With the cyclical educational calendar, some things come around regularly every semester or year. That also means it is easy to forget the processes you aren’t performing every day.
Luckily it is easy to record and share your processes. We’ll show you 3 that work well with Meredith software.
Benefits of recording workflow processes
Recording and organizing processes sounds like extra work. Remembering the previous process takes just a little more time so why do the extra step?
Saves time – If you record the process while you are doing it, it really does not take much extra time. A documented process that saves you only 5 minutes still adds up over time.
Improves quality – Usually there are multiple ways to complete 1 process. When you document the best way, work quality improves as you use the highest quality process every time.
Consistency – Sharing a high quality documented workflow process with your team or department can improve consistency across the whole group.
Shorten onboarding and training – Sometimes we leave process undocumented because everyone in the office “just knows” it. But when you have office turnover, those recorded processes with shorten the onboarding and training times of new members.
Now know why to recorded processes. Ready to get started?
Screen capture
A screen capture video is the easiest recording option if you have a completely digital process. Start recording your process and narrate as you go. Recorded videos are automatically uploaded to you cloud video library.
Kaltura video is available for anyone on campus and has an easy to use Kaltura Capture tool to record your screen and/or webcam. The capture tool also includes some basic annotation tools like highlighters and arrow pointers to use during the recording.
Video is not recommended when a screen capture may show sensitive student information. Kaltura does not have a function to easily blur out sections of the video so you may need to use written instructions depending on the situation.
How to store and share
Kaltura recorded videos are stored in your My Media video library. These videos can be shared through a sharing link or granting collaborator permission to a colleague.
There is also the option to share videos with a group like an office or department through a shared channel on Meredith’s Kaltura MediaSpace site. Contact the IDAT team for more information on how to set up this option.
Written instructions and screenshots
Written instructions are easy to create and you can easily add screenshot for any digital pieces. To make written instructions easier to read and understand, break text into small small paragraphs and lists.
Tools built right into your operating system make taking screenshots easy. Window’s tool Snip & Sketch has different screenshot capture options and also some annotation tool like highlighting and drawing. Read more here about taking screenshots with the Snip & Sketch tool.
Mac computers have keyboard shortcuts to capture different portions of a screen like a specific section or a menu. Read more here about taking screenshots on Mac.
How to store and share
You can easily store and share written process documentation using Google Drive. Share access to an entire folder or use a departmental Shared Drive to organize processes for easier group access.
Workflow diagrams
Processes that are more complicated or have steps that span across different departments may benefit from creating a workflow diagrams like the example shown below. These diagrams can give a high level overview of the entire process and can be paired with written directions for more details.
Simple workflow diagrams can be created in any software that can create simple shapes, arrows, and text. Microsoft Powerpoint and Google Sheets are two good choices for diagrams.
How to store and share
Workflow diagrams can be shared and stored in Google Drive individually but they are usually incorporated in written instructions. You could also turn a workflow diagram into a process video by screen sharing the chart while narrating the steps of the process.
If you want to get started with recording workflow process but need help with the software like Kaltura and Google Workspace, please contact the IDAT team. We can help with video creation or questions on how best to store and deploy documentation.