This process documentation template describes a process in three layers. First one sentence: where does it start and where does it end. Then a SIPOC on one sheet of A4: who supplies what, what the main steps are and what comes out. And finally a step table with, for each step, who does it, in which system, how long it takes and what goes wrong. With free tools you are done in about an hour.
You do not have to do this for the free assessment. If you do, the conversation is about choices instead of figuring things out. And it helps you too: a process that is written down can be handed over.
Step 1: Define the process in one sentence
Write down what the start and the end are. The sharper the boundary, the better you can measure.
- Good: from incoming purchase invoice to posted and paid invoice.
- Too broad: the administration.
- Too narrow: opening the invoice.
Step 2: Make a SIPOC on one sheet of A4
SIPOC stands for Suppliers, Inputs, Process, Outputs and Customers. It is a simple high-level overview that you can make with little explanation, with sticky notes on a flip chart if you like (AHRQ). It does not show exactly how the steps fit together; the step table that follows does that.
| Suppliers | Inputs | Process (main steps) | Outputs | Customers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Purchasing suppliers | Invoice as PDF or e-invoice | 1. Receive · 2. Check · 3. Approve · 4. Post · 5. Pay | Posted and paid invoice | Bookkeeping, supplier, accountant |
Step 3: Fill in the step table
This is the most important part. Copy the columns into Google Sheets or Excel and fill in what you know for each step. An estimate is fine; just mark it “estimate”.
| Step | Who | System | Time per instance | How often | What goes wrong |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Get the invoice from the mailbox | Administration | Outlook | 1 min | 40 per week | Invoice is in a colleague’s mailbox |
| Check amount and order number | Administration | Exact Online | 3 min | 40 per week | Order number missing |
| Approve above €1,000 | Director | 2 min | 6 per week | Sits waiting for days | |
| Post and archive | Administration | Exact Online | 2 min | 40 per week | Posted twice after a reminder |
Two columns make the difference. How often decides whether automating pays off, and what goes wrong decides how the automation has to deal with exceptions. If you can write an exception down as an if-then sentence, it is a rule. If you cannot, it is craftsmanship and it stays with a person. More on that in the business process automation guide.
Step 4: Draw the handovers, if you need to
If the work goes back and forth between more than two people or systems, draw a swimlane diagram: one lane per person or system, with the steps in the lane of whoever does them. That shows you straight away where work gets stuck. The idea comes from BPMN, the common standard for process diagrams, but you do not need the notation: rectangles and arrows are enough.
Step 5: Record it once
A screen recording of two to five minutes sometimes says more than a page of text. Use test data and close your mailbox and notifications beforehand.
- Windows 11: Snipping Tool: press Windows + Shift + R, select an area and click Start.
- macOS: press Shift + Command + 5 and choose the entire screen or part of it. The recording then appears on your desktop.
Free tools for your process documentation template
| Tool | What for | Account needed | Where your file is stored |
|---|---|---|---|
| Google Sheets and Docs | Step table and description | Free Google account | Google Drive (15 GB shared); no guaranteed EU storage on a free account |
| Google Forms | Ask colleagues the same questions, with answers going to Sheets | Free Google account | Google Drive |
| Google Drawings | Simple flowchart with shapes and connector lines | Free Google account | Google Drive |
| Google Vids screen recorder | Screen recording of up to 30 minutes, via a Chrome extension | Free Google account | Google Drive |
| Word, Excel and PowerPoint online | Step table or simple diagram | Free Microsoft account | OneDrive (5 GB) |
| draw.io | Flowchart and swimlane | No | On your own computer or in your own storage; only PDF export goes through their server |
| Excalidraw | Quick sketch-style diagram | No | In your browser, or as a file on your computer |
| Snipping Tool (Windows 11) and Screenshot (macOS) | Screen recording | No | On your own computer |
Privacy: how to share an example safely
Do not share more personal data than necessary (GDPR, data minimisation). For a process description, real names and client data are almost never needed.
- Use made-up names, invoice numbers and amounts, or a test environment.
- Describe volumes (“about 40 invoices per week”) instead of sending real files.
- Crop screenshots or make data unreadable before you share them.
- Where you can, choose tools that store files on your own computer, such as draw.io, Excalidraw and the built-in screen recorders.
- Note: replacing a name with a code still leaves you with personal data. Only when data is truly anonymous does the GDPR no longer apply.
How to hand it over
Bring your description to the assessment call; we go through it together on screen. If you would like to send it beforehand, email it to info@aiagentcycle.com, without personal data. In the assessment questionnaire you fill in the essentials. Uploading an attachment is not possible there yet.
After the assessment: writing up the process for the build
If you go ahead, we work the chosen process out together into a design. For that you need:
- The normal route, step by step, from your step table.
- The exceptions as if-then rules, and what goes to a person when in doubt.
- Five to ten examples, anonymised, of normal cases and difficult cases.
- What good looks like: the desired lead time, the maximum error rate and what must never happen without a person.
- Who the owner is and may decide how the process should run.
How the project runs after that, from design to maintenance, is described under how I work. The full step-by-step plan for process automation goes deeper into the baseline measurement and acceptance.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to describe a process?
For one process, usually an hour: ten minutes for the sentence and the SIPOC, half an hour for the step table and, if you like, a short recording. Keeping a tally for two weeks of how often something happens makes the figures more reliable.
Do I need to know BPMN or another method?
No. A step table in Excel or Google Sheets is enough. A swimlane diagram only helps if work goes back and forth between more than two people or systems.
What if colleagues describe the process differently?
Then you have found something important. Two descriptions mean there is no fixed way of working yet. Have that conversation first; only then does automating make sense.
Can I start the assessment without a description?
Yes. The assessment questionnaire asks for the essentials, and in the conversation we fill in what is missing together. A description makes the conversation faster and sharper.
Sources: AHRQ, SIPOC Diagram (Workflow Assessment for Health IT Toolkit); OMG, About BPMN 2.0.2; European Commission, principles of the GDPR; Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens (Dutch Data Protection Authority), anonymisation and pseudonymisation; product pages of Google, Microsoft, draw.io, Excalidraw and Apple, checked on 31 October 2026.