Streamlining Success: The Crucial Role of Documentation for Agencies
Author’s Note: This blog post was originally published in July 2019 and was updated on August 2024 for accuracy.
Documentation is a love letter that you write to your future self - Damian Conway
When it comes to running an agency, there are just some things you can’t escape. I get it - documentation, specifically in the form of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), isn’t a sexy or exciting sounding initiative. It is however one of the more important things you can invest in at your business in order to streamline your agency operations.
It takes time and maybe that feels daunting. However, it’s important to do some level of documenting of your processes, whether it’s an actual document or a video tutorial for those visual learners. This allows you to easily cross train your team, provide coverage for unexpected time off, and most importantly, for handing off responsibilities to someone else in the future. The stakes are high, after all, this is your time and sanity on the line. Take a moment to think past how you plan to survive this quarter and plan for how you’re going to scale over the next few years!
Need a real life example? Check out the work we did with Firefly Partners to help mitigate the impact of their Operations Director leaving after 9 years.
Why Documentation Matters
Before we get into the nitty gritty of how to best tackle creating SOPs at your agency, let’s first start with the most impactful benefits.
Historical Knowledge
Documentation is crucial for capturing knowledge within a company and serves as a central knowledge base of information. By writing down your processes, agencies can avoid repeating mistakes, build on past successes and ensure continuity in operations. Providing information on the how’s and why’s of the agency’s operations works to foster a more informed and resilient organization.
Efficiency and Productivity
Having solid process documentation in place provides insight into how critical workflows are mapped out. By having this information accessible to the team, this reduces the time spent searching for answers or clarifying processes, allowing employees to focus on their core responsibilities. The result? A more efficient and productive team.
Onboarding and Training
New incoming team members and those looking to cross-train will benefit greatly by having access to company processes and crucial team workflows. A well-structured set of SOPs serves as a reliable reference, helping team members quickly acclimate to their new surroundings.
Creates Something Tangible to Sell
How well processes are documented in an organization will impact how well that company can scale. If you’re one of the many agency owners who wants to scale to eventually be acquired, it’ll be all the more critical. By providing a roadmap for replicating successful strategies and processes, you’ll make it easier to scale operations and create value within your agency.
Frees Up Owner and Leadership Time
In the end, the most impactful aspect of deploying successful SOPs is the ability to more clearly delegate work. By creating this extra space for leadership and owners they’re able to focus on bigger hitting initiatives for the business.
So you’re convinced this documentation business is a good idea. But where do you begin? I’ve compiled a few essential starter tips:
Delegate a Point Person
Just like a client project, the first step in ensuring a successful outcome is to delegate the responsibility of your agency’s documentation initiative. This is going to be the person who makes sure those involved are doing their job to meet the goals of the project, AND the person who helps hold the team accountable for utilizing the documentation in the most effective way for the agency.
Pick a Tool
There are so many great tools out there for capturing documentation at organizations but the best one is one you’ll actually use. My advice is to start with any existing tools you have (I’m a huge fan of Google Docs) and upgrade once it no longer works for your team’s size.
Come Up With a Structure And Naming Conventions
I’ve seen this happen a bunch; companies will have great processes documented but they all live in siloed folders for each department (or no folders at all). I recommend having one central knowledge base (like a document if using google docs) that acts as a table of contents and linking any other documents to there so everything is accessible from one place.
Furthermore, if each department is organizing and naming these docs differently, this makes things hard to track down. So agree on a naming convention. Ex: Project Management processes can be titled “PM - [Name of Process]” and Marketing processes can be titled “MA - [Name of Process]”. This will ensure all your processes are easy to access and simple to find.
Agree On a Format
Come up with an approved format for how the information is going to be laid out. I like to include some baseline information at the top of each SOP such as a title, brief description of what the SOP covers, the purpose and when it’s used, and what roles will be involved in the processes.
Start Documenting
Document the details that matter. Don’t get overwhelmed by including every little detail, you can always fill more in later. Use a whiteboard and allow yourself to think freely. Toss each detail on the board in your departments you identified. Go grab some lunch and come back to the list with fresh eyes asking, “What is missing from the list? What am I assuming they will know? Once you’ve started documenting, don’t underestimate the use of recordings (I like Loom) to capture information as well.
Share The Documentation With Your Team
Introduce your new, shiny documentation; you’ve worked hard on this! Field any clarifying questions and give each person time to digest the info. Make sure your team knows that these processes are not carved in stone. If they have a suggestion for improving the process, listen to it! As you get more feedback from your team, you’ll improve the accuracy and value of your documentation.
Keep Information Updated
Nothing is more annoying than referencing SOPs that are out of date. Encourage the team to speak up when things have changed so those responsible for documenting can make changes.
Businesses that have proper documentation are able to improve on their processes, create efficiencies within their project work, and increase their profitability. As you bring people on to your team, you’ll be able to swiftly delegate and grow. The best businesses in the world have solid standard operating procedures carved out for their team. Think of the time you spend now as an investment in your future. Trust me - it’s worth it!
