We know you probably use these two words interchangeably, but they do have differences: A process is a logical group of chronological tasks that must be followed to get to an end, whereas a procedure is a set of detailed instructions to perform a task.
Still find it confusing to understand the difference between process and procedure? Let's examine it more carefully.
What is a process?
As we started to explain above, a process is a set of steps or tasks organized in a logical way to achieve a certain result.
More practically, imagine the process of hiring people - it has a logical order, right? Advertise the job, select the right people, do the interviews and application tests, choose the person for the position, send the offer, receive the acceptance, and, finally, sign the contract.
It’s not possible to hire someone without first having a job opportunity and going through the necessary steps to choose the ideal person for the position. That means you need to follow the process of hiring to be able to achieve this.
There are countless business processes within any company: purchase processes, sales processes, vacation requests, and material requisitions are just some of them. Basically, everything that requires a step-by-step to generate the expected result is a process:
- Every process has a flow of activities that are related to each other to lead to the result or objective.
- A process has a clear beginning, middle, and end.
- Business processes can be mapped and registered for the team to follow.
Ideally, companies have these processes mapped and consolidated for everyone to follow in the same way - this standardization helps both productivity and quality of delivery.
What is a procedure?
A procedure is something simpler than a process: It guides you to perform a task, and it can even be one of those tasks that make up the process.
Thus, while the process is a set of tasks, the procedure is the steps for each task, that is:
- Procedures are focused on a simple and very specific task.
- They also have clear and chronological steps, following linear logic.
- However, they’re part of larger processes and do not lead to goals by themselves.
Going back to the example of the hiring process, putting together the job description or filling out the new person requisition form would be examples of procedures.
Differences between processes and procedures
Now that we've gone through the concepts of processes and procedures, it's easier to compare one to the other.
A process is a sequence of tasks leading to a goal, while a procedure is a set of instructions to perform a single task. Not every procedure is part of a process, but every process is made up of procedures.
Both are logical sequences of steps, even if they have different proportions.
When we understand this, it becomes clearer how to carry out activities in the best way and understand what belongs in each place. The logic with which we carry out business processes and their procedures is essential for the team to be both more efficient and more effective.
In addition, it becomes clearer which tool is suitable for each job. When setting up a process, it’s good to have the support of a BPM platform, such as Qntrl.
To make it very clear how understanding the differences between processes and procedures can help you, we have a list:
- It's easier to apply the right methods and use the best resources
For procedures: A simple list works great.
For processes: A mapping with workflows works better.
- You get to avoid inconsistencies and inefficient methods
If a part of the team treats a certain flow as a process, and another part treats it as a procedure, there may be problems with inconsistent and highly variable deliveries, affecting productivity and quality.
- Communication gets better, and activities become more integrated
With a collective understanding of what’s a process and what’s a procedure, the proposed activities become clearer, which means better communication. In addition, you can better understand the workflow and integrate the steps.
How to improve your business processes
An important step is to understand what a process is, something you've just done here. After that, it’s crucial to have the processes that take place in each department of your company properly listed and mapped.
The mapping and institutionalization of processes are what help the business understand where bottlenecks are, when it’s possible to optimize time and resources, if there are possibilities for improvements, and even if there are redundancies.
The ideal solution is to have a platform that helps you register, follow, and monitor your processes to have visibility. Ask for a Qntrl custom demo to see how we can be the perfect support for your processes.
