What should your company’s policies and procedures manual have?

In order to generate the desired results in an organization, minimize the resources of your workforce and have the ability to adapt to the needs of these, it is essential to have the policies and procedures manual, that is, procedures manual with which you can manage your business in the most functional and disciplined way possible.

This procedures manual allows for well-defined limits as well as well-established internal interactions and responsibilities, as well as all work obligations broke down accordingly.

Generalities

Organizational management and job analysis are tools of the organization.

There is a methodology for analyzing the institution or company. This procedures manual is based on a systematic approach that gives us a clearer view of its components and their workings.

The application of the administration area allows reaching the maximum efficiency in the achievement of the objectives of a company. Through the collaboration of human effort and the proper and rational use of material resources.

Important concepts

The procedures manual is an orderly and systematic document that reports on a specific aspect of the organization.

The policies and procedures manual, by means of a logical sequence, describes all the operations from which a work process is composed.

It is then known that the policies and procedures manual represents a particular mode of communication, one in which the process is a logical sequence of steps leading to the achievement of an objective.

Its procedures are based on a determined follow-up to steps defined by a chronology, to develop an activity effectively.

The procedure is a series of activities related to each other, with a certain order to show the way established to perform a certain job.

Thus, it is usually indicated who does it, how it does it, where it does it, when it does it, what happens if it does not, and why such activities should be carried out.

The operation is each of the physical or mental actions necessary to execute a given activity, while the task is the particular work or activity that is executed.

Likewise, the activity is a set of related and successive operations that are executed by a responsible unit for the performance of a given work through the responsible unit, that is, the individual.

While this is not unique to the worker, it may also be a position or administrative body involved in these processes.

The procedures concentrate information on an organizational structure. As such, they should contain all functions, policies, rules, systems, procedures, activities, and tasks.

All this must be developed in an orderly and functional organization.

Importance in the policies and procedures manual

Since they are a formal and permanent source of information, they provide guidance on how to execute a given work.

In addition, they establish guidelines and mechanisms for the correct execution of a given work. They help to provide continuity and coherence to all the activities described in this resource.

In the end, the procedures manual serves as a basis for conducting studies of methods and systems, with the aim of achieving streamlining, simplification, automation, and de-centralization of each activity carried out in the units.

Benefits of having the policies and procedures manual

There are a number of advantages to creating and maintaining the policies and procedures manual in your area of work. Here are a few:

• For an organization that implements these kinds of resources, it helps guide all workers.
• It facilitates the setting of operational policies and standards.
• Assign responsibilities and avoid misunderstandings.
• It facilitates audit work.
• It allows avoiding duplicity.
• It serves as a basis for induction to and correct training of certain posts, as it contains the basis for the main activities.
• It makes supervision easier.
• They are the basis for administrative simplification programs.
• It explains the general rules with language accessible to staff at all levels, it is simplified.
• It helps to standardize contours in procedures and standardize activities. It presents an overview of the organization.
• They promote the best use of human and material resources.
• Assists in the correct execution of mandated tasks.
• It saves time and effort, as when running the job there is no repetition of instructions and guidelines.
• It serves as a means of integration and orientation for new entrants.

Types of procedures manual

Have three categories

• Scope: micro-administrative or specific, macro-administrative or general, meso-administrative or sectoral manuals
• Content: organizational manuals, policies and procedures manual, post manuals, policy manuals, technical manuals, sales manuals, operating manuals.
• When they refer to a particular operational function: personnel manuals, procurement manuals, accounting manuals.