Is your agency using step-by-step procedures to train its employees? Has it reviewed its procedures to make sure they save time? Are all employees consistently performing procedures the same way to prevent errors and omissions? Are automation steps and agency procedures included in procedures? These are just a few of the questions to ask yourself when reviewing procedures to make sure they are increasing your revenue, not costing you money!
Step-by-step procedures should be explained in a 'how-to-do' manner, not 'what-to-do.' This will cut the time it takes to train new agency employees. A new employee should be able to perform the task by following the instructions.
Review every detail of a procedure to make sure there are no unnecessary steps or steps that might be performed more efficiently. Ask your employees for input on ways to save time on their tasks, then use their insights to revise the procedures. Your revenue will increase as the amount of time required to perform office procedures declines.
EMPLOYEES CAN INCREASE REVENUE FOR YOU!
Make sure all employees are consistently performing procedures the same way to prevent errors and omissions. Develop a program for auditing the way procedures are accomplished in accordance with the step-by-step procedures published in your methods and procedures manual.
One manager does not need to audit your procedures every six months. Your supervisors know how employees perform their responsibilities from daily contact. Have your supervisors produce a list of the major procedures. Based on this list, the supervisors should evaluate how well employees conform to the established protocol once or twice a year. This process will save you money on errors and omissions, and therefore increase your revenue.
DOCUMENT AUTOMATION PROCEDURES
Agencies that do not have in-house automation procedures must rely on their vendor's users manual to train their staff on automation procedures. Problems arise because automation is never operated the same way or used for the same purpose in any two agencies. For example, the way in which you process a binder or a cancellation on the computer system is completely different than another agency's procedure. The automation manuals list one generic way all agencies can process the same procedure. Because every agency is different, it is important to document your own automation steps.
Automation systems that are customized to match your agency's needs use unique prompts, entry steps, and codes. Include these specific codes in your procedure manual. Your automation steps should also be evaluated against each supervisor's list of procedures for consistency.