This slide presentation provides an overview of why good business process documentation is important to improving productivity for a company and for its employees.

1. HOW GOOD BUSINESS
PROCESS DOCUMENTATION
CONTRIBUTES TO IMPROVED
PRODUCTIVITY
10/22/2013 © 2013 Pyles Atwood Group (Division of Bell Design Technologies, Inc.) All Rights Reserved

2. Your Presenter
Edith E. Bell, CPT, Ph.D.
Principal Consultant
Bell Design Technologies, Inc.
10/22/2013
© 2013 Pyles Atwood Group (Division of Bell Design Technologies, Inc.) All Rights Reserved

3. Business Process Documentation
Evaluating the
Need for
Documentation
Documentation
Formats
Getting and
Measuring
Compliance
10/22/2013
Designing a
Documentation
Hierarchy
Streamlining
Current
Documentation
System
© 2013 Pyles Atwood Group (Division of Bell Design Technologies, Inc.) All Rights Reserved

4. Is There Justification for Good
Process Documentation?
Yes. Good documentation:
• Achieves improvement of employee
productivity
• Ensures repeatable behavior after training
• Saves time and money when doing
processes or completing forms
• Makes employees more efficient
Good arguments to give senior management
as rationale for improving documentation
(Page, 2009)
10/22/2013 © 2013 Pyles Atwood Group (Division of Bell Design Technologies, Inc.) All Rights Reserved

5. Importance of Documentation:
Best Way to Do a Task
Good business process
documentation serves as the
keeper of process decisions.
Its role is to provide guidance for
consistent ways of operating the
business.
It enables employees to learn and
be reminded of acceptable ways to
fulfill work assignments.
10/22/2013
(Escoe, 2001)
© 2013 Pyles Atwood Group (Division of Bell Design Technologies, Inc.) All Rights Reserved

6. Importance of Documentation:
Central Access to Information
Good business process
documentation
provides a central
repository for people to
access the how, what,
and why of your
business.
10/22/2013
© 2013 Pyles Atwood Group (Division of Bell Design Technologies, Inc.) All Rights Reserved

7. Importance of Documentation:
Reduces Error
Good business process
documentation reduces
errors, which
• Improves quality
• Protects workers, the
public, and property
• Increases
productivity
10/22/2013
© 2013 Pyles Atwood Group (Division of Bell Design Technologies, Inc.) All Rights Reserved

8. Importance of Documentation:
Audit Trail of Task Completion
Good business process
documentation produces an
audit trail.
It can serve as a diagnostic
tool to help organizations
target priorities for
improving processes.
It can demonstrate
compliance with stated
internal requirements or
criteria.
10/22/2013
(Escoe, 2001; Page, 2009)
© 2013 Pyles Atwood Group (Division of Bell Design Technologies, Inc.) All Rights Reserved

9. Top Reasons for Good Business
Process Documentation
Often, the four best reasons for good business
process documentation are overlooked, played
down, or taken for granted.
They are very instrumental in improving
productivity.
(Page, 2009)
10/22/2013 © 2013 Pyles Atwood Group (Division of Bell Design Technologies, Inc.) All Rights Reserved

10. Top Reason #1 for Good
Documentation:
Compliance with Regulations
• Best practices from
regulations tend to
become the gold
standard for
management.
• Sources of capital may
demand transparency.
Being in compliance
offers a competitive
advantage even to
private and not-forprofit organizations.
10/22/2013
(Jackson, 2006)
© 2011 Pyles Atwood Group (Division of Bell Design Technologies, Inc.) All Rights Reserved

11. Top Reason #2 for Good
Documentation:
Conform to Industry Standard
• Takes companies to
new marketplace level
• Enacts consistent,
reliable, and
trustworthy
procedures
• Provides core
component for
deploying repeatable
actions and training
10/22/2013
(Page, 2009)
© 2011 Pyles Atwood Group (Division of Bell Design Technologies, Inc.) All Rights Reserved

12. Top Reason #3 for Good
Documentation:
Consistent Decision Making
• Reflects vision
• Integrates strategy into
daily management
decisions
• Results in consistent,
reliable, trustworthy
processes and
procedures for
management and
employees
• Provides freedom to
execute duties within
defined boundaries
10/22/2013
(Page, 2009)
© 2011 Pyles Atwood Group (Division of Bell Design Technologies, Inc.) All Rights Reserved

13. Top Reason #4 for Good
Documentation:
Job Boundaries
• Allows employees to
know rules and to
produce the right
result the first time
• Enables managers
and direct reports to
understand clearly
individual and group
responsibilities
10/22/2013
• Sets boundaries so
employees know in
advance what
response to expect
from others when
making decisions
and carrying out
actions
(Page, 2009)
© 2011 Pyles Atwood Group (Division of Bell Design Technologies, Inc.) All Rights Reserved

14. Top Reason #5 for Good
Documentation:
Foundation for Training
• Ensures employees
take documentation
seriously.
• Improves productivity
when done right and
reinforced by
managerial support
10/22/2013
(Page, 2009)
© 2011 Pyles Atwood Group (Division of Bell Design Technologies, Inc.) All Rights Reserved

15. References
Escoe, A. (2001). The practical guide to
people-friendly documentation. Milwaukee:
ASQ Quality Press.
Jackson, P. M. (2006). Sarbanes-Oxley for
small businesses: Leveraging compliance for
maximum advantage. Hoboken, NJ: John
Wiley & Sons.
Page, S. B. (2009). Writing exceptional policies
and procedures. Westerville, OH: Process
Improvement Publishing.
10/22/2013 © 2013 Pyles Atwood Group (Division of Bell Design Technologies, Inc.) All Rights Reserved

16. To Learn More…
Contact Edith E. Bell, CPT, Ph.D.
630.986.1228
ebell@belldesigntech.com
http://www.belldesigntech.com
http://www.linkedin.com/in/edithbell/
10/22/2013
© 2013 Pyles Atwood Group (Division of Bell Design Technologies, Inc.) All Rights Reserved