Checklist

Operations Audit Checklist

A simple checklist for reviewing business operations health — across processes, data, tools, and people.

Summary

Audit annually, not in panic. A clean audit shows where effort sinks are hiding — and which fixes are highest leverage.

Core processes

Written process for invoicing, quoting, collection?
Written process for customer onboarding?
Written process for complaint handling?
Every process owned by a named person?
SOPs updated in last 6 months?

Data flow

Any data re-keyed between tools manually?
Any files emailed instead of in a shared system?
Single source of truth for customer info?
Critical data backed up automatically?

Handoffs

Sales-to-delivery handoff documented and consistent?
Client communications logged where team can see?
Clear ownership at every stage?

Tools

Any duplicated tools doing the same thing?
Any software paid for but rarely used?
Key integrations working?

People

Critical knowledge concentrated in 1-2 people?
Can a new hire onboard without weeks of shadowing?
Documented access and password management?

Scoring

Count No/Unsure answers. 0-5: healthy. 6-10: prioritise 2-3 fixes. 11+: schedule a proper improvement project.

Frequently asked questions

How long should an audit take?

Half a day for a small team. Do it with the owner + one ops-facing team member.

Next step

Keep exploring related resources to strengthen this area of the business.

Use Operations Efficiency Scorecard

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