Deterministic Process
This page explains Deterministic Process and its relevance to business operations.
D01 - Process Documentation Coverage
Definition
An operational process that produces the same output when given the same input and is therefore fully documentable as a numbered checklist with IF/THEN decision branches, with no requirement for tacit judgment or experience to execute correctly.
Identifying which processes are deterministic and which require genuine judgment is the first sequencing decision in any documentation project. Trying to document a judgment-based process as if it were deterministic produces a document that looks complete and is not usable.
Indicators
- You have undocumented processes that you believe "require too much judgment to write down," but most of them actually have clear, repeatable decision rules that haven't been written out yet.
- New hires are learning processes through observation and asking colleagues rather than through documented steps.
- You have never classified your processes by their documentability before attempting a documentation project.
Quick Win
- Pick one undocumented process you have called "too complex to write down."
- Ask: "Does it always produce the same output given the same input?"
- If yes, it's not too complex. It's just not written down yet.
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