The words process and procedure may not elicit a sense of excitement, but their effects can create a sense of magic in your business, allowing your team to operate efficiently and your customers to enjoy great service and products.
In fact, large corporations including the likes of Disney rely on process and procedure to create a memorable and safe experience for their guests each and every time.
So let’s look at the importance of process and procedure in business and the potential magic it creates.
How big companies use process and procedure
Some of the largest and most successful businesses in the world rely on strict business processes and procedures to ensure consistency and a positive customer experience.
Disney is among them, with a raft of policies and procedures that ensure they hire the right people, train them correctly and provide the magical experience that guests expect.
The global consistency of McDonald’s is also backed by strict process and procedure. This is how they ensure no matter where you are in the world, the burgers are made the same way and have the same familiar taste.
Their process and procedure is evident in everything they do, from the way they train staff to the dialogue they use, the ordering system and the cooking equipment.
How process and procedure create magic
The primary aim of any process or procedure is consistency. It means no matter the size of the business, the experience of the staff or the day of the week, the experience the customer enjoys remains the same.
Process and procedure is also the foundation of business growth, allowing for scalable, repeatable success as your business increases in size and even extends to new locations.
In the background, process and procedure also allow for clarity and efficiency, ensuring staff know exactly what series of actions to undertake, when, to ensure a business operates smoothly.
So when and where should you implement them?
Where to implement processes and procedures
A process and procedure should be implemented wherever there may be a variation in your business operation.
That means potentially, you could apply business procedures and processes to your:
- Hiring practices
- Staff training
- Customer service
- Manufacturing process
- Business opening and closing procedure
- Stock reconciliation
- Sales pitches
- Complaint management
- Quality control
- Social media policy
- Workplace Health and Safety
- And more.
Wherever a process and procedure is applied, it is there to ensure consistency.
If you’re looking for some extra tips on where to apply business process and procedure, the Queensland Government has a solid guide.
Hone and revise
Processes and procedures are not something you can set and forget. They need to be honed and revised over time to cater to new business activities, new technology, new equipment and a changing customer expectation.
However, when you maintain a focus on processes and procedures in your business, you set yourself and your team up for continuous improvement and scalable, repeatable success.
And that truly is a magic element in any business.
