Using systems analysis techniques in the development of standards and procedures

In the process of working with a variety of corporations to design and produce standards and procedures, the author discovered that, while the need for comprehensive standards and procedures is great, many companies have failed to establish systematic methods for developing them. To help these companies establish a standards and procedures methodology, analysis techniques were instituted that had been developed by and for the data-processing community. It is argued that these techniques, which include top-down analysis of process flow, are effective because they encourage the companies to examine their top-level processes before analyzing their desk procedures. They also encourage the analysis of manual processes that can result in greater procedural efficiencies throughout the organization. The author looks at written standards and procedures, development and at the problems associated with the current state of procedure writing. Two case studies are presented.