process documentation plan

It ensures that every member of your team performs with quality and consistency, and it leaves less room for error or confusion. For this purpose, you will need a document control that will carry out the proper essential process and keep your company going. Here are some additional ideas to help you produce the best document possible: As we’ve discussed, a project document is a little different than a process document. . If you don't understand how you are currently doing something, then you can't put a plan in place to improve it. In our experience, it is easier on yourself and your employees to record processes as you are doing them step by step rather than waiting until a project or task is completed. It can also serve as the baseline for training documents to prepare new workers for that process. Decide each individual who will be responsible for the process tasks. Develop a Process Documentation Communications Plan Careful messaging and structured communications are critical to the success and validity of documenting your processes. Process documentation challenges everyone's assumptions and forces you to think really honestly and clearly about that process. It allows for continual and timely changes in processes to increase productivity. A documentation plan can include varied elements. That way even when they leave, the newcomers can resume the work easily. When teams have clarity into the work getting done, there’s no telling how much more they can accomplish in the same amount of time. In the past, all our documentation was in text. Who and What Is Involved in Process Documentation? Click the template to open it in the Creately editor. But it is very time consuming. So, putting it more bluntly…A process is a series of related tasks or methods that together turn inputs into outputs.A procedure is a prescribed way of undertaking a process or part of a process.At a glance, the two might seem confusing, as they both refer to the same activities being carried out. The importance of process documentation is one known by many, but few know how to do it successfully and build a complete process documentation strategy. Review and update regularly. I recommend one that has all the documentation in one place. However, as mentioned, process documentation is a team effort. Try Smartsheet for free, today. How to Create a Process Document. I can definitely use your suggestions in the following areas you called out to include in my processes and also implementing a documentation tool to house and maintain our processes: . List down what resources are necessary to carry out each of the process steps. Be able to perform more than one function, Strike a balance between simple and functional. The document control plan is basically a guide or an outline that explains the management procedure of documents, virtual or physical, during the project life cycle. For example, using Microsoft OneNote is great because you can create sections for different parts of your company and only share the sections with employees who should have access to them. To be effective, business processes must be formally designed, structured, documented, and communicated. The new approach of process documentation gives businesses a definite edge in process adherence and maintenance. The book was a how-to guide for small business computer service providers and managed service providers (MSPs) about how to build a business around Microsoft’s all-in-one small business suite (Microsoft Small Business Server/SBS). One of the most critical activities in process documentation is staying focused on what you’re trying to accomplish. You can improve your business processes in many ways, such as working with standard operating procedures or business process management strategies. This will allow any new employee to quickly catch up in case you lose an important staff member. Here are some extra tips for your process: Cristian Rennella, CEO and Cofounder of oMelhorTrato.com, says,“The most important thing we learned while documenting processes was that the best way to do it is not through text. Then, we copy the video URL and add it to Microsoft OneNote, along with the step-by-step instructions. It makes it easier to maintain standards and consistency, follow external rules and regulations, and support due diligence efforts. Interestingly enough, the CD-ROM in the back of the book (this was 2000), which contained a few dozen worksheets, templates, and forms, proved incredibly popular with readers looking to jumpstart their own process documentation. One of the biggest problems you can encounter when documenting a process is not gathering and mapping out processes together. We house contacts, configurations, vendors, credentials, license keys, and standard operating procedures in one handy program, and our tool’s clever tagging tools and fast search capabilities make information easy to find. Items the map doesn’t cover include any bottlenecks or exceptions, details about ownership responsibility for tasks and activities, the acceptable durations of various activities, and the methods your staff members employ to find resources and accomplish tasks. But really business process documentation includes any and all documents that go to support a process. However, the information in a process map is not comprehensive — it doesn’t capture every aspect of a process. Not only is process modeling part of BPM, but it is also part of business process remodeling (BPR). it.northwestern.edu. Copyright © 2008-2021 Cinergix Pty. Once you have figured this out, you want to process map — the visual part of your documentation. Source. 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. The best way to create strong project documentation is to look at the templates of project managers (PMs). And, the best way to ensure that your processes stay up to date is to appoint a process owner. Documenting a process will help you achieve 5 key things: 1) Helps improve processes. In our next guide, we’ll be discussing process improvement techniques that will help you streamline your business processes easily. 