The Secrets to Writing Successful Policy and Procedure Manuals

Whilst the resources below will assist you, creating a successful policy and procedure manual starts with two very important components...

Commitment and Planning

Without these your manual will end up a mess of files, folders and attachments with no uniformity or clarity and will most definitely not appear professional. Having said that the next thing you will need is as many resources possible to assist you that are focused solely on the purpose of writing manuals, not just copied from a policy manual you find online. Below are some that will give you a head start.

Click here for the following FREE resources

Policy and procedure writing template and instructions - .doc file
Document writing techniques and style - .doc file
Business English writing guide - .ppt file

One of the most difficult parts is getting started with identifying what is needed to populate your manual. This is where holding a role and function workshop will help enormously. You will also find instructions and a short video of how to conduct this workshop with your staff at the free business resources page.

As I mentioned, commitment and planning will see you completing this worthwhile project in your business. Start by dedicating time in your diary to work on your manual's framework and content. This will not get finished by spending 10 minutes a week on it. The outcomes available from completing your manual are going to be some of the most significant that the business has experienced, adequate time is needed to benefit from the results. Then commit verbally to yourself and others that you are going to undertake this project and dedicate time and resources to ensure it will be completed.

The other important factor is making a plan. Consider...

Other than your self who is going to assist you with content creation
In what format will the content be written? Yes you can try to complete it in Word I can hear your sigh from here...book an online demo of TKO, it will save you thousands of dollars, man hours and give you a drastic difference in outcome...WE PROMISE!
What parts of the business need to be documented? The answer is ALL, but in what order.

Start at the start...your vision and purpose of your company underpins the entire project. No purpose...no policies...no procedures...no point! Good luck.

What are you reading?

At Transform Business Systems we are a team of avid readers who are in the main reading books on business. We have recently started the Transform Business Systems Online Business Bookstore and hope that this will give you a fast and easy place to browse for the latest business publications. You will also find a page of recommended reading with a short review to point you in the direction of reading that will definitely not waste your time.

Right now we're reading

The 4-Hour Workweek: Escape 9-5, Live Anywhere, and Join the New Rich - Great for those who are looking for the get rich and get out formula.
The Ultimate Sales Machine: Turbocharge Your Business with Relentless Focus on 12 Key Strategies - A perfect revisit to everything you may already know but have failed to get right or implement correctly. It really is a turbo charge!
Subject To Change: Creating Great Products & Services for an Uncertain World: Adaptive Path on Design (Adaptive Path) - Still reading...but so far excellent wake up call for innovative thinkers and designers.
E-Myth Mastery: The Seven Essential Disciplines for Building a World Class Company - The sequel to E-Myth revisited which you will find on our recommended reading page. An absolutely excellent book for any business person. MUST READ!

For excellent reading on writing operations manuals you are able to find PDF versions of Stephen Page's four books on policy and procedure writing in our online shop. Whilst this author has written from his experience in very large companies, the philosophies and techniques will translate right down to a start up.

The end of financial year blues

Its over again...now you have to repeat the past 12 months...and somehow get better in the face of rising fuel costs, difficult recruitment and high interest rates. Don't despair...strategise! What steps can be put in place to reduce travel costs, increase productivity and lessen expenditure? Here are some ideas that work!

Reduce your travel costs by learning how to conduct online meetings. At Transform we have conducted over 1000 online presentations and training sessions this year. No travel, no waiting in your customers waiting room, no lost time. The best thing is its easy and quite cheap. Many of you have witnessed our online webinars and have successfully implemented this system in your businesses and reaped the benefits. Click here to receive more information on using this technology to reduce your costs and increase your productivity.
Increase productivity by analysing and documenting your systems. You cannot help but improve your business by even just starting this task. Improvement will snowball automatically until you won't even recognise your existing business. Click here to download a free trial of TKO, the software for creating ppwerful and professional operations manuals.
To lessen your expenses the best way is to get smarter around what you spend your money on, not just cut things out. Apart from wages & rent one of the major expenses in your business will be marketing and advertising. In the current day and age you should be questioning every cent that is not directly related with the internet. Work on your website generating leads at a low cost and learn about how Google Adwords works...this is an absolute must!

Onward and upward into next year!

The Year of Quality Management

Based on our inquiry, Quality Management Systems (QMS) accreditation is enjoying a resurgence of interest in the business community. The pressures that each business has on them to complete this however differ greatly. Some are undertaking it for compliance with a tender requirement, others for complying with contractual agreements with existing clients and others, thankfully this is the majority, want to improve their business and have identified that QMS is an excellent program for continually improving.

The most common standard is ISO 9001:2000. One of the necessities of QMS is that you develop a manual that shows your internal processes and how they comply with the requirements of the standard. This can be a difficult and time consuming task for the uninitiated. To assist you to develop this manual you will find a complete sample at the following link - Quality Management System Manual

More information about quality can also be found at Quality Management. If you have any questions about where to start and what is involved please contact our office and speak with one of our qualified Business Systems Consultants.