Characteristics of Effective Processes

Eight characteristics of an effective process.

In our last blog post, we discussed why it is important to establish some standard processes in your business. But having ineffective processes can be more frustrating and resource-sucking than having none at all. What makes a good process? Let’s look at eight common characteristics.

SIMPLE The process should be as simple as possible to reduce errors and make it easy to follow and control. Would someone who is new to your company but not new to your industry be able to decipher it?

EFFICIENT Any process you implement should increase efficiency. Increased efficiency can come in many forms: time savings for employees, meeting quality standards more quickly, reducing mental or physical load for employees, etc.

EFFECTIVE Identify the purpose of the process. What goals do you want to achieve with this process? As you begin implementation, assess the process against your goals and make adjustments as needed.

REPEATABLE A good process should work well across projects and teams with very few tweaks. The process should yield consistent results from project to project.

ROBUST A process should withstand a number of different scenarios and challenges. Yes, tweaking to fit a specific project can happen. But your process should help you avoid major issues and navigate through roadblocks.

CONTROLLED Establish checkpoints to ensure that the process is being followed. Does the process need to be adjusted for a specific project? Are there mitigating circumstances that are preventing the team from following the process?

ERROR-PROOFED An effective process increases quality and reduces errors. When errors do happen, the team can identify where in the process those errors have occurred and implement solutions.

DOCUMENTED Finally, an effective process is well documented. Everyone on the team should have access to the process documentation and understand their role and responsibilities.

Contact Sage for more information about how we can help you develop, refine, and document your company processes.