2. Process documentation is the recording of processes that a company carries out on a regular basis. Commonly mapped in a flowchart, it provides a clear, top-down perspective for employees and managers to visualize and understand process workflows. Many companies feel a push and pull between trying to do the right thing by documenting and trying not to waste resources by documenting. There are many moving parts to the process, but once done and maintained , the benefits to your business efficiency are well worth it. It also helps to have a document as a sort of checklist to make sure the job is done correctly and thoroughly. The biggest one is how to keep documentation current. Thank for writing this blog on process documentation as it is related to my job. Usually created to train employees, process documentation and training can sometimes take time away from other activities. Everyone in your organization should be involved in some part of process documentation, whether they are recording value chain processes or merely documenting their daily duties. Gather everyone involved and review the process flowchart you’ve mapped. It helps structure all the processes within the team, and grant everyone access to the essential information. You can easily go and check the process and steps they took to accomplish their tasks, so another employee can take over and learn the ropes. Based on your company’s needs, you can use a series of arrows or more formal symbology to create flow charts. This kind of analysis illustrates not only how you perform a process, but also why you perform one. Give examples when your process is long or complex. The value of keeping process documentation is to make development more organized and well-planned. In addition, you need to ensure that the tools you choose actually encourage use. I have completed a few standard operating procedures which afterwards goes through an approval process before published within the company. It encourages debate about your current processes. Submitted by Jo Baer, this documentation plan includes both a blank plan and a sample completed plan that cover cost estimating, scheduling, reviews, production, variables, and more. I work at a digital marketing agency, and I believe documenting processes has been hugely important to the success not only of our company, but also of our clients. Free your team from content sprawl with Brandfolder, an intuitive digital asset management platform. You will probably need to go through the process several times before you have fully documented the process. For process documentation, this means including the smaller details, i.e. On the flipside, many organizations avoid process documentation entirely, feeling that it is a complete waste of time and money. The person recording a process may not fully understand it themselves. You’ll also want to capture your document review method, including all of its iterations and approvals. When documenting processes for the first time, avoid covering the entire organization at once. Process documentation is a team effort, with different members involved in writing and reviewing the documentation against a scheduled roster. Before we look at the top five, let’s first consider what functions in an ideal world make a business process documentation tool the most effective. It includes all types of documents that support a process, like. Involve your team. In the 1300s, Chaucer’s A Treatise on the Astrolabe became the earliest recorded English technical documentation. Everyone handles tasks differently, so it is likely that some individuals may be more resistant to process documentation than others. Process documentation is a step-by-step description of how to execute a process from start to finish. For more information on BPR, read "A Newbie’s Business Processing Reengineering Guide with Expert Insights.". Use appropriate examples, graphics, color coding, screenshots, multiple platforms etc. Seems a bit complicated. They take your inputs and give you your outputs. Half the book was technical process documentation — including how to install and customize different parts of the server suite. Using a process flowchart, neatly visualize the process steps you’ve identified earlier. (“How to Document Processes” goes from Step 9 to Step 11) or are the steps just mis-numbered?…. Smartsheet is a work execution platform that enables healthcare companies to improve work efficiency, scale repetitive processes, and securely store and share protected health information. Love the ease of your work flow and would like to follow something similar to this structure. What we have not yet discussed is the reality of process documentation. It conserves knowledge, even when those involved in the process leave the company. Still, some employees might need more encouragement to keep their documentation up to date. Till now keeping record in excel charts . The purpose of the process improvement plan is to document how the project team will analyze various processes, determine where improvements can be made, and implement improvement measures. Why Do it: The Importance of Process Documentation, Tips and Tricks: Process Documentation Best Practices, What’s in It for You: Benefits of Process Documentation, How to Master the Fine Art of Business Planning and Budgeting, 5 Tips to Master the Art of Business Process Modeling, 5 Tragic Process Mapping Mistakes and How to Avoid Them, Transform the Way You Work and Collaborate; Introducing Creately Visual Workspaces, The Complete Guide to Strategic Group Analysis, How to Visualize an Organizational Strategy, How to Use Lessons Learned Effectively to Avoid Project Failure, Writing a Successful Crisis Management Plan: 9 Essential Steps to Follow, Get Your Team to Crush Their New Year Goals with These Visual Tools, The Quick Guide to Creating a Proper Product Roadmap. o An example process documentation plan o Examples of overlapping areas between process documentation and other programmatic activities o A sample job description of a process documentation specialist Process documentation at work in WASHCost Photo by: Peter McIntyre. Process documentation is a detailed descriptionof how to execute a process. Here are common types of process documentation:Plans, estimates, and schedules. Documents should possess the following qualities: Jess Rodley, Director of Operations for Otium Boutique, says that her best practices for documentation maintenance include the following: Rodley’s role includes creating the SOPs for all of Otium Boutique’s products, services, and internal processes. For more information on creating