Process Tier
This page explains Process Tier and its relevance to business operations.
D01 - Process Documentation Coverage
Definition
A classification system that divides an operation's processes by frequency and consequence: Tier 1 (highest frequency, highest consequence), Tier 2 (moderate frequency and moderate consequence), and Tier 3 (lower frequency, lower consequence), providing a documentation priority sequence rather than attempting to document everything at once.
Most documentation projects fail not because the team lacked effort but because they started with the wrong processes, spending weeks on edge cases while the highest-frequency, highest-impact processes remained undocumented. Process tiering forces correct sequencing.
Indicators
- A documentation project was started but stalled typically because the scope was too large and no priority sequence existed.
- Your current documented processes are unevenly distributed — some rarely executed processes are documented while high-frequency, high-consequence processes are not.
- No classification exists for which processes carry the most risk if inconsistently executed.
Quick Win
- List your five highest-frequency processes.
- Check how many of them are documented.
- Those five processes are your Tier 1 processes.
- Document them before anything else.
Comments ()