5 Steps to Document Workflow Processes (for Beginners)

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How to create an effective workflow?

Here are some simple steps to create a workflow and document processes:

1. Define your workflow and the tasks involved

Start by defining the specific workflow process you want to document. Then determine the specific tasks that need to be completed to achieve the desired outcome. It will help you determine which tasks to include in your workflow document.

A business workflow is a series of tasks, activities, and processes for completing a specific business function or process.

These workflows often involve the collaboration and coordination of people, tools, and information. So organizations design them to be efficient, effective, and repeatable. They may include key performance indicators to measure their efficiency.

For example, a workflow like onboarding new employees involves tasks like setting up their accounts, orienting them to the organization's culture and processes, sharing welcome emails, getting all the paperwork ready, and training.

You may also check other existing workflow documentation to align your new workflow with the users' expectations.

2. Identify the key stakeholders involved in the workflow process

A comprehensive and inclusive approach is key to identifying the key stakeholders in a workflow process. They could include employees, managers, clients, or other parties.

By considering all the people, teams, and departments involved in or impacted by the process, you can ensure that you have a complete and accurate picture of the key stakeholders.

Here is how:

Start by defining the scope and purpose of the workflow process: It will help you understand the context in which employees will use the process and what it should accomplish.

Identify all the people, teams, or departments involved in the workflow process in some way: For example, employees directly involved in the process, managers, clients, or other parties impacted by the process in some way.

Evaluate the role and impact of each stakeholder on the workflow process: It will help you determine which stakeholders are critical to the process and which are less important.

Consider the potential risks and challenges associated with the workflow process: This will also involve identifying any stakeholders who may be affected by these risks. You can include stakeholders responsible for managing or mitigating these risks.

Communicate with the identified stakeholders: This will help confirm their involvement in the process and to gather their feedback and input. It will ensure that all stakeholders are aware of the process and have the opportunity to provide input before documentation.

3. Create a high-level diagram outlining the steps involved in the workflow process

Creating a flowchart of a workflow process can help you visualize the tasks and identify potential bottlenecks or areas for improvement.

By creating a detailed and accurate flowchart, you can define all the tasks and help all the stakeholders understand the process clearly.

Consider doing the following:

Identify all the steps that make up the workflow process: This could include tasks, activities, or decisions required to complete the process. You can gather these from the workflow’s scope and purpose. They will help you understand the overall objective of the process and the specific steps that will achieve it.

Organize the steps into a logical sequence that reflects the flow of the process: This will help you see how the different steps fit together and how they contribute to the overall objective of the process.

Use a flowchart tool: Get a flowchart tool like LucidChart to represent the process visually. This can help you see the process more clearly and make it easier to understand and explain to others.

Add additional details to the flowchart: You can include certain details such as the roles and responsibilities of each person involved in the process, any necessary resources or tools, and any decision points or branching paths.

Review the flowchart with key stakeholders: This will ensure that it accurately reflects the workflow process and that you included all the steps. It will help you identify gaps or inconsistencies and make necessary changes.

4. Define the roles and responsibilities of each person involved in the workflow process

Once you have identified the tasks, determine who is responsible for completing them.

It will ensure that everyone involved in the process knows their responsibilities, how they fit into the overall process, and who to turn to with questions or concerns.

Follow these simple tips below:

Define each stakeholder's tasks, activities, or responsibilities: It could include completing specific steps in the process, providing input or feedback, or managing or coordinating the work of others.

Communicate each stakeholder’s roles and responsibilities: This will ensure that everyone knows what is expected of them and that they are aware of their contribution to the process.

Review the roles and responsibilities regularly to ensure they are still relevant and accurate: It will help you identify any needed changes and ensure everyone is clear on their roles and responsibilities.

5. Document detailed step-by-step instructions for each step in the workflow process

Include information on who is responsible for each step, what they need to do, and any necessary resources or tools.

By providing clear and easy-to-follow instructions, you can help everyone involved in the process understand their role and what is expected of them.

Workflow automation tools like Splainy make this process easier. You can capture and generate a step-by-step guide of the entire workflow.

When you clearly understand the task and the audience following those instructions, break down the task into individual steps and write them down in a logical order.

It's important to be as specific and detailed as possible in your instructions, using clear language and providing all necessary information.

You should also include any necessary background information or context for the reader to understand the instructions.

Additionally, it can be helpful to include visuals, such as diagrams or images, to help illustrate the steps and make the instructions easier to follow. More on creating documented workflows below.

Review the entire workflow with key stakeholders to ensure they are clear, accurate, and complete. You may identify gaps or inconsistencies in the process and make any necessary changes.

Finally, make the instructions easily accessible to all relevant stakeholders. This could involve creating a document or online resource that can be accessed by anyone involved in the process.

6. Test and validate the process

Before finalizing your workflow document, test it to ensure it works as intended.