flow charts for your workflows, read "Save Time by Taking the Time: Creating Workflows." I like to record videos and write detailed systematic instructions for each process. creation of materials that show the steps and tools used to complete a task or project Here are some examples of other goals that process documentation can achieve: You should be looking for only those opportunities to document that make sense. It serves as a practical teaching tool for your new hires. The process document outlines the exact steps needed to complete a task or process from start to finish. Determine the document scope and identify each process. Process modeling takes you further by proposing new process flows. Special interest groups can use process documentation to start trouble. the internal, continuous method for capturing the necessary steps to complete a process or tasks. Have documents stored online in a central location via a process documentation tool. The details of process models include the following: Healthcare organizations are comprised of intricate, involved, and highly process-oriented procedures, like clinical trials and testing, healthcare provider credentialing, protected health information (PHI) management, claim evaluation and review, and employee onboarding. Get written approval on DP. Interested in learning more about how Smartsheet can help you maximize your efforts? Here are the ideal stages of any documentation project: 1. Is everything in order? Keep in mind to mention their job title rather than their name. Much like process mapping, process modeling lays out your processes, looking at the inputs, outputs, and consecutive organization, trying not to leave out anything. Hello! The term process documentation, or standard operating procedure, was first coined in the mid-20th century. Generally, various people and factors are involved in process documentation in the following ways: You also must consider who in your company is going to own your process documentation. What you need is a process maintenance plan. The stories that BPMN tells are all about your work and its flow. Deliver and test. Process documentation is the first step towards this! For us, ownership of process documentation is held at a very high level, at the level of Director of Sales and Operations, because it is a key component to building the right long-term strategy. Like a large part of project management methodology, process improvement is an iterative process that is performed throughout the project’s lifetime.T… The Business Process Document is a document which provides a detailed description of a business process which is designed to meet an identified business need. Whether or not you use a template, your document should also have some loose structure to it. Use this process documentation template These are some of my favorites: Over the years, I have seen many process documentation challenges. However, you may not want everyone in your business involved in the project documentation of every project, particularly regarding one-off projects. A business process may not always follow the same flow due to various reasons. It also helps us keep each other accountable. We wish to make easy to keep record of all inventory, which is flowing in our manufacturing process & constantly changing its name . Take the list of steps you’ve come up with and put them in a sequential order to create a process flow. Process documentation is an essential discipline of business process management that involves recording a detailed outline of process steps from beginning to end to show how a process is executed. If you are highlighting the process flow in a verbal format, Help get everyone on the same page by providing, Since it is clearly recorded how processes should be carried out, it makes it. Documentation can encompass a wide variety of elements based on what your business needs. So, to make it easier, you can look at the difference between a process and a procedure as “what” versus “how.”A process consists of three elements: 1… Prior to completing the Control Plan development, the team must determine the proper level appropriate for the process being controlled. We use a combination of traditional flow chart mapping, Lean value stream mapping, and Theory of Constraints current state and future state mapping. For someone new to process documentation, I would say, ‘Just start. Identify where risks could occur in the process and add control points to help the process owner when monitoring the process. Process documentation can be a double-edged sword. To ensure optimal quality of care, foster communication between providers and patients, and maintain confidentiality of data and information, you need a powerful, real-time tool that empowers healthcare organizations to effectively manage documentation. People may expect compliance simply because the process is documented. Get these boundaries well defined. It is a road map to track, add, archive, and remove the documents from the system. There is always room to improve later.’ However, even mediocre process documentation is better than no process documentation. Essentially, it serves as a project plan for the documentation requirements on a software project. It offers context regarding individual projects. SOPs are not static documents to be written once and forgotten about. 6. Including the team in the testing and review of process documentation means we have a thorough system, one that produces effective documentation proven to outline processes with enough detail to be applied by others.". Process documentation fills in these particular gaps. In this guide, you will learn about the nature of process documentation, including its origins, its goals, what to expect, and who should be involved. We are in the process now of developing a change approval process flow. A process document does not have to be complex, however — even the steps that outline the process of boiling water can serve as a process document. Flow charts can adequately describe processes, but procedures must include written text to describe them sufficiently. It prevents procedures from going unused due to a lack of understanding. Define their roles. Your process documentation should be flexible and, above all, available to your people. A project is defined by the fact that it has a specified beginning and end. See why