Policy and Procedures Document Control

Your development work will begin by establishing a policy and procedures document control flow and format (think of these as setting stage). Next your assigned writers will craft actual documents from base materials (refining script). Then a process walk through is performed and tested for compliance and effectiveness (dress rehearsal). Once this process grouping is completed, you move on to another set.

Development Process

At end of a film, I’m always amazed at long scroll of credits after actor’s names. It takes a tremendous amount of resources to make it all happen, and your development process is no different. You’ll rely on valuable support documents such as job descriptions, forms, technical manuals, training programs and reference material to develop your new management system.

Documentation, Assessment and Review

A motion picture can’t be released until all scenes are shot and edited. Likewise, you will want to complete process documentation and a review of ALL your processes as a completed system before moving on to next phase – Implementation.

The Development Phase should take 2-4 months, depending on number of processes, compliance requirements and skills of writers/reviewers.

Next time, we will look at implementation phase, and see just what is involved.

Chris Anderson is currently managing director of Bizmanualz, Inc. and co-author of policies and procedures manuals, producing layout, process design and implementation to increase performance. To learn how to increase your business performance, visit: Bizmanualz, Inc.

Finally, if business plan is only being presented to a single or a small number of investors, amount of graphs and charts should reflect wants, needs and sophistication of those few readers. For instance, if plan is being presented only to strategic investors who understand market, graphs can be used to convey information for which these investors may already have background knowledge.

Conversely, always keep in mind that plan is not a slide presentation, and too many graphs and charts may position company as one that is too lazy to complete process of developing a formal business plan.

To summarize, amount of charts and graphs used in business plan must reflect audience for plan; an audience that is usually time and energy constrained. The charts and graphs must complement text, enable audience to quickly and easily digest information, and as always, interest audience in taking next step (e.g., scheduling an in-person meeting) in investment process.