Written processes: one page that prevents rework
Photo: Avila Ops Tecnologia
A written process is one page answering four questions about a recurring task: what triggers it, the ordered steps, how to know it is finished and what to do when something unexpected happens. It fits on one sheet, takes 30 minutes to write and lets someone perform the task for the first or hundredth time without asking.
Small-business rework almost always comes from tasks performed differently by different people, or the same person on different days. Written processes are not bureaucracy. They make tasks consistent without your presence.
What does a process page look like?
A template for a store shipping through Correios:
Process: Ship a paid order
Trigger: payment confirmed in the store dashboard. Pix arrives immediately; boleto within up to 3 business days.
Steps:
- Open the order and check address and items.
- Pick items and check against the list. Mark each.
- Pack. Fragile products need bubble wrap and a “fragile” label.
- Generate the label in the dashboard and affix it centrally.
- Mail at Correios by 4 p.m. Otherwise, next day.
- Record tracking on the order and click “shipped.” The customer receives an automatic notice.
Done when: the order is marked shipped with tracking, and the customer received the message.
If something goes wrong: incomplete address, contact the customer through WhatsApp before mailing. Missing item, notify the same day and let them choose to wait, take an equivalent or receive a refund. Correios closed, mail the first business day and notify them.
That is the whole process. No introduction, justification or cover.
Which processes should you write first?
Those causing rework, rather than the most important. Criteria in order:
| Criterion | Question | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Frequency | Does it happen weekly? | Answering quotes, shipping orders, closing cash |
| Recent error | Did it cause problems in the last 30 days? | Wrong shipment, duplicate charge |
| Dependence on one person | Can only one person do it? | Invoicing, publishing online, bank reconciliation |
A task meeting all three comes first. The responsibility table in Who does what: dividing operations between two people already lists tasks; each row is a candidate page.
Start with three processes, not 20. Twenty pages written impulsively and never read are worth less than three used by the team.
What changes after writing the process?
Training becomes “read the page and do it, I will check” instead of “sit beside me for a month.” Errors become missing steps rather than blame, which can be corrected. A step-by-step task with a clear trigger is a candidate for automation: systems execute consistently repeated steps. Customer notifications, labels and tracking records can happen automatically upon payment confirmation. Automation and where to begin are covered at avilaops.com/glossario/automacao.
Unwritten processes cannot be automated because nobody can tell the machine what to do. The page therefore precedes the tool.
What to do now
Choose last month’s most troublesome task. Write its trigger, steps, completion conditions and exceptions today. Ask someone to follow only the page without questions. Whatever they still ask is missing from the page. Once three or four processes are written and working, move them into a system executing repetitive steps and showing stalled ones: avilaops.com/sistema-para-pequenas-empresas or contact us on WhatsApp: wa.me/5517997811471.
Frequently asked questions
Where should written processes be stored?
In one accessible place: shared folder, a document with one process per page, or printouts where tasks happen. Processes nobody can find do not exist.
How often should they be reviewed?
Whenever a task changes or someone errs while following the page. If nobody errs and nothing changes, no revision is needed. Reviewing all annually with your yearly plan is enough.
Do written processes make businesses rigid?
When they describe how to think, yes. When they describe recurring actions, no. Custom service quotes do not become processes; shipping orders does. The difference is whether steps always stay the same.
Turn what you learned into your next step.
Tell us about your company and what you want to improve. We can explore the right tools, integrations or custom project together.