Smartsheet is the platform you need to drive achievement, no matter the scale of your ambition. If you are putting together a guide for all your processes, you want to make it user-friendly as well, providing a resource for a wide range of audiences. To help you make the perfect plan, here are some templates for you. Involving those who are part of the process, Notifying everyone who needs to know of any changes, Ensuring that the process can be accessed by those who need it, Determine the level of informational depth. In this case, setting a goal of completing the invoicing process within 48 hours is an example of a measurable objective to achieve as part of a process improvement plan… Keeping accurate records guarantees that you meet the standards your company upholds. Like any other language, BPMN has a defined vocabulary and organizing principle. A documentation plan is a technical document that contains important details about your project. Processes give you the breadth of your business or the cumulative steps to deliver a product or service. Another process documentation challenge is that it is frequently pushed to the back burner.”. Amanda Athuraliya is the communication specialist/content writer at Creately, online diagramming and collaboration tool. As your business grows, so does its complexity. The former is usually more formal due to necessity. 3) Helps preserve company knowledge. It's important to completely document the process first and then go back and look for ways to improve it. This is to improve clarity and readability of your documentation. Younger employees hate text documentation. This is also known as an Information Development (ID) Plan. This branch of documentation requires some planning and paperwork both before the project starts and during the development. Follow the process documentation steps we have discussed above, and make use of the process flowchart templates to ensure a quality documentation process. Generate continuous improvement through failure mode and effects analysis (FMEA). A business process comprises all the tasks that lead to the delivery of a specific product or service. The field of process documentation stresses how staff members perform the process, not what the process is. Then, we introduce you to the benefits, challenges, and essential tools of the process and provide you with the steps to do your own documenting. Rethinking how your business works may sound daunting, but it’s bound to get you major efficiencies. Help you keep track during project execution, Increase customer and employee satisfaction, Help you understand necessary changes in behavior or attitude. Change Management Process Document Example. It is used as a guide to help employees at all levels, including decision makers and stakeholders, quickly understand company processes. That might mean policies, checklists, tutorials, forms or even links to other applications. Establish what will be produced by the process or what result the process will achieve once it is completed. Correct, edit, and submit a second draft of DP to the client. 4) Helps mitigate risks and maintain operational consistency. She is an avid reader, a budding writer and a passionate researcher who loves to write about all kinds of topics. It’s important to remember that process documentation requires a level of detail that can produce the same outcome every time, even if the personnel changes. With three editors on the Microsoft Press side and an outsourced team of technical editors and designers from the book-packaging vendor, I learned a ton about the editorial process while writing a book that was all about process documentation. Following are process flowchart templates/ process mapping templates that you can quickly edit online with information of your organizational processes. Many industries require it, and many businesses perform it only because they think it’s the “right” thing to do. Process maps are a graphic representation of the relationships between steps, inputs, and outputs. Write it in a way that any employee with a reasonable knowledge can read and understand it. 2) Helps train employees. This easy guide to process documentation will help you do it just right. Report on key metrics and get  real-time visibility into work as it happens with roll-up reports, dashboards, and automated workflows built to keep your team connected and informed. ", "A Newbie’s Business Processing Reengineering Guide with Expert Insights. There are three designations for a Control Plan level based upon what point the product is at in the New Product Introduction (NPI) process. Below are some different approaches: Here are the advantages of taking a new approach when setting up your process documentation: Finally, when you discuss your approach, you should also consider whether you want to set up a process model. As a former primary school teacher, I understand the importance of not making assumptions with regard to your reader’s background knowledge. Gather all information on process steps from start to finish. This method creates an organized guide with the most essential processes for your company.". Even the method you go through to decide and improve your processes should be captured because it shows your thought process and the trial and error that bring you to current operations. You can also share these sections with third-party contractors if you want. It helps figure out if processes are efficient or if certain steps need to be eliminated or revised. Discover Smartsheet for Healthcare. Ideally, your staff performs process documentation as it occurs. Unless you have a specific regulatory requirement, you don’t document just for the sake of documenting. 5) Detailed process documentation is also a vital part of patents and trade secrets. I would tell anyone new to process documentation that it's going to take time, and it's important that you follow through thoroughly. The business rules applied in the process, Points of contact and interactions with customers. The documentation in a project is critical to the project’s stakeholders in that this record helps ensure that your company is fiscally responsible regarding its project funds. Process documentation is a complete description of how to … 8 key considerations for selecting the best process documentation tool.

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