Writing Procedures 101
Nov 19, 2018
In the previous posts in this series, we talked about why procedures are important and what kinds of things you should have a procedure for. The next step is actually writing a procedure.
What needs to be done to write an effective procedure?
- Talk to the people who do the task right now.
- Ask them to write down every step they take to complete the task, even if it seems insignificant.
- Ask them to come up with a list of exceptions that are made to the regular process. Is there a specific change made for a customer or supplier? Does one product have to be handled differently than the others?
- Are there recurring problems that need to be fixed? Could the task be handled better by changing one of the steps, changing software or using different equipment?
- Are there certain skills or knowledge that the person performing the task need to have to be successful? Hint: make sure these are listed on the job description for the position performing the task!
- Once you have collected all of this information, determine which changes should be made right away to improve the current process. Incorporate those changes into the original step-by-step process. This will be your Standard Procedure.
- Next, create an Exceptions List outlining all of the approved deviations from the Standard Procedure. For example, you might have exceptions to a procedure due to vendor or customer requirements.
- Have your team members review the Standard Procedure and Exceptions List for errors.
- Roll out the Standard Procedure and Exceptions List to everyone involved in the process.
In the final post in this series, we’ll look at what happens after you roll out the new procedure.
Prior articles in this series:
Ready to get started writing your procedures? Download our free guide here!