20+ Process Documentation Templates for Teams [Free]

Introduction

Have you ever trained a new colleague or been tasked to teach them something new?

It's rewarding to help train others — but it also takes time and a lot of effort.

Business process documentation makes sure that everyone can access your team's best practices, without hurting your workload.

Process documentation templates outline step-by-step processes for different procedures, job functions and industries.

These templates can help you create stunning, helpful documentation for way less time and effort.

Here are 10 different types of process documentation templates to help you streamline operations.

Jump to a template:

TL;DR: Process documentation templates

Process documentation templates capture best practices and standardize business processes across your organization.
This blog provides 20 examples of process documentation templates plus a gallery you can use to build your own.
How to create process documentation: we’ll walk you through the key steps to writing process documentation and what to include.

What is a process documentation template?

Process documentation templates are pre-defined templates with brief outlines of step-by-step processes. Taking it a step further, a business process document template could support Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) — incorporating both the instructions and procedure itself for operational efficiency.

Here are the top process documentation examples you'll likely run into in the workplace.

Step-by-step guides: Instructions and any additional information needed to complete tasks.
Standard operating procedures: Sequential instructions telling users what to do, when to do it, and the outcome.
Runbooks: Step-by-step guides with procedures for carrying out tasks for IT systems and processes.
Instruction manuals: Instructions on how to use, assemble, operate, or troubleshoot a product.
Checklists: Organized lists of items used to complete tasks, remember key information, and ensure you don't miss anything important.
Flow charts and diagrams: Visual representations of the steps involved in a process, arranged in a sequential order.

What should a process documentation template include?

Different processes, departments and industries will have their own needs, but most process documentation will have some variation of the following:

1. Process title

Use a clear and concise title describing the process being documented.

2. Process overview

Provide an overview of the process, including its purpose, importance and the key stakeholders involved.

Describing the “why” is one of the more important process documentation best practices. What does it aim to serve? Why is it important to document that specific process?

Key stakeholders are the people involved in documenting the process, process owners, and internal and external reviewers who would provide feedback on the process document.

3. Process steps

Create a step-by-step guide outlining each step required in the process flow. Organize information in the order it needs to be executed.

While not every process document template will need it, you may want to include additional information on critical processes.

💡 ‎Scribe tip: Use an AI-powered documentation tool like Scribe to automatically generate how-tos for every task in your process.

4. Inputs & outputs

Identify the resources needed to complete the process (process inputs) and mention what you aim to achieve at the end of the documentation (process outputs).

Knowing your inputs and outputs helps you to break down your success metrics (explained above) into smaller goals as the project progresses. You can use progress tracking software to manage this process.

5. Roles and responsibilities

Identify the roles and responsibilities of the team members responsible for the process flow.

6. Tools and resources

Provide a list of tools, software or resources needed to complete the process, including any training or knowledge required to use them effectively.

7. Quality control

Describe any quality control measures that need to be taken during the process, including any checkpoints or quality assurance reviews.

Mention the team members responsible for checking the process.

8. Challenges and risks

Identify any potential challenges or risks associated with the process, including any compliance, regulatory, or security risks.

9. Continuous improvement

Provide recommendations for how the process flow can be improved, including any best practices, lessons learned, or feedback from stakeholders.

10. Project scope

Defining the scope of your process document before writing allows you to include important variables such as due dates, success metrics, stakeholders, etc. — they're needed to keep your process documentation solely focused on its specific goal.

💡 ‎Scribe tip: A defined process scope for your process document template reduces the time spent by your team on the project and eliminates focusing on irrelevant activities.

11. Process boundaries

Outline the areas where the process fits into various teams by analyzing the different tasks team members must complete. Also state where the process starts and ends, and who's affected by it.

12. Exceptions to routine flow

Identify what might stop you from meeting deadlines. Unanticipated backstops might lead to increased costs, longer delays, unautomated resolution and even customer dissatisfaction if it affects products or customer service.

Knowing these factors beforehand warns all stakeholders, and ensures that all hands are on deck to avoid or mitigate them effectively.

13. Success metrics

Think of success metrics as key performance indicators (KPIs). Your success metrics here will help you measure the benefits of the documentation.

For example, metrics for an employee onboarding process document could include:

Increased employer brand ratings.
Shorter time-to-ramp for new hires.
High training completion rate.
Improved eNPS score.
Increased productivity for your HR department.

... and better employee engagement.

Here are 20 of the most popular process documentation templates for you to try for free.

‎Standard process documentation template

‎With a standardized process document, you can capture best practices and standardize business processes across your organization.

