Procedures

CU-KnowHow has over 400 detailed procedures. Each procedure has:

• A meaningful and succinct title. This allows quick reading when scanning pages and is used in search results.
• an overview of the process. This outlines why and when a process would be required. This is also used to inform staff of the minimum prerequisites for undertaking a process. The overview can hold hyperlinks to policies and other related items.
• been developed using familiar flowchart icons to give an easy to read graphical interface.
• a full text description of the action required at each step. This results in clear activity instructions or directional questions with yes or no answers.
• tips and help texts. These sections hold any additional information that helps clarify the step or warn the reader as to any possible contingencies.
• hyperlinks to all related material. This includes links to policies, procedures, forms, Information Files, letters and reports.
• a defined end point.

Creating procedures

Creating detailed procedures directly in Word can be done but is time consuming. Coping with the strands of a procedure, particularly where questions produce two options heading in different directions, leads to much confusion. The possibilities of yes/no gates and recurring loops are too difficult to manage when dealing with Word’s autonumbering function.

To overcome this Maxen uses and recommends Axion’s 4TQFlow.

A sample 4TQ Flow Screen:

Any person with a basic understanding of flowcharts can be producing quality product with 2-3 hours training using 4TQFlow.

Using 4TQFlow allowed us to develop complex processes for CU-KnowHow. The task icons are easily moved around the workspace, can be connected without any fussy navigation and can be renumbered or reordered at any point.

The CU-KnowHow procedures were created using the following step-by-step process:

• the 4TQFlow charts were planned and developed to include the title and summary, steps, cross-references and additional information fields.

• the charts were exported to Word using specially designed, simple to use Maxen macros. These macros automatically change the form of the information and add extra control and formatting details.

• the procedure documents are organised in chapter groups. A conversion macro collects all procedures for a chapter and the policy document for that chapter and refines all styles for conversion to online use. This is another simple automated process; all the user needs to do is browse to the correct folder location and the macro does everything else.

• the chapter document is converted to HTML using Virtual Media’s Reworx Professional. This produces html content for use in any browser application. Publishing the material to the intranet is a simple piece of file management.

Contact us: e-mail Maxen