If conducted properly, process mapping can deliver
effective, streamlined standard operating procedures based
on principles of good practice that comply with relevant
regulation. Documentation is thus kept to a minimum.
Documentation must also be supported and managed by
a good document control system that controls the issue,
distribution, acknowledgement of receipt and reading, regular
review and withdrawal of superseded documents.
While manual document control systems are labour-intensive,
there are a number of stand-alone electronic systems
available today.
Effective documentation, combined with a good document
control system, minimises error by ensuring that there
are accurate and concise standard operating procedures
available, with critical steps clearly identified for staff to
follow, and that the versions they work to are the most
current.