How Best To Document and Manage Your Processes

 Define your process documentation standards

There are many ways that a process map can be different (tool, format, shapes used, coloring, sub-process method, handover method, and rework documentation).

At the end of the day, there are five things that matter most in creating a standard for process documentation:

• common template...they should read the same way
• clear naming convention…
• common legend (use of shapes)...any symbols should consistently mean the same thing
• common naming standards for organizations/tools (A/R shouldn't be listed as Finance in different ledgers...figure out what level of the organization matters and be consistent)
• common audience…process documentation isn’t for SMEs, it’s for people who don’t know your process (target new-hires or people who don’t do what that process does)

If those things are established, then the rest of the documentation should be fairly straightforward for how to use.

Train and empower your process documenters

However process is documented, it should be the same tools across the board for documenters. You don't want to have some Office apps (like PowerPoint or Word), some in Process Mapping Apps (like Visio or Lucidchart), and some in online apps Miro or MS Teams (it just confuses your audience).

So ensure that your documenters all have access to the same tools and training on the documenting standards. There will be sections or notes that don't fit your standard, use appendices for those.

Review and update your process documentation regularly

This is why there should be Process Owners for each functional area and they should be empowered to update process documentation when they notice the process has significantly and consistently changed.

Over time it can be difficult, even for the most knowledgeable SME, to remember what changed and how or even why it changed.  We tend to assimilate to a new normal fairly quickly. 

The Process Analysts that do the original documentation will often be otherwise engaged, or not notified, when changes happen to a process so they should not be the bottleneck for updating process.

Make your process documentation accessible and visible

Having a centralized repository for process documentation is key because it makes them accessible, which is a big part of why people don't update process docs (can't find them). Additionally, a central repository makes process governance simpler for Process Owners and Change Leaders.

You'll want to lock down editable files to read-only or convert the files to a PDF, but make sure anyone who needs to see the process docs can easily find and read them.  You’ll also want to have some kind of a version/change log so it’s possible to go backwards in versions, in case that becomes necessary later.

Continuously improve your process documentation culture

Infographics or high-level process flows are good to add to an Intranet newsfeed from time to time, to remind people that process documentation is available and valued. Otherwise, it can become a one-time exercise that is outdated by the next time that it's needed.