Maintaining in-house policies and procedures ultimately results in cost effectiveness and efficiency. It is never too soon to develop your in-house systems and have working manuals to help ensure adherence to these standards.

Introduction

It is estimated that 90-95% of all our daily activities are habit. Our days are filled with eating habits, work habits, sleeping habits, etc. Stop and think about it for a moment. Compare your daily routine from one day to the next. Isn’t it pretty much the same?

Our lives are governed by procedures. For example: What is your "procedure" when you first get up in the morning? Do you put on the coffee? Shower? Dress? Read the paper? What's your "procedure" when you first arrive at the office?

Whether we like it or not, our lives are governed by procedures. The main difference between the procedures we follow in our personal lives and the procedures we follow at work is the word written. You must put your procedures in writing. Written procedures form the backbone of your business operation and are the "Key to Good Business Practice."

What Are Written Procedures?

Written procedures are important tools, and, like any tool, have value only when properly used. For example, the blueprints that a carpenter follows when building a house are his written procedures; his controls. If he doesn't follow his blueprints, the finished house won't turn out as planned.

Likewise, your written procedures provide you with detailed step-by-step instructions for executing or controlling the important parts of your business. Each step must be written in a clear and logical sequence. All steps should lead to your final goal - efficient and effective results. Written procedures, when carefully followed, help avoid mix-ups, errors, and costly time-consuming corrections.

Why Are Written Procedures Important?

Let's examine quickly why written procedures are so important to your operations. Written procedures serve six important functions in your company:

1. Standards of performance - Written procedures are important in establishing and enforcing work standards. Where required, written procedures help to ensure that the same job is consistently performed the same way each time.
2. Instruction - Written procedures help instruct employees at all levels of the company. For example, if you are a new employee trying to learn the job, or an experienced employee assigned to a different job, written procedures serve as a training guideline.
3. Reference - It is difficult to remember every step involved. Written procedures provide a time-saving checklist needed to make sure each step is carefully followed.
4. Control - Written procedures, when well developed, have important control characteristics. They tell you what to look for when auditing and how to evaluate results.
5. Review - Putting your procedures down on paper provides you with the opportunity to see how you can improve your operations and plan for performance improvement.
6. Documentation - Finally, written procedures are a record of how you do certain operations. They are basic business documents which are critical to success.

Use these helpful hints for developing well-written procedures and getting them followed:

Outline the Job
Outlining the job before you begin writing the procedure will help you to approach it in an organized fashion. You can do this by creating a brief breakdown of the important steps and the key points to remember when performing the job.

Write For the Reader
Be sure that you use language that the reader will understand. Additionally, you can increase the readability of the procedure by using short, simple sentences, using familiar, strong and short words, and writing in a conversational style.

Use Pictures To Punctuate!
A picture is worth a thousand words, and it is therefore very important to use pictures to punctuate procedures. A picture can be any type of illustration or example which clarifies, supports, or reinforces the critical information in a procedure.

Put Procedures In a Package
In retail, you can have a great product at a great price, but if you don't package and merchandise it properly, it won't sell. Selling written procedures (getting employees to follow them) is no different. The procedures may be well-written, but unless you package them in a way that relates to the needs of employees, you won't get them followed. Pay attention to the following things when packaging procedures: page design, instructions, table of contents, index, dividers, visual layout, and the type of binder you use.

Summary

Written procedures are essential to the consistent functioning of your company. When you write them, make sure that they are clear, concise, easy to understand, and logical. Having well conceived, well written, and well packaged procedures is the first step toward compliance and controlled and consistent performance!

If you would like help in developing and implementing policies and procedures, call us at (310) 370-1254, or contact us through our contact page at "Contact Bottom Line Enterprises"'