Try out the following:

Identify a small group of users responsible for testing the process: This group should include representatives from all relevant stakeholders and represent the users who will ultimately be using the process.

Provide the users with a detailed description: Illustrate in detail the workflow process, including all steps and any necessary resources.

Have the users perform the process: By following the steps and using the provided resources, they can try out the process.

Observe the users: As they perform the process, take note of any issues or challenges they encounter.

Gather feedback and input: After the users have completed the process, get their feedback.

Refine and improve the workflow process: Use the feedback and observations from the test to enhance the process. It may involve making changes to the steps or resources or providing additional training or support to users.

Repeat the testing process: To ensure it is effective and efficient

After testing and refining the process, roll it out to all relevant stakeholders: Be sure to provide ongoing support and training to ensure everyone can use the process effectively.

Create a reusable workflow template: Once you have a workflow system that achieves the desired business goal, use it (and other existing workflows) to create a reusable workflow template.

7. Regularly review and update the workflow process as needed

You can conduct surveys or gather feedback from users in other ways to identify areas for improvement.

Set up a schedule for reviewing and updating the process, such as annually or every six months.

Involve all relevant stakeholders in the review process, including those responsible for performing the process and those affected by it.

Gather feedback and input from stakeholders on the effectiveness and efficiency of the process, including any areas for improvement.

Review the process and identify any changes that may improve it. It could involve updating the steps or resources or changing the roles and responsibilities of stakeholders.

Implement the changes and test the updated process to ensure it is effective and efficient.

After the updated process has been tested and refined, roll it out to all relevant stakeholders and provide ongoing support and training as needed.

Continuously monitor the process to ensure it is followed correctly and remains effective over time.

Repeat the review and update process regularly to ensure that the workflow process continues to meet the needs of the organization and its stakeholders.

How to document workflow for your business?

Documenting your workflow processes can help you stay organized, streamline operations, and get more done in less time. It also ensures consistency across the board. Therefore, it is essential to document your workflow.

Steps involved in documenting workflow processes

Here are the 5 steps involved in documenting a workflow process for your business:

1. Break the process into steps

Once you have identified what to document, break down each process into individual steps.

For document-centric workflows that involve “click here, click there” type of instructions, use Splainy to take screenshots automatically while you go through the steps. That's the new way to show people how things are done.

After you complete the workflow, Splainy will generate a step-by-step process with screenshots for each click you made. You can add more details to the steps, re-order them, and share the workflow as a public or private link.

With the advent of such workflow software, paper documents are slowly becoming obsolete. Plus, such tools allow you to automate the workflow generation process and feedback system.

2. Add detailed descriptions

Once the list of steps is complete, add detailed descriptions for each step. Describe exactly what needs to happen and any important information associated with that step. Be sure to include any necessary information, such as templates or tools, that will be needed to complete the process.

3. Assign roles and responsibilities

As you document each workflow, assign roles and responsibilities for each step. It’ll ensure that everyone involved knows who is responsible for what part of the process.

You’ll then make the document accessible to all relevant stakeholders by storing it in a shared drive or online collaboration platform.

Finally, provide training and support to stakeholders on how to access and use the document and follow the workflow process.

4. Monitor progress

After documenting your workflows, monitor progress to ensure everything is running smoothly.

If you use Splainy to create your step-by-step workflow, you can see different users' reactions and comments. It’s the easiest way to gather feedback and input about the workflow’s ease of use and effectiveness.

5. Adjust as needed

As your business changes and grows, so will the way you work. Be sure to update your workflow regularly to keep up with changes and ensure that it remains efficient.

Finally, ensure that the document and the workflow process are properly maintained and supported over time to remain effective and efficient.

Why is workflow documentation important?

Workflow documentation is important for several reasons, including:

It ensures everyone follows the workflow process consistently and performs all steps in the correct order. It helps improve the efficiency and effectiveness of the process.

A documented workflow provides a clear and organized record of the workflow process, which can be useful for training new employees or for reference by existing employees. It makes project management easier.

It allows you to easily track and monitor the workflow process, which can identify improvement areas and ensure that the process meets the needs of the organization and its stakeholders.

It can serve as a useful tool for communication and collaboration among stakeholders, allowing everyone to understand their roles and responsibilities and work together to achieve the desired outcome of the workflow process.

Finally, it can help organizations save time by streamlining processes, so they are done in the most efficient and timely manner possible.

Takeaway: Create essential workflow documents for core business processes

Creating workflows involves identifying key stakeholders, defining roles and responsibilities, creating a high-level diagram of the process, and developing step-by-step instructions.

Splainy can help you create intuitive workflow documents for your core business processes. With Splainy, you can automatically grab screenshots of your process on the go.

You can then edit the steps to add more information or resources. The document workflow management systems also allow users to leave feedback about the workflow, which you can use to improve your workflow documentation process.

Try Spainy for free today!