You have been there. You spent weeks creating the perfect process. You documented every step. You trained your team. You even laminated the bloody thing and stuck it on the wall.
Three weeks later? Everyone is back to doing things their own way. Jobs are getting missed. Mistakes are creeping in. Money is being wasted.
And you are left wondering: "Why won't they just follow the process?"
SectionThe Real Reason Processes Fail
Here is the uncomfortable truth: the problem is not your team. The problem is how the process was designed and implemented.
Most engineering business owners make the same critical mistakes when creating processes:
- •They design processes in isolation, without input from the people who will use them
- •They create overly complex systems that look good on paper but fall apart in practice
- •They launch processes without proper training or support
- •They fail to enforce compliance consistently
The result? Confusion, frustration, and a team that quietly reverts to "the way we've always done it."
SectionThe Hidden Cost of Process Chaos
When processes are not followed, the damage goes far beyond simple inefficiency. Consider what happens in a typical engineering business:
Financial Impact:
- •Jobs quoted incorrectly because pricing information is not captured consistently
- •Materials ordered twice or not at all because purchase tracking breaks down
- •Time wasted on rework because quality checks are skipped
Operational Impact:
- •Customer complaints increase because delivery promises are not tracked
- •Staff spend hours searching for information that should be at their fingertips
- •You become the bottleneck because only you know how things "really" work
Team Impact:
- •Good employees get frustrated and leave
- •New starters take longer to become productive
- •Blame culture develops when things go wrong
One of my clients calculated they were losing over £50,000 per year in wasted time and rework—all because their processes were not being followed consistently.
SectionThe Process Adoption Framework
After working with dozens of engineering businesses, I have developed a framework that actually gets processes adopted. It is built on four principles:
1. Involve the Team from Day One
The biggest mistake is designing processes in a vacuum. Your team knows the reality of the shop floor better than anyone. Before you create any process, ask:
- •What is currently working well?
- •Where do things typically go wrong?
- •What would make your job easier?
When people help create a process, they have ownership of it. They want it to succeed.
2. Start Simple, Then Refine
The perfect process is the enemy of the working process. Start with the minimum viable version:
- •Focus on the 3-5 most critical steps
- •Use plain language, not corporate jargon
- •Make it impossible to misunderstand
You can always add complexity later. But if you launch with a 47-step procedure, no one will follow it.
3. Make Compliance Easier Than Non-Compliance
This is the secret weapon. If following the process is harder than ignoring it, people will ignore it. Design your systems so that:
- •The process is the path of least resistance
- •Information is captured where work happens, not in a separate system
- •Checklists and prompts guide people through each step
For example, instead of asking staff to fill in a separate job sheet after completing work, build the data capture into the workflow itself.
4. Enforce Consistently (Without Being a Tyrant)
Processes without accountability are just suggestions. But enforcement does not mean shouting at people. It means:
- •Reviewing compliance regularly (weekly, not annually)
- •Addressing issues immediately, not letting them slide
- •Celebrating when the process works well
- •Adjusting the process when it genuinely does not fit reality
SectionThe 30-Day Process Reset
If your processes have already broken down, here is how to reset:
Week 1: Audit
- •Identify which processes are being ignored
- •Talk to your team about why (without blame)
- •Document the actual current state
Week 2: Redesign
- •Simplify each process to its essential steps
- •Get team input on what would make it workable
- •Create clear, visual documentation
Week 3: Relaunch
- •Train everyone on the updated process
- •Explain the "why" behind each step
- •Set clear expectations for compliance
Week 4: Embed
- •Monitor compliance daily
- •Address issues immediately
- •Refine based on real-world feedback
SectionWhen Software Helps (And When It Does Not)
Many business owners think buying new software will solve their process problems. It will not—at least, not on its own.
Software is a tool that can enforce and streamline processes. But if the underlying process is broken, software just automates the chaos.
Before implementing any system:
- •Get the manual process working first
- •Ensure your team understands and follows it
- •Then use software to make it faster and more reliable
The businesses that succeed with software are the ones that have already built a culture of process compliance.
SectionTake Action Today
If processes are not being followed in your business, do not wait. Every day of confusion costs you money and frustration.
Start with one process—the one causing the most pain right now. Apply the framework above. Get it working. Then move to the next.
Want help implementing systems that actually stick? Book a discovery call to discuss your specific situation.
Or download our Process Implementation Checklist—a step-by-step guide to launching processes that your team will actually follow.