Guides · Free course · Extract
How to Document a Process in 30 Minutes (With AI)
The system for creating systems, with AI doing the slow part. You'll have your first system done today.
In 60 seconds
- Record the knowledgeable worker doing the task, then turn the transcript into steps.
- AI writes the first draft in minutes. The person who does the job checks it.
- Capture how it's done today.
One of the main reasons people struggle to systemise is that they don't have a system for it. So here's mine, the system for creating systems, with AI handling the typing. This is stage three: Extract.
The 30-minute version
Minutes 0-10: Record it. Have your knowledgeable worker do the task as normal and talk through it. Use screen recording for computer work and a phone for anything physical. Ask them to explain why each step matters and what they do when it goes wrong.
Minutes 10-15: Draft it with AI. Paste the raw transcript into the free Process Pal tool. It returns a draft with a trigger, numbered steps and a definition of done. Can't record yet? Draft Process writes a first draft from a few sentences.
Minutes 15-25: Check it. Send the draft back to the person who does the job. They fix anything wrong and answer the tool's questions. Don't skip this step. AI saves the typing and the knowledge comes from your team.
Minutes 25-30: Save it. File it in the right department folder, name the knowledgeable worker as the go-to person and link the recording.
Three rules that keep it simple
- Capture what you're currently doing, not what you would like to be doing. Big improvements wait until the Optimise stage.
- Write less than you think you need. A smart person should get the gist from the step headings alone. An 80% solution today beats a perfect one that never ships.
- Leave flowcharts and screenshots for later. Both go out of date fast.
Then aim for two systems a week, working down your CCF.
Do this now (30 minutes)
- Pick one simple system from your CCF.
- Run the 30-minute version above.
- Have someone else follow it the next time the task comes up. Fix it wherever they get stuck.
Prefer to do it by hand? The System For Systems template gives you the same structure.
Faster in systemHUB: save the checked draft in your Systems library, set the knowledgeable worker as the document owner and add a review date. Rather not start from a blank page? There are 100+ templates to adapt. Start a 14-day free trial, no card needed.
Real-world example
Portavac cleans residential and commercial roof gutters. Their Systems Champion was Kane, a curious, give-anything-a-go twenty-year-old from head office. He sat in on every session and more than once grabbed a camera and went into the field to record the work as it happened. Real footage made every system easier to follow.
Wax on, wax off. The more systems you capture, the faster it gets. Go ahead and get started.