How to Write a Business Process

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By marzel0us
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Write a Business Process

When writing a business process, it is important that you are intimately familiar with what you are writing about. It should either be a process that you yourself have performed, or that you have researched thoroughly with the person(s) who perform the process. Remember that the purpose of writing down a process is so that people who may be unfamiliar with how to do something will be able to duplicate the proper protocol just be reading.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

Pen and paper
Knowledge of what you're writing about
Computer
Word Processing Program like Microsoft Office Word(tm)
(optional) Microsoft Office Visio(tm)

Step 1

Put the process on paper. Write a high-level overview of the process using a written flow. This initial step won’t have the particulars in it, just an overview of the process. A written process flow is a series of steps written out in boxes with arrows connecting them in the proper order. Don’t worry if you don’t get it right the first time - recycle that page and start again.
Step 2

Sample Visio(tm) snippit

Next, if you have access to it, use Microsoft Office Visio ™ to draw out the process flow. It’s a great tool to help visualize a process and how things should logically happen. You can choose to add more detail to this flow (as compared to your hand-written flow) if you wish, or if the process calls for it. If it has sufficient detail, you can put the Visio™ document at the end of your process as a quick reference guide. Remember that some people learn more quickly through visual aids, others through textual input.
Step 3

Sample Task list

Using your flow, begin writing the tasks required to complete the flow goals you outlined. Your company may already have a format established for writing processes, and it may include not only page and text format, but document version control and metadata** information.
Step 4

Use image captures to enhance the words, if it’s appropriate, such as documents which are meant for training. You can enhance your process with pictures of the steps using image capturing software, like Snagit™ or by using screen captures (Print Screen) with the Paint software that comes with most computers.
Step 5

Multiple path task flow example

If you have a process which has multiple paths, you’ll have to customize your task list with titles that describe where the flow is proceeding to. That also means that at the point where the flow can branch in the task list, you will have to create pointers which show what task to go to. It is like an IF/THEN statement in programming; if your path is A then you must direct the person to go to B, but if your path is C then the person would need to go to D, etc.
Step 6

Continue writing until the process has been described completely. Use a Notes field for helpful hints, or to describe an alternate way to get to the same goal of that task. For instance, when using a function in most ticketing systems, or in a word processing program, you can usually perform the save function by either clicking a “save button” or clicking a File  Save feature in the drop-down menu at the top.

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smdelfin said

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on 7/20/2009 Instead of using Microsoft Office Word, you may use the free alternative Open Office Writer. And instead of using Microsoft Office Visio, you may use the free alternative Dia or Open Office Draw.