ask the
EXPERT
The Power of Processes
Documented processes are an aspect of effective operations which are often overlooked, particularly in smaller businesses. There are two overarching rules when working with processes – they need to add value and they need to be seen as living tools – they need to evolve with your business. So why do you need processes in your business? It’s no coincidence that the use of processes is considered a significant marker in the maturity of a business. The earlier you start building processes into your operations the better. They will always deliver multiple benefits but here are my top three: 1. They allow you to predict and control outcomes. A fixed set of actions result in a fixed outcome. Change the actions and you change the outcome. 2. They provide structure. A process involves multiple fixed points of reference which can be developed, analysed and examined to feed
16 connected
into other activities essential to managing your business. 3. They provide clarity. A defined process means that stakeholders understand what to do, how to do it, what the outcomes should be. Reducing confusion, misconceptions and unnecessary activity can only be a good thing, particularly where an activity is customer facing or customer focussed. What can you do with them? The extent to which a process is used within your business will depend on what it covers. However, there is potential for processes to be used for training, compliance management, improvement activities, benchmarking, cost reduction, quality control and more. Where do you start? Decide where formal processes are needed. There are some key areas to start with: Prioritise activities which are audited, subject to legislation or compliance requirements, activities which are business-critical and any areas which require consistent training across all relevant staff. Also consider activities which are creating a lot of ‘noise’ in your operation – unhappy staff, unhappy customers, a lot of firefighting. There is a high likelihood that processes will form part of the solution. What’s the next step? Mapping - mapping simply means documenting how a given activity is carried out currently. Work with the people involved to lay down each step, decision and action they carry out in the activity. Analysis – it may be that there is no need to change the process. However,
where there are problems, this is the stage where you can improve things. Look for duplication of effort, areas of confusion, waste, non-added value effort, delays and so on. Writing-up - having re-jigged the activity to improve it, you can now write up the process. There are plenty of ways to do this – bullet points, cartoon strip, flow chart, formal Standard Operating procedure and combinations of these. When deciding which format to work with consider: Your audience – Language, level, working context. External requirements – stipulations in legislation or quality management systems for example. The complexity of the process – a very simple process could be communicated through bullet points, a complex process may need a combined flow chart and Standard Operating Procedure. What happens now? Having a written process in place is only the start – you now have to communicate and embed the new way of working. Ensure you reach the right people and be prepared to counter some resistance to the change. People take time to adapt so be patient. Longer term, processes need to be reviewed on a scheduled basis as well as in reaction to changes in your operation. And finally – make sure that responsibility for the process is identified and ensure that it is transferred as staff move on. Even the best processes can get lost if this doesn’t happen. If you would like training, help or advice on improving your operations visit my website www.anniemcneely.co.uk or email me at annie@anniemcneely.co.uk
