This article is the first in a series showing you exactly what steps you need to take to clearly capture your business processes with a richness that goes far beyond current Business Process Management (BPM), tools and practise . You will then be able to easily understand, share and improve your business processes and procedures and focus on optimizing your results, creating a highly aware enterprise.

To produce process and procedure videos for your business that combines the best of current mapping methodology and tools with the richness of video requires a particular format and sequence of steps. As you learn each step it’s important that you practise the format that I will teach you on a simple process in your business.

At the end of this lesson you should have:

1. An awareness of common business process mapping symbols
2. Have the software needed to complete your first process map
3. Have the software needed to video record processes and procedures

Choose one process that you know well and that isn’t too complicated. For my example, I am using a process map that I created for an energy company showing the steps needed to assign tariffs to customer accounts which are basically just different packages of charges (See figure 1).

You will notice that the map shows the steps in the process but not the detailed procedures involved or how to actually perform the tasks. It is at the procedure level that business process video is at its most powerful and can remove a lot of pain and confusion regarding understanding and performing processes.

Now, I don’t want to confuse anyone who is new to process mapping with a detailed explanation of all the elements and the in’s and out’s as it can become confusing. However, I will briefly detail the software tools and symbols that you’ll need to be familiar with to get started. I want you to give mapping a go and see the huge possibilities for creating results and freedom with its application in your business.

Software tools:

• Mapping software: Microsoft Visio 7 is cheap and sufficient for most mapping tasks and available at Microsoft (you can use any previous version of Visio but Visio 7 will enable you to produce data-driven maps that will be the topic of the follow-on series).
• Screen capture video software: Camtasia Studio 4 or 5 available at Techsmith.com

Don’t fret if you don’t have the above software as you can download free trial versions or use alternative software that you feel comfortable with. 

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!

How many thousands of dollars have you spent on Internet marketing courses and software? If you are like most of us budding gurus you will have spent a small fortune.

But how much have you actually applied consistently from the courses and software that you’ve purchased? I’ve spent at least $20 thousand dollars and of the notable one’s - I’ve consistently used a bit out of John Reese’s Traffic Secrets regarding AdWords ad creation and nothing from Jeff Walker’s Product Launch Formula and Eben Pagan’s Altitude course.

Does this mean the courses and software were no good and a waste of time - absolutely not! The information in those courses was brilliant and I was 200% satisfied with my purchases. It’s just that putting it into practice was so hard.

I read all this great information until my head was swimming and couldn’t wait to apply it. The trouble was that I’d apply one technique or use one piece of software for a time but then my enthusiasm would wane as other priorities would arise, changing my focus. In other words I used a "piecemeal" approach to using the information and it tended to produce, well, "piecemeal" results!

Another barrier to extracting the full value from the courses and software was not capturing the information or methodology that was directly relevant to my business in a meaningful format. One that I could readily access and quickly consume just when I needed it. As Yaro Starak stated in his e-mail to me this morning "No methodology. No process." and without a clearly captured process that can be clearly communicated, the best Internet marketing courses and software simply can’t transfer there full value.

So I’ve got nine simple steps for you to follow to test how much more value you can extract from the wealth of information contained in many of your IM courses or software:

1. Devour it all - watch every DVD or CD, listen to all the audios, read every guide or manual
2. Prioritize the information, techniques, methodology, software etc that are relevant to your business
3. Review, learn, apply and test each starting with the top priority
4. Keep the info, techniques, methodology, software etc that produce positive results & discard the rest
5. Download a free trial copy of Camtasia Studio from Techsmith if you don’t already have it
6. Record and describe the "real time" process that you are using to achieve your positive results
7. File the video in your new "Process & Procedure Video Library" under the relevant functional area eg. marketing, finance, product development etc
8. Give the video(s) to an employee or outsourced worker so that they can produce consistent positive results for your business
9. As new methodologies, techniques, software come to your attention rinse and repeat

Let me know how you find it and best of luck with building a solid base of "best practice" processes and procedures for your business drawn from the very best Internet marketing information available!

Thanks for reading - Jason

If you enjoyed this post, make sure you subscribe to my RSS feed!