How the Right Process Owners Can Make or Break Your Documentation

We have to address a common misconception about processes: A completely documented process is not a step-by-step way of doing something. Well, it’s not just a series of steps.

 For those who are newer to business documentation, we can understand your assumptions. You might think documenting a process would mean just writing down the simple steps to doing something. That’s all someone needs to follow a process, right?

Not so! If you want consistent results from a documented process, you need more than just a series of steps. And a complete process document gives you that. It starts with the process description – the key information ensuring the process is done right every time. This includes:

• Target process completion time, or how long your process takes from start to finish
• Process measurable, or how you measure its success
• The process owner or the person responsible for the processes in this seat

Of these options, the process owner is arguably the most important. Having the right person assigned to the right processes and responsibilities in each seat can determine their success… or failure. Here’s why.

Don’t Just Mind the Gap

A process owner is responsible for the documentation and upkeep of a process. And it’s the “upkeep” that’s especially important.

Think about it: Each process has a measurable that determines how successful it is. Take a sales process, for example – its success could be measured by the sales it produces. But if new hires that train with this process deliver low numbers, it could mean the process lacks something, or there’s a gap between steps.

The right process owner is attuned to those signs. They notice when the process isn’t working and find the inefficiencies. They fill those gaps, streamlining the documented process and ensuring that the measurable is where it should be.

Process owners aren’t limited to updating them when results and measurables aren’t aligned. No process is perfect, especially when your business is growing, or your industry is constantly changing. When the right person is an expert on their process, they find ways to update it to align with the shifts within your business.

If the process owner doesn’t do upkeep, everyone else will likely start doing things their own way – leaving you with an obsolete process and inconsistent results. That’s why finding the right person for each process is crucial to maintaining a standardized way of doing things at your business.

The question then becomes: How do you choose the right process owner?

Finding Your Process Subject Matter Experts

Usually, the process owner will be the person who documented it in the first place. They’re typically the one performing the process most often and would’ve been your go-to for training (before you decided to document the process, that is).

It makes sense that since they perform the process all the time, they’re the expert. They know what works, what doesn’t, and what new hires should look for results-wise. 

If you’re documenting a process for the first time with your team, you’ll want to assign a process owner who is familiar with doing the process. But they should also be someone who advocates for continuous improvement, someone unsatisfied with the status quo. In fact, they’re always looking for ways to improve efficiency and deliver better results. These process owners see documentation as the first step in a never-ending desire to improve your business operations.

When you have the right process owner in place, you’ll never have to worry about whether the process is done right. You’ll save time, have better-trained employees, and get consistent results. Plus, you’ll benefit from continuous improvement and better efficiency.