This Saturday, I’ll share tips on writing effective procedures. Including a step-by-step guide to the writing process.

Yesterday, we had our annual Christmas call at Voxloud.
It was an excellent opportunity to reflect on our accomplishments this year despite our many challenges. 

One thing that stood out to me was the importance of documentation and procedures.
Clear, concise instructions are vital for improving efficiency and reducing errors.
It was the key to keeping our company achieving remarkable growth.

As an entrepreneur, having a set of well-organized procedures makes me less stressed.
The reason? I am “relieved” of the burden of maintaining corporate knowledge.
Whether I am present or not, it is possible to carry out any operation safely and follow well-reasoned steps at the table.
This allows me to enjoy days like Christmas, knowing everything will run smoothly even without me.

How to write effective procedures

Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you create clear and concise procedures that are easy to follow:

1. Define your audience.
   Who will be using the procedure? Will it be for internal use or shared with customers or clients? Make sure to tailor the language and level of detail to the intended audience.
2. Outline the steps of the procedure in a logical order.
   Start with the most critical steps and include any necessary precautions or warnings.
3. Use clear and concise language.
   Avoid jargon and ambiguity, and use bullet points or numbered lists to make the steps easy to follow.
4. Include visual aids, such as diagrams or pictures, to help illustrate the steps.
   That is especially helpful if the procedure involves complex tasks or processes.
5. Test the procedure to ensure it’s accurate and complete.
   Have someone else follow the process to see if it’s straightforward. Make any necessary revisions based on feedback.

Tools for storing and sharing procedures

There are many options for storing and sharing procedures.
Some options to consider include Google Docs, Confluence, and Notion. I use Confluence 🙂
When choosing software, consider cost, ease of use, security, and collaboration features.

How a detailed procedure saved the day at Voxloud

Our technical support manager Francesco had a real “save the day” moment at Voxloud. 

To give context, we offer fiber internet and a business phone system in a single bill.
That means we sell and configure many modems each month. 

Recently, one of our colleagues who was supposed to configure the modems that day had a last-minute emergency and couldn’t be there.
This unpredictable event left Francesco and the team in a tough spot with an on-site customer waiting for fiber installation.

No problem! Francesco could delegate the configuration to another colleague who had never configured a modem.
Thanks to our well-detailed procedures, including screenshots and videos.
The setup went smoothly, so the customer was happy to leave a 5-star review on Trustpilot. 

Insider tip: Tango.us

Tango.us is a service that makes it easy to create professional-quality procedures and how-to guides in just seconds.

Some notable features of Tango.us include:

• the ability to collaborate with team members
• publish the procedures online
• customize the appearance and branding.

There’s a free plan. I suggest you give it a try!

Conclusion

Having clear and concise procedures can significantly improve the efficiency of any organization. 

To ensure your procedures are easy to follow and provide real value to your team or customers, follow the tips outlined in this article. 

They’ll be crucial for getting the job done correctly.

P.S. Merry Xmas 🙂