This should not be confused with an employee handbook, a much smaller document addressing conditions of employment, corporate culture and acceptable behavior policies. You'll find that the layout tends to dictate the manual's usability. Divide your manual into sections that coincide with the departmental organization of your company. This will facilitate employee contributions during the writing process and allow easy access to information once the manual is in circulation.
Include a table of contents that lists subsections. Have authors create the document using the same word-processing software. Common software will not only make it easier to construct the manual now but it should also ensure the document can be easily modified in the future.
Always have a hard copy of all the versions at a safe location. Number the sections and then the pages within sections. For example, page 4 of section 10 would be numbered " The popular word-processing programs provide this page numbering option. On each page, add a footer indicating when the page was last modified. Photocopied pages frequently lie around, and an outdated one could do much damage.
You can also include an appendix for interim additions or changes, so that you will not have to edit and reprint the manual to include periodic alterations. Content Operations manuals typically include four types of information: How-to procedures, e. Locations of items, e.
Contacts, e. Business-related policies, e. Descriptions of department-specific tasks will make up the bulk of your manual, but you'll also want to include: Job descriptions.
Formal job descriptions help individuals understand their roles within your company and also allow new and existing staff to identify each other's responsibilities. Emergency procedures. In most cases, you can obtain detailed emergency procedures from your landlord or from community groups.
You will have to personalize some of the text, such as a gathering point in the event of a fire, but most of the information will already be prepared for you.
Make two additional copies of your emergency procedures section to keep at reception and in the staff room for easy access. Disaster recovery plan. Document how to re-establish your business following a fire, theft or earthquake. Having a plan prepared in advance will help you restore normal operations quickly and thus prevent significant revenue loss.
It's also good for public relations because customers will see that you are dedicated to providing uninterrupted service. Don't go overboard! The manual needs to state just what a substitute or replacement worker might need — not the obvious procedural details. Any action taken or not taken based on this article is at your own risk. If an article cites or provides a link to third-party sources or websites, Harvard Business Services, Inc.
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Contributors Profiles. Michael Bell. Gregg Schoenberg. A separate contact tree diagram can clearly list down all the contact details of each employee in an easy-to-read manner with name, position, etc. This section takes up the most space on your operations manual, especially when your company grows and the departments work collaboratively. The baseline of this section is how your employees manage certain business-specific tasks in the organization.
One great way to execute these tasks effectively is by following the rule of business procedure planning. That is, create a step-by-step diagram with details, that will walk your employees through the exact on how to complete the process successfully. These policies may include details on how to communicate with customers to what represents suitable workplace attire to procedures for dealing with employee grievances.
The purpose of establishing such policies is to avoid ambiguity and create consistency. Well-defined emergency procedures should also be stored in the operations manual. All you want is to guide your employees into the operations manual, help them find the right procedure, and get them running ASAP.
With a tool like Bit. It serves as a central hub where collaborators, content, and knowledge can be accessed in one all-inclusive document. Managers can use Bit to create an operational manual, collaborate with the team in real-time, and store all organizational information in one place for easy and fast access. Bit documents come alive and help you present information beyond just plain boring text.
Basically, anything on the internet with a link can be shared and Bit will automatically turn it into visual content. Thus, Bit brings together everything you need to create a well-defined operational manual with a super easy and fun interface, making onboarding new users easier than ever!
All-in-all Bit is like Google Docs on steroids! So, no more settling for those boring text editors when you have an excessively robust solution to walk you through! Still, not sure how Bit can help you write the perfect operational manual for your organization?
Making an operations manual relevant to your business and employees is the key! It analyzes the performance of your daily tasks, reduces human errors, and generates accountability among employees towards their roles. Free Template. With this intuitive, cloud-based solution, anyone can work visually and collaborate in real-time while creating internal notes, team projects, knowledge bases, client-facing content, and more. The smartest online Google Docs and Word alternative, Bit.
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