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Process Optimisation

How do you document and improve how work gets done?

This page covers the methods for capturing, measuring, and improving processes. For terminology definitions, see Naming Standards.

The Hierarchy​

Four levels, from strategic to tactical:

STANDARD (Glue)  →  PROCESS (Tacit)  →  PROCEDURE (Explicit)  →  WORKFLOW (Trace)
LevelTermConceptDefinition
1StandardThe GlueThe Ontology (Why things relate)
2ProcessProcess KnowledgeThe Goal (What needs to happen - Tacit)
3ProcedureProcedural KnowledgeThe Rules (Formalized logic - Explicit)
4WorkflowDecision TraceThe Execution (How it actually happened)

Full definitions: Naming Standards → Operations Terminology

Work Charts vs. Workflows​

Different tools for different questions:

ToolQuestionMaps
Work ChartWho does what?Capability → Demand
WorkflowHow is it done?Steps → Outcome

They work together:

  1. Work Chart identifies WHAT activities exist and WHO does them
  2. Workflow documents HOW each activity is performed

Process Maturity​

Track where each workflow sits:

StatusSymbolDefinitionNext Step
GapGAPNo documentation existsDocument the workflow
DraftDDocumented but not validatedTest with real work
FailingFDocumented but not workingDiagnose and fix
ApprovedAValidated and approvedMonitor performance
Needs WorkNWApproved but degradingSchedule review
Active ReviewARCurrently being improvedComplete review cycle

Audit Questions​

For each process, ask:

  1. Is this process common to all businesses?
  2. What is the current state? (Use symbols above)
  3. What triggers the process?
  4. Who owns it?
  5. How do we know it's working?

Triggers​

What initiates a workflow?

Trigger TypeDescriptionExample
ScheduleTime-based recurrenceWeekly content calendar
EventSomething happenedNew lead captured
ThresholdMetric crossed a lineBounce rate > 70%
RequestSomeone askedCustomer support ticket

Document triggers in every workflow — if you don't know when to run it, it won't get run.

Workflow Structure​

Every workflow document should include:

1. Overview​

AttributeDescription
PurposeWhat outcome does this produce?
TriggerWhat initiates this workflow?
FrequencyHow often does it run?
DurationHow long does it take?
OwnerWho is responsible?
OutputWhat gets produced?

2. Prerequisites​

  • Tools required
  • Access requirements
  • Knowledge requirements

3. Inputs​

What you need before starting.

4. Process​

Phased steps with checklists at each phase.

5. Outputs​

What gets produced, in what format, delivered where.

6. Success Criteria​

How to know it's done right — quality metrics and performance metrics.

7. Failure Modes​

Common problems and their solutions.

Reference implementation: Article Copywriting Workflow

Improvement Methods​

Process Mapping​

Visualize the current state before improving.

  • See the big picture and the details simultaneously
  • Identify bottlenecks, redundancies, gaps
  • Create shared understanding across team

More: Process Mapping

Process Modelling​

Simulate changes before implementing.

  • Test hypotheses about improvements
  • Quantify impact of changes
  • Reduce risk of failed changes

More: Process Modelling

Quality Assurance​

Ensure consistent outcomes.

  • Define acceptance criteria
  • Build verification into workflows
  • Create feedback loops for improvement

More: Quality Assurance

Checklists​

The simplest, most powerful improvement tool.

  • Reduce errors and oversights
  • Improve consistency
  • Enable delegation without loss of quality

Types:

  • Do-Confirm: Complete tasks from memory, then verify against checklist
  • Read-Do: Read each item, then do it (for unfamiliar or high-risk work)

More: Checklists

The Improvement Loop​

DOCUMENT → MEASURE → ANALYZE → IMPROVE → STANDARDIZE
    ↑                                         |
    └─────────────────────────────────────────┘
  1. Document — Capture current state as a workflow
  2. Measure — Track performance against success criteria
  3. Analyze — Identify gaps between actual and desired
  4. Improve — Change the workflow to close gaps
  5. Standardize — Update documentation, train team

Repeat continuously.

Process ↔ Context​

Process and context shape each other. Neither is primary.

PROCESS (Yang)                    CONTEXT (Yin)
─────────────                     ────────────
How we proceed                    Why this time
Creates movement                  Creates meaning
Repeatable                        Situational
───────────────────────────────────────────────
        ↓                              ↓
   Execution creates              Traces reveal
   decision traces                patterns
        ↓                              ↓
   Traces become                  Patterns improve
   queryable context              process
        └──────────────────────────────┘

Process without context = Bureaucracy. Following steps without knowing why. Context without process = Chaos. Knowing why but no repeatable path.

Example: A support team has a process for escalations. First month, they escalate 40% of tickets—no context on what worked. By month six, decision traces show which escalations resolved fastest. The process tightens. Escalation rate drops to 15%. Context improved process. Process generated better context.

Together they spiral upward. Each cycle adds to the context graph.

Anti-Patterns​

Anti-PatternProblemSolution
UndocumentedKnowledge locked in headsDocument as workflows
Over-documentedNobody reads 50-page SOPsKeep workflows scannable
Never updatedDocumentation drifts from realityReview triggers, scheduled audits
No metricsCan't tell if it's workingDefine success criteria upfront
No ownerNobody responsible for improvementAssign ownership
Too rigidCan't adapt to contextBuild in decision points
Too looseInconsistent outcomesAdd checklists at critical points

Subsections​

Context​