What Is Policy and Procedures Management?

​Managing policies and procedures is important for any organization. It helps reduce risks, keeps things running smoothly, ensures rules are followed, aids decision-making, and supports employees. How actively an organization manages its policies and procedures can vary widely, not only between different companies but also among various departments and teams.

Most organizations have policies and procedures that explain the "official" way to handle tasks. Good policy and procedure management means having a clear, organized system for updating, storing, accessing, and reviewing these documents.

When the process is unorganized or unclear, policy management often falls apart. Problems like having multiple versions of the same policy can make things even harder.

What’s the Difference between a Policy and Procedure?

​A policy is a document that explains an organization’s official position on a specific topic. It tells employees what they need to follow. A procedure, on the other hand, is a step-by-step guide on how to achieve a goal or handle a certain situation.

Controlled documents usually include an organization’s policies and procedures that employees must follow. These may also include related documents like guidelines or "how-to" manuals that provide additional details.

What is Policy and Procedure Management?

Policy and procedure management means actively organizing and maintaining the documents that outline an organization’s policies and procedures. This helps ensure they are properly managed and meet the organization’s needs.

Key parts of policy and procedure management include:

1. Keeping all policies and procedures up to date and accurate.
2. Storing them in the right location so they’re easy to find.
3. Making sure employees can access them when needed.
4. Informing employees about any changes so they can follow the latest rules and reduce risks.
5. Creating reports to meet compliance requirements.

These steps help organizations stay organized, compliant, and prepared.

Why Is Policy Management Important?

Actively managing policies and procedures brings several key benefits:

Reduces Risks
Policies help prevent problems by ensuring employees follow the rules. For example, in areas like health and safety, or cybersecurity, sticking to policies can avoid accidents, security breaches, or damage to the company’s reputation. Proper management ensures employees are aware of and follow these rules, lowering risks.

Protects Employees
Policies and procedures keep employees safe and supported. They set standards for health and safety, promote respect among coworkers, and help employees avoid mistakes that could harm their jobs or others' well-being.

Boosts Efficiency
Clear policies and procedures guide employees to work in ways that are both effective and productive. When everyone follows the same guidelines, tasks get done more smoothly, improving the organization’s overall efficiency.

Support for Onboarding
When new employees join a company, they need to learn about its policies. Some of these are included in an employee handbook, while others must be reviewed for compliance. Organizations can ensure new hires read the right policies by integrating them into a smooth onboarding process.

Promotes Compliance
Policies and procedures are often tied to important legal and regulatory requirements, like health and safety, privacy, and professional standards. Managing policies helps ensure employees follow these rules. Using tools like mandatory policy reviews and employee sign-offs can boost compliance and simplify reporting.

Encourages Digital Workplace Adoption
Policies sometimes restrict the use of certain digital tools but can also promote the adoption of approved digital workplace applications. Clear policies ensure employees understand the terms of use and adopt tools that help them work efficiently.

Helps Employees Work More Efficiently
While some policies focus on compliance and risk, others are operational, like expense or travel policies. Easy access to these policies gives employees clear guidance, helping them complete tasks faster and get back to work.

Standardization Helps Businesses Run Better
Big companies with many locations, teams, and countries often have messy and inconsistent processes. This can waste time and create risks. To fix this, businesses work to standardize their policies and procedures, especially when they've grown by buying other companies.

Clear and accessible policies and procedures are the first step to standardization. They make sure everyone understands the rules and works the same way. This is especially important when merging different organizations into one.

What Happens Without Policy Management?

When policies and procedures aren’t managed properly, many problems can occur:

• Employees struggle to find the policies they need when they need them.
• Different versions of policies might exist, leaving people unsure which one is correct.
• Employees waste time asking coworkers or emailing teams to locate policies.
• Policies don’t get updated, leading to outdated information.
• Tracking who has read and followed policies relies on slow, manual processes.
• People may ignore policies or procedures altogether, creating serious risks for the organization.

How Can Policy Management Software Help?

Policy management software like SP Policy Manager can transform how an organization manages its policies and procedures, reducing manual effort and improving efficiency. Here's how it can help:

• Policy Creation: Assign clear roles for policy owners and streamline the approval process for creating new policies.
• Storage & Access: Provide a trusted, central policy library that’s easy for employees to access.
• Search & Findability: Use advanced search tools and custom tags to help employees quickly find the policies they need.
• Updates & Reviews: Automate reminders for policy reviews, set up workflows for updates, and ensure proper version control when replacing policies.
• Communication & Change: Notify employees about new or updated policies with personalized dashboards and notifications. Employee attestation ensures everyone acknowledges the changes.
• Reporting & Compliance: Simplify mandatory policy readings and add detailed reporting. You can even use quizzes to ensure employees understand the updates.
• Governance: Integrate governance processes into your policy library management for a more structured approach.

If your organization is looking to improve policy and procedure management, a solution like SP Policy Manager can save time, reduce risks, and ensure everyone is on the same page.