Use this process documentation template to:

Outline processes, responsibilities, necessary resources, and tools.
Promote consistent and effective processes.
Identify opportunities for process improvements and efficiency gains.
Improve knowledge sharing and collaboration across teams.
Create a baseline for measuring business process performance and continuous improvement.

‍👉 Try this process documentation template in Scribe.

‎Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) template

‎With standard operating procedures (SOPs), you can provide step-by-step instructions on how to properly perform a process. ‎Use SOP templates to create clear, consistent business process documents that save time and resources.

This SOP template can be customized for any process, including:

Employee training material.
Quality control.
Inventory management.
Equipment maintenance.
Data management.
Customer support documents.

‍👉 Try this SOP template for free.

‎Ho‎w-to guide template

This versatile how-to guide template can be used to create detailed step-by-step guides for a wide range of processes:

Provide an overview of the process.
List any materials needed.
Break down the process into step-by-step instructions.
Troubleshoot common issues.

‍👉 Try this how-to guide template for free.

Method of procedure template

‎A Method of Procedure template is typically used in manufacturing, construction, and IT industries to create:

Step-by-step processes and procedures for maintaining and repairing equipment.
Document your process for managing and organizing data.
Processes for providing excellent customer service, including information on handling customer complaints.
Procedures for ensuring quality in product or service delivery.

‍👉 Try this MOP template for free.

Process control plan template

‎This process control plan template helps you monitor and manage processes and ensure consistent quality and compliance standards.

Use this template to:

Establish process control.
Identify process inputs and outputs.
Define process controls.
Establish performance metrics.
Managing nonconformities, including root cause analysis, corrective actions, and preventive actions.
Support continuous improvement.

‍👉 Try this process control plan template for free.

‎St‎ep-by-step guide template

‎A step-by-step guide template is a lifesaver when it comes to streamlining processes and ensuring consistency in your organization.

Use our pre-made template to create clear, comprehensive, and easy to follow process documentation.

Outline clear steps: Organize the steps needed to complete a task, ensuring each step is clearly defined and easy to follow.
Illustrate with multimedia: Add images, videos, GIFs, and more to help explain and clarify each step in the process.
Include helpful tips: Add tips or notes to help users complete the task successfully.
Customize: Easily tailor templates to fit your unique needs.

‍👉 Try this step-by-step guide template for free.

Business process template

‎Define and document a specific process within your operations with this business process template.

Outline the purpose, scope, objectives, and steps of the process.
Identify the roles and responsibilities.
Add key performance indicators to measure success.

‍👉 Try this business process template for free.

Workflow template

‎This versatile workflow template provides a clear structure for completing tasks. You can use it to identify and assign tasks, set deadlines, and monitor progress for different processes like:

Project management.
Onboarding.
Quality control.
Sales processes.
Event planning.

‍👉 Try this workflow template for free.

Quick reference guide template

‎A quick reference guide gives you a summary of a project, subject or product's most important information. Use this template to document processes and create clear and concise guides for your team.

‍👉 Try this quick reference guide template for free.

Training manual template

‎Your team can easily use process documentation to build training for your organization. With this training manual template, you can create new process documentation or use existing guides to:

Develop training programs for employees or new hires.
Provide training for specific skills or processes.
Train on safety protocols or compliance regulations.

‍👉 Try this training manual template for free.

10‎0+ free process documentation templates

Try from 100+ free process documentation templates in the Scribe template gallery.

Use these templates to:

Train your teammates.
Showcase your best practices and procedures.
Get projects done faster.

... all for half the time in effort.

Here are the most popular process templates for different industries and job functions:

IT, DevOps & Engineering

Operations

Customer Success

HR & LD

HR onboarding guide template

Ru‎nbook template

‎IT professionals can use this runbook template to build a set of procedures, instructions and guidelines for:

Managing software updates and patches.
Configuring and deploying new hardware or software.
Responding to system failures or outages.
Monitoring system performance and resource utilization.
Performing routine maintenance and backups.

‍👉 Try this runbook template for free.

‎I‎T‎‎ documentation template

Use this IT documentation template to document necessary information about your IT systems, processes, and infrastructure.

Ensure that your IT operations run smoothly and efficiently.
Provide a comprehensive and easy-to-use framework for documenting your IT assets, systems, and processes.

‍👉 Try this IT documentation template for free.

So‎ftware user manual template

‎A good software user manual can improve user experience and reduce support requests. With this template, you can document software processes and build a manual to:

Help users understand the software's features.
Navigate the user interface.
Troubleshoot problems.
Answer frequently asked questions.

