The Big Sarsen Question - Why Are Our Processes So Important?

Process. The death knell of creativity and spontaneity. 

Or is it?

It’s easy to balk against the idea of following processes, because frankly, some processes can be a pain in the neck.
Some processes command that you go through several steps to achieve a result. Some can be repetitive or time-consuming. Some don’t allow you to deal with a particular situation as quickly as you possibly can, or in the best interests of your customer.

In all these cases there is a temptation to act ‘outside the box’, to simply fix the problem in the easiest way possible. But process doesn’t need to be inflexible— changes can occur in what the customer wants or needs, in new tools being integrated, such as databases or reporting facilities, or in what you are selling and how you want to sell it.

However, processes are hugely important to the smooth running of any business. Without them our day to day tasks would be chaotic. And although one part of a process may seem like a waste of time to you, that little part may be of huge importance to someone else further down the line.

There are a huge number of benefits to having a good set of procedures -

• Processes save time – by developing a certain amount of repetitive elements you tend to remember the routine.
• Processes reduce errors – by allowing you to consistently improve small packets of work, or even automating parts of it.
• Processes make it easy to hand off work to others – by creating a roadmap and instructions for others to follow. The task may need to be performed by different people at different times, and unless the individual steps are documented, there is every chance that Jo will perform the task differently to Jim, who in turn will do it differently from you. It can also encourage teamwork, by allowing your colleagues to help you if you're busy.

So I guess the answer to the question is simple.

Processes here at Sarsen are super important, because they are the link between what we do and how we do it. And we want to do it well.
Our processes mean our customers know they can expect the same level of service and support from every single member of our team. They help us to standardise our day to day operation as much as possible, improve our services, and achieve greater understanding and co-operation amongst our staff.

But who doesn't want to bend the rules once in a while....