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Business Documentation Workshop

Interior of Barracuda Room, Fareham Innovation Centre The ability to delegate tasks is essential for anybody working in a managerial capacity. Training is vitally important the members of the team, but the manager is ultimately accountable for the outcomes of the process. The recording of processes and configurations becomes a fundamental part of the role.
 
A major reason for documenting processes is in adding value to the business (Opens a new window). Otherwise, companies would not invest time, money, and effort acquiring ISO 9001 certification.
 
Reasons given for not doing business process documentation:
  1. I know what I'm doing / People in this role know what to do
  2. We do this all the time, so it's not worth documenting
  3. We do this very infrequently, so it's not worth documenting
  4. I can choose to cut corners and do the job quicker
  5. I don't have time today
  6. It's faster if I do it myself
  7. It's too complex to document
  8. It's too risky to let anybody else do this
  9. We don't need that bureaucracy!
In my mind these all translate as "Keys of the Kingdom" excuses, meaning "If other people know how to do this, then my opportunities for being a hero are reduced … or my chances of being replaced are increased."
 
A poll asking How many "Keys of the Kingdom" people can you identify from your work life? (Opens a new window), wanted to determine how big a problem this was in companies. The situation was worse than expected, with ⅔ having at least two encounters.

Workshop

What kind of business is this for?
Any business: from solopreneur upwards.
 
Who is it for?
Solo entrepreneurs
Managers in any size business
Documentation curators/librarians
 
Why attend?
Understand the different types of documentation.
Gain insight into frameworks which help create better documentation.
 
Business benefits
  • Adding value (Opens a new window) to the business when selling, or floating
  • Avoid repeating mistakes and consequently spending time fixing them
  • De-skill tasks and reduce training time
  • Standardise processes within the team and from time to time
  • Avoid "Keys of the Kingdom" risks
Topics covered:
  • Introduction to Business Documentation

    An overview of the importance of Business Documentation and its role in the operations of an organisation.

  • Types of Business Documents

    Policies, standard operating procedures, work instructions, user guides and reports. The different ways of recording information.

  • Document Control and Management

    The systems, processes and roles used to control and manage business documents, including version control, access control, and document retention.

  • Technical Writing

    The principles of clear and effective technical writing, including how to structure and format documents, and how to use appropriate language and formatting. Use of the imperfect agentless tense.

  • Document Review and Approval

    The process of reviewing and approving documents, including how to conduct peer reviews and how to handle feedback.

  • Document Distribution and Maintenance

    The process of distributing and maintaining documents, including how to ensure that documents are current, accurate, and accessible.

  • Compliance and Regulations

    The legal and regulatory requirements that must be met when creating, maintaining, and archiving business documentation, and the importance of compliance.

Exercises
There will be exercises during the day plus an overnight 'homework'.
 
Venues
Bordon BASE, Barbados Road, Bordon, Hampshire, GU35 0FX.
Fareham Innovation Centre, Meteor Way, Fareham, Hampshire, PO13 9FU.
This is not a 'hybrid' event: there will be no remote attendance.
 
Dates
Spring 2024
Dates to be confirmed: a consecutive Tuesday & Wednesday
 
Pricing
£1,700 for the two days
Includes refreshments and midday meal.


Students: Sponsored students, being booked a place by their college or university, may be eligible for a full 100% fee waiver.
Bursaries: Students may also be eligible for a travel and accommodation bursary from their sponsor.
Micro-Businesses: A discount of 50% is available to micro-businesses.

Dress code
Business casual.
 

Next Steps What Business Documentation has acheived
send email If you are interested in being informed of future dates, for this or other workshops, please write to enquiries@esm.solutions.