What Is a Procedure?
A procedure is a named block of code, like a subroutine, but with some additional features. For example, it can accept parameters, which might be input, output, or pass-through. Traditionally, a procedure returning a value has been called a function (see below), however, many modern languages dispense with the term procedure altogether, preferring to use the term function for all named code blocks. Subsequently, the keyword PROCEDURE exists only in certain languages, and has disappeared from many. It is worth noting that languages like C do not use it, and that BASIC based languages do, whereas Modula and Pascal based languages have both the PROCEDURE and FUNCTION keywords, in which a FUNCTION is a PROCEDURE that returns a value.
Not everything needs a procedure, so don’t create procedures for basic tasks – otherwise they’ll be ignored. The number-one rule of procedure writing is to make sure there’s a reason to create them: Perhaps people forget to take certain actions, perhaps they keep on getting things wrong, or perhaps tasks are so long and complex that people need a checklist if they’re going to get things right. A written procedure is necessary only if the issue is important or if there will be a significant benefit from clarifying a process. Before you begin, ask yourself if people really need or want to know about something. You need a procedure when a process: Is lengthy (example: year-end inventory). Is complex (example: benefits administration). Is routine, but it’s essential that everyone strictly follows rules (example: payroll). Demands consistency (example: handling a refund request). Involves documentation (example: disciplining a staff member). Involves significant change (example: installing
A procedure is a set of instructions for performing a task. The task can be physical, such as installing a modem, or mental, such as calculating the profit margin on a product. Procedures are among the best known formats in technical communication. Procedures tell users “how.” Specifically, procedures tell users how: • To do something, such as changing the oil filter in a car. • Various parts of a task relate to one another, such as how a bill passes through the a legislature. • Something was done. Users can then verify what happened. For example, a researcher can review the procedures another researcher used to determine whether the analysis is valid. • Something will be done. Users can then make necessary plans. For example, a procedure might state the plan for a documentation project. Users can then determine when they must distribute review copies (or receive them for review) and plan their time accordingly.
