, records, interviews, case
studies, field-diaries of project staff and the knowledge of employees to
gather information for process documentation.

What’s In It for You: Benefits of Process Documentation


 Helps get everyone on the same page by providing a common view of
the process steps. A common view is necessary for consistency.

 Where there is clear process documentation, changes to processes can


be made in a timely, straightforward manner.

 Helps identify ideal conditions for effective collaboration and


performance.

 Helps identify bottlenecks and inefficiencies in processes (even in those


“well-refined” procedures) that may otherwise go unnoticed.

 A clearly documented process saves time and prevents errors by


removing any confusion and by providing clear instructions.

 Decreases costs and unnecessary spending of resources.

 Helps improve the overall quality of processes and quality of the


outcome.

 Helps increase employee productivity as well as satisfaction.

 Since it is clearly recorded how processes should be carried out, it


makes it easier to outsource work.

 Process documentation also helps easily automate processes when


needed.

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