How to systematize and automate business with Notion. Step 3: Launch regular processes of ongoing business system development, maintenance and improvement

At this step, we will focus on explaining the mechanisms of the processes for building, developing, improving, and maintaining the business system.

Implementing such a process mechanism addresses the core challenge of business systematization: before systematizing the business itself, it is necessary to first build and launch the systematization processes to reduce potential risks and achieve greater impact. It’s also impossible to create a perfect business system instantly. We can’t create it within a single project or even a series of projects. Because there are three main factors affected there:

• The first factor is accepting reality — a realistic understanding of the current state of business systematization in relation to the desired outcome. That is, if you’ve attempted to complete Step 2, which is to develop a business system framework, you’ve probably already realized that even properly formalizing the structure of goals and processes is quite challenging. You’ll likely need to revisit, review, and adjust what has already been done from time to time. And sometimes, you may even need to pause the work to gather more information — for example, actual performance data to refine the goals, or feedback from process participants regarding how those processes are carried out.
• The second factor is the external environment — everything happening around your business. Market changes, innovations, new methods, products and technologies, emerging markets, regulatory changes, and the appearance of new competitors will all require you to review and adjust your products, services, processes, goals, and strategies for achieving them. Accordingly, from time to time, it is necessary to make changes to the existing business system to ensure that the entire business aligns with market realities and remains profitable and competitive.
• The third factor is the human factor. First, people within the business need to mature in order to embrace a systematic approach — and not everyone can do this quickly. It often takes several cycles or iterations before they begin to view the business as a system, think systematically, make decisions systematically, and act accordingly. Even more importantly, as new elements and functions of the business system are implemented, those involved in the business will begin to discover new opportunities for growth and generate fresh ideas for development. This will also lead to changes in the existing system, prompting further improvement and evolving of the business system.

In other words, a recurring, cyclical (iterative) approach will be more effective than scattered, impulsive projects. Of course, there are businesses with extremely simple business models and technologies, or those operating in stable markets — and even there, such a cyclical approach can still be effective; the cycles of change and development in the business system will simply occur less frequently and at a smaller scale. However, for dynamic, growing businesses or those operating in highly competitive markets, one must be prepared for a large number of repeated business system development projects before reaching any level of stabilization.

Before we move on to designing this process and developing services in Notion to support and automate it, we need to pause and consider the context of the process — that is, to understand its inputs and outputs. In the article where I discussed the development of a high-level process model of the entire business, I presented the following conceptual diagram:

In this diagram, the process “Developing the tool (business system) for implementing strategy and achieving the future state” represents the business system lifecycle process — or, for short, the Systematization Process.

This diagram implies that the main input for the business systematization process is the outcome of the strategic management process: “Defining the current state of the business and developing the future state of the business.” These outcomes can be presented as innovative proposals for the development of the business system. In addition, such proposals can be created by managers or owners of various processes. Innovative proposals may also be formed within the systematization process itself, during the execution of operations supporting the current version of the business system. An innovative proposal is essentially an idea aimed at improving existing business processes. Small companies and solopreneurs may use the term ‘ideas’ for simplicity and convenience, while still understanding the purpose of these ideas.

The output of the process is the business system framework in the form of Notion databases containing elements of the business system, the development of which was presented in the previous article, along with supporting documentation in the form of various regulations, procedures, or instructions. This documentation elaborates on the framework and can be stored directly in the corresponding database records. For example, we can store instructions in the description of a particular process, or a brief draft of a roadmap in the record of a specific goal, and so on. The structure and documentation of the business system are also used to ensure the correct execution and automation of all business and control processes—so we can make sure that all our processes are properly configured and functioning, and that any nonconformities identified are either resolved immediately or formalized as innovative proposals to be implemented in future iterations of business system development.

The Business Systematization Life Cycle Process

Now let’s examine the internal structure of the process “Developing the tool (business system) for implementing strategy and achieving the future state.” When we look at this process as the life cycle of a business system, we can distinguish four categories of activities or tasks that must be performed to achieve optimal results. This approach allows for a more structured and effective design of the business process. These categories include:

• Analytical tasks. These are discrete tasks that need to be performed periodically to assess whether the current state of the business system meets present needs. If it does not, we must prepare and approve a rationale for initiating changes, which serves as the basis for launching a change project and reserving and allocating the necessary resources for its implementation.
• Project tasks. Once a project is initiated, we must clarify the requirements, carry out the design of the changes, implement those changes, and finally integrate them into the business operations.
• Regular operations. This involves maintaining the current state of the system, which includes identifying and resolving nonconformities and deviations, making minor updates to the framework and documentation of the business system, or preparing innovative proposals for further development.
• Management tasks. We must manage each type of activity (analytical, project-based, operational), meaning we need to plan, monitor execution, measure, and analyze the outcomes.

Accordingly, we arrive at the following model of the business systematization lifecycle process.

This process includes three sub processes: Analysis, Development, and Support of the Business System. The words ‘Iterative’ and ‘Ongoing’ are not necessary – I added them to emphasize this aspect. Now, let’s take a closer look at each of them.

The Business System Analysis Subprocess

This process have the next logic:

1. Innovative proposals are collected in a database table and, at a set interval—monthly, quarterly, or semi-annually—these proposals are reviewed. It is possible that there are no proposals at all, or too few and too minor to justify a system-development project. In that case, we simply continue supporting the current version of the business system.
2. If, however, there are enough innovative proposals, the next step is to prepare a Feasibility Report to justify launching a new business-system development project. Once the report is drafted, it goes through an approval process:
   • If the Feasibility Report is approved, the business-system development project is initiated.
   • If the Feasibility Report is not approved, we continue to support the existing system until the next scheduled review of innovative proposals against the current state of the business system.

The Business System Development