Step 6 – Document Everything
The way you do things should be captured and followed. It will improve and refine until it is clearly a differentiating advantage. At every stage, you want your team to follow the processes and to improve them constantly. First you need to start documenting them. Keep in mind: The more process driven your business is (winning the bus test), the more valuable it is... to you or to investors or buyers.
IDENTIFY
- Identify the core processes you will be working with
- Consider HR, Marketing, Sales, the different Operations, Accounting, Customer Service, Technology etc.
- Give each one a name and have everyone agree to use that name
DOCUMENT
- Record the major steps in each of the above processes
- Focus on a linear/chronological approach
- Each major step should have 1-5 sub points detailing who, what, where, when and how.
- Keep It Simple. 20% of the things needing done are likely to accomplish 80% of the process. Each process should be fully documented on 1-5 pages
- Review and approve each process. Every member of the leadership team must agree this is the right way to do it every time.
- Repeat for every core process
PACKAGE
- Combine each documented CORE process into a binder or online tool for easy accessibility and reference. Everyone who works with that process needs to easily access it and follow it. And, be graded on it
- The list of CORE processes from step one should be the Table of Contents.
- Give the package a name: The Walmart Way, The McDonalds Franchise Model, The IBM Standard Operating Process, The Zappos Circle of Life etc. Swap your name in the title, don’t use theirs. That will be confusing. (c=