Try this software user manual template for free.

Tr‎oubleshooting guide template

‎IT personnel can use this troubleshooting guide template to:

Quickly identify and resolve common issues.
Reduce the amount of time spent on troubleshooting
Provide an efficient approach to resolving technical issues.

Try this troubleshooting guide template for free.

‎In‎struction manual template

Create a comprehensive and user-friendly guide with this instruction manual template. Document your processes on:

How to perform specific processes or tasks using your product.
Troubleshooting.
Maintenance and care.
What is covered under the warranty, how to make a claim, and any other important details.

‍👉 Try this instruction manual template for free.

Wo‎rk instructions template

‎Use this work instructions template to create standardized work instructions for different tasks or activities in seconds.

‍👉 Try this work instructions template for free.

Pr‎ocess plan template

‎If you're looking to develop or improve business processes, this process plan template can help you:

Defining the purpose, scope, and objectives.
Create a visual step-by-step guide for a process.
Outline the roles and responsibilities.
Set key performance indicators.

‍👉 Try this process plan template for free.

‎Cl‎ient onboarding checklist and plans template

Use this client onboarding checklist and onboarding plans template to ensure a smooth and efficient onboarding process for new clients, including:

Setting up the client's account.
Establishing communication channels.
Managing the onboarding process effectively.

‍👉 Try this template for free.

Cu‎stomer service SOP template

Customer service SOP: process documentation template — Customer service SOP template

‎A Customer Service Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is a detailed guide that outlines the steps and processes involved in delivering high-quality customer service.

‍👉 Try this customer service SOP template for free.

HR‎ onboarding guide template

‎HR professionals can use this internal onboarding guide template onboarding new employees. Use it to provide a clear overview of the onboarding process and the steps that need to be taken to welcome new hires.

‍👉 Try this HR onboarding guide template for free.

How to create process documentation

Capture any process for your process documentation template

‎With Scribe, it’s easy to create process documentation in a few, simple steps. Here's how to get started in three easy steps.

Scribe user Maya Brooks shares why she uses Scribe to streamline process documentation:

"This product is the best! I worked on a small startup team and used it to document all of our internal processes and platform how-tos!"

Step 1: Sign up to create your next process document

Scribe is an AI-powered process documentation tool that cuts your process documentation time in half. Create detailed outlines by simply recording your screen. Scribe will capture your workflow and then create a guide with text and screenshots.

Step 2: Create your first Scribe!

‎Locate the Scribe extension in your browser and click it.

Then When you're ready to start, click "Start Capture" and go through your process as usual.

Scribe will automatically capture screenshots, text and clicks as you work.

When you're finished, click "Stop Capture" and watch Scribe create your detailed process documentation in seconds!

Watch Scribe user Shem Opolot share how easy it is to create step-by-step process documentation with Scribe:

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Step 3: Go to your dashboard and create your first Page 💃🥳.

Think of a Page as a folder where you can keep your files (Scribes) organized and separated.

Here's a Page in action!

‎Using pages, you can combine multiple Scribes with videos, images, GIFs, and other media. You can even use Scribe's ChatGPT features to write business process documents for you!

‎We explain the process in more detail in our blog on how to write process documentation.

What are the benefits of process documentation?

Process documentation offers a wide range of benefits that span from improved efficiency to smoother knowledge transfer.

Document your processes to provide important information for everyone involved, minimizing misunderstandings and inconsistencies. This leads to fewer errors and rework, saving time and resources.
With everyone following the same documented steps, you can achieve greater consistency in output and outcomes.
New employees can quickly execute a process by referring to process documentation, making onboarding smoother and minimizing the time to become productive.
By analyzing a process or workflow, you can identify and eliminate unnecessary steps or bottlenecks, streamlining workflows and boosting overall efficiency.
Clear documentation prevents duplicate work by ensuring everyone understands their roles and responsibilities within the process.
Faster problem-solving: When issues arise, documented processes provide a reference point for quickly identifying the root cause and implementing solutions.
Shared documentation fosters better collaboration and communication within teams, as everyone has access to the same information and understands the bigger picture.
Well-documented processes can help meet compliance requirements and legal obligations, mitigating potential risks and penalties.

Wrapping up: process documentation templates

Process documentation templates are a valuable tool that can be used to improve the efficiency, accuracy and consistency of any organization.

Ready to create your next process documentation template? Build process documents for free in seconds by signing up today!

Save 20+ hours a month explaining, training & answering quick questions. Send a Scribe instead.

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