Startup guide: how to document the processes of your company in record time

Startup guide: how to document the processes of your company in record time

victor freire

––––––––

Translated by Alvaro R Costas Delgado 

Startup guide: how to document the processes of your company in record time

Written By victor freire

Copyright © 2021 victor freire

All rights reserved

Distributed by Babelcube, Inc.

www.babelcube.com

Translated by Alvaro R Costas Delgado

Babelcube Books and Babelcube are trademarks of Babelcube Inc.

© Victor Freire Casal

The total or partial reproduction of this work by any electronic or mechanical means, including photocopying, is prohibited. Any reproduction of this work requires the writing permission of the author.

Contents

Introduction

Simplicity

Who should read this book?

The growth culture of startups

Stages of a startup

Why do startups fail?

Process culture

Four main principles to simplify process documentation

Hands on: documenting processes

A. Preparations

B. First steps

C. Visibility

D. Maintenance

And now what?

Practical example

Introduction

We get excellent results from regular people managing brilliant processes. Our competitors get average results from outstanding people working around broken processes. When they have problems, they even hire more talented people.

- Toyota Motor Manufacturing.

In my years of experience working on process improvement, I have seen that companies of different sizes and industries use process excellence techniques to improve customer satisfaction, efficiency, profits, or even the experience of their employees.

Brilliant processes can generate outstanding results. Broken or inconsistent processes can destroy a company.

Most people realize that documenting processes is a good idea. That includes workflows, diagrams, operational procedures, job aids, and company policies. These processes are the backbone of organizations, even if it is an employee requesting reimbursement for travel expenses or it is preparing the purchase of a service, or a client purchasing a product from the same company, the processes help with the execution, it pushes things to happen, and encourage to achieve the objectives. Those brilliant processes can generate astonishing results.  On the other hand, broken or inconsistent processes can destroy a company.

The benefits of having good processes are well known and documented in many business books.

This book aims to help and guide everyone interesting to document their startup processes.

Startup firms have many advantages in comparison to larger or traditional companies. As example, it allows efficiently making decisions to adjust to a volatile and competitive market. In large or consolidated companies, documenting processes in just one area or department can be challenging. That can lead to disconnected procedures between departments, creating unnecessary problems for customers and employees. Large companies invest a considerable amount of money and time in understanding and aligning the processes in the organization from the customer's perspective.

On the other hand, a startup can document, improve internal processes, and handle customers relatively quickly.

Instead of focusing on a single area, startup documentation can globally analyze and review its customer's and employees' experience; to ensure consistency and brilliant execution across the organization.

Large companies have an advantage. Many have a high volume of employees with the necessary skills to document company processes. They may have people fully dedicated to improvement and documentation or invest large amounts of money by hiring outside consultants to help them with the task.