Why does a small business need process documentation?

Whether you have a small retail store or a multi-dollar tech company, every business has a certain way to do things. When all the business processes are known and handled by one or few people, their absence can create chaos at work.

The smaller company, the bigger chaos because one person is essentially running the entire business on their shoulders. Documenting the processes of your business can not only reduce the burden on the members but also increase the company's efficiency.

Are you still questioning if process documentation is needed for your business? This post might be worth your time.

What is process documentation? 

Process documentation is the act of capturing all the steps and processes in a business and documenting them in clear, concise written records. By outlining the steps to complete a task or achieve a goal, employees have a reference guide of the company's processes and procedures that gives them the opportunity to finish their jobs in a timely fashion.

Why should I create process documentation? 

Having a small business is a race against time and resources, while building structured process documentation is a time-consuming task. These two situations don't go hand-in-hand, which is the reason why many small businesses don't have it set in place. Despite this, documenting processes is important for several reasons:

Create productive employees

When your business processes and procedures are documented, your employees spend less time searching for ways to complete a task and spend more time on the actual job at hand. This increases their speed in completing tasks, creating a productive workforce.

Maintain consistency

Different departments in your small business can come up with varying opinions or techniques in a particular task. Maintain all your processes in a written format with the help of a process documentation software. This ensures that there is a systematic and uniform way to perform all your company tasks.

Onboard employees quickly

When new employees join your team, they are completely unaware of the inner workings of your company. The initial training period might not cover every essential piece of information. Having a set document in place that has the must-have knowledge of your company can be crucial to how they adapt and work in your company.

Improve quality of processes

Seeing your business operations in a written format makes you look at it from different perspectives. Written documents on the functioning of your business can help you analyze and improve the quality of work.

Preserve company knowledge

When an employee leaves the company, many important pieces of information and minor details get lost. Documenting everything in a process documentation software helps in preserving company knowledge and preventing loss of information.

What are the difficulties in adapting process documentation for your small business? 

Distrust in documentation

When there is a basic distrust in the idea of documentation and its fruitfulness amongst a few employees, it's hard to convince them to record the processes and their ways of completing tasks.

Knowledge hoarding tendencies

Some people might not like sharing intricate details and small tips and techniques because they like having that little bit of competitive advantage. This tendency might make process documentation a lot more complicated.

Time constraints

With multiple tasks to complete and deadlines to meet, process documentation takes a backseat, especially when you have to document things from scratch. If you are serious about documenting your business activities, it's imperative to have a dedicated time for it or it'll never get done.

Final thoughts 

While there are obvious challenges with process documentation, the benefits definitely outweigh them because it guarantees an increase in employee productivity and quality of work. To know more about the different steps in creating process documentation and the best practices to achieve it, check out our previous blog on the same.

A knowledge base software is a great way to record and maintain your business processes. Choose a process documentation tool like Zoho Learn and create great strides in your business.