Process training boosts and benefits businesses in every area imaginable, from core processes such as production to overall company culture and values. One such area where it plays an invaluable role is business process standardization. Successfully implementing standardized business processes requires thorough employee training and in today’s digitalized working environments, e-learning is a great tool for such endeavors. Continue reading to learn more about business process standardization and the various ways in which e-learning can benefit the process.
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What is Business Process Standardization
Business process standardization is the creation of uniform procedures to carry out business functions. Once a business process is standardized, all relevant personnel carry out the task in the same way, regardless of the department or team or branch they are part of.
Business process standardization seeks to identify all the different ways in which specific business functions are carried out or dealt with. After identifying these, a single method or solution is established for the task. This method can be replicated again and again to produce similar results each time.
The Benefits of Business Process Standardization
The primary benefit of business process standardization is uniformity. This uniformity, in turn, elevates the business’ functioning in related areas.
- Business process standardization makes processes predictable. Predictability makes it easier to chalk up timelines and delivery dates.
- Standardized business processes consume less time by eliminating variables or integrating them into working systems so they don’t disrupt workflow.
- Business process standardization leads to higher-quality products through standardized production and quality control protocols.
- The standardization of business processes also makes it easier to catch errors quickly. This allows businesses to manage mistakes before products and services reach clients. Quick detection of defects and errors also allows businesses to solve these problems quicker.
- Since standardized business processes are developed in accordance with regulatory guidelines, they act as in-built systems for boosting employee compliance behaviors and reduce the likelihood of unintentional non-compliance.
- Lastly, business process standardization creates a solid framework to measure growth and progress against. When businesses have a clear record of how things are done, they have an easier time tracking which actions or changes help and which ones don’t.
The Role of Process Training and E-Learning in Business Process Standardization
Process training is a broad term for all organizational learning activities that teach employees how to successfully carry out the business functions that fall under their job profiles. Process training covers, both, core and support processes.
In modern organizations, some processes are carried out by human personnel while others are automated. Depending on where most of the responsibility falls for any given process, the process training requirements could range from minimal to intensive.
For instance, an automated attendance logging system will not require much human intervention or supervision except for routine maintenance. On the other hand, a process like customer service majorly depends on employees.
For processes that do need to be carried out by the human workforce, process training is necessary. Training aids business process standardization by teaching the same curriculum to employees in similar roles.
Given the plethora of processes required to keep a business running, process training is often an extensive task. Each job role has different learning requirements, each department has a different number of employees, and each training area has different training formats it’s best suited for. Additionally, companies need to provide employees with ample time, as well as space for attending training programs. Catering to all these requirements can end up costing businesses a lot of time and money.
While some trainings need to be provided in-person to be effective, the good news is that many work just fine or even better as e-learning programs and modules. Thus, businesses can save a lot of costs on their business standardization process training by opting for e-learning.
Did you know that SOP’s can organization can be converted to interactive and engaging e-learning courses and can be viewed on mobile devices? Read this case study to see how we standardised the SOP’s for a real estate organization through mobile learning and helped people refer to these SOP’s when needed.
Here are some tools e-learning can leverage to make process training modules engaging and memorable for learners while being extremely cost-effective:
- Video demonstrations – for processes that are best learnt visually, e-learning has the option of video-based courses where learners can watch and learn.
- Simulated learning environments – simulations are another immersive and interactive form of learning e-learning offers. In a simulation-based learning activity, the learner interacts with a virtual environment that mimics the real-world environment they will be working in. Simulations are great to learn about machine parts, room layouts, symbol meanings, and software.
- Gamification – gamified learning introduces game elements to learning activities and environments. By doing so, the learning process becomes more engaging by providing learners instant feedback about the actions they carry out, engaging them in a highly active learning process. Gamification is a powerful tool for understanding policies, and guidelines, and even revising concepts learnt earlier.
- Infographics and images – some concepts don’t require elaborate modules and can easily be conveyed using a well-organized graphic or image. For instance, the right way to wash hands can be depicted on top of sinks and behind restroom doors instead of dedicating a set pocket of time for passing on the knowledge.
- Audio recordings and podcasts – these e-learning techniques are especially helpful for voice processes such as customer service, help desks, etc. By listening to mock calls, learners get to see what a typical working day might look like for them and the strategies they might use to navigate different scenarios.
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The Role of E-learning in Business Process Standardization
Conclusion
Business process standardization is crucial to the smooth functioning of organizations. One of the biggest steps in ensuring processes are standardized is training your workforce to perform tasks in the right manner. Since business processes are so vast, delivering training about each of them in-person is costly and time-consuming. However, e-learning has powerful tools such as simulations, demos, game-based learning, and audio resources, that can be just as effective at relaying information to learners.
Knowledge Check!
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
What is the standardization of the business process?
Business process standardization is the creation of uniform procedures to carry out business functions.
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