If processes are written down, you can easily evaluate and amend them as circumstances change. If they are not, the changes are often made by memo, and staff have to determine which instruction is the most recent. If there's no definitive statement about how something should be done, you have no benchmark against which to assess how well your staff are doing it. In such circumstances, rewarding exceptional performance or correcting deficiencies can lead to tension and even industrial action. Accessibility Unlike memos, which are an unreliable way of circulating information, or advice from staff experts, a manual is available at all times, to all staff.
Users can consult it repeatedly, without embarrassment.
Continuity Sometimes, a particular process is the responsibility of only one staff member. A manual provides continuity if this person suddenly becomes unavailable. Where there is a manual, people know their responsibilities. They don't omit tasks that they think someone else is doing, and if something is not done, you know who is responsible. If your employees don't know what to do, they interrupt their colleagues by asking for assistance.