Many of our new clients face internal resistance when trying to establish SOPs for process improvement. People are so focused on doing their jobs, and they insist they don't have the time or resources to document what they do.
Recently an executive coach we’ve been working with commented about how our Operations Mapping method is a perfect fit for improving organizational performance, process improvement, and re-engineering applications. We agree. Our clients do too.
Operations Mapping for Process Improvement
Our operations mapping process links processes to detailed linking processes to detailed standard operating procedures, work instructions, and policies. It's the foundation of our approach. Operations Mapping can be applied to any area or process.
Why waste time re-inventing the wheel for every new project or new regulation that comes along? With the Operations Mapping approach, you end up with a single, easy-to-change system for managing operations, training, improving processes, and meeting regulatory compliance.
How Do You Persist with Establishing SOPS for Process Improvement?
The resistance may be linked to the misconception that standardized procedures are useless paperwork or make expensive door stops (Bad SOPs do make good doorstops—especially if they are in three-inch binders!) Thinking about SOPs only in terms of documenting and record-keeping instead of looking at SOP development as an exercise in examining and understanding how your business works is old-fashioned thinking.
It may also be semantics. We recently worked with a client to develop a process map for automating one of their core processes. In the beginning, the client was adamant about not wanting to get into SOPs or procedural details. They thought they only needed to look at the big picture. However, the high-level process map ended up being very complex because the client kept adding more and more detail as they thought through the processes they needed to make automation decisions.
Surprisingly, it was the discussions about the detailed procedures the client started out not wanting to consider that revealed the fact that some managers had no clue what was really going on! And that was the biggest problem they were facing.
Standard operating procedures are often overlooked as a key element of process improvement. Process re-engineering typically needs to go beyond what’s on a high-level process map. And it's not always just about process automation. People-based operations can be improved through re-engineering too.
Mapping out your “as is” processes and SOPs is the first step in any process improvement initiative because it makes your people operations visible. You can’t improve what you can’t see.
Zavanta SOP Software
Zavanta is cloud-based software that standardizes operating procedures, policies, and best practices, ensuring they are accurate and accessible to all employees anytime, any place, and in any language. We leverage operations mapping, guided authoring, and structured content. Contact us to learn more and start a conversation.
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