This category is all about the processes, procedures, and workflows that you follow when making your product or delivering your service.

Overview

Whether you make a product or deliver a service, your business should have a ‘right’ or agreed way to do it.

Perhaps you’ve written documentation to follow. Or there might be universally agreed ways to perform certain tasks that you refer to (e.g. handling chemicals safely).

If you’ve been running a business for years, you’ve probably got this all figured out. Because you learned that having processes and procedures ensures that your product or service is always of the same high standard.

If you’re a new business owner, developing this documentation might sound boring. But you’re a Decimal now and it’s one of the funnest things there is! :-)

Instead of making things up as we go along (and leaving new staff clueless) we:

• document what we do every day,
• refine and perfect it,
• and then rinse and repeat.

This is one of the best ways to work calmly, ensure consistent outcomes, and keep customers happy. If anyone calls you a nerd, smile and thank them.

Create IDs based on what you need

The first ID is a list of all processes and procedures. It’s a handy index that sits at the top of the category.

You create the others depending on what you need, starting at 24.11.

For guidance on:

• creating IDs, see 00.34+OPS9 or ask us for help,
• patterns and templates you might use here, see 03.

Examples

Manufacturing or service delivery processes and procedures; quality control guidelines; project management guidelines; editorial or design style guides; templates and checklists; review and approval processes; and anything else related to how you do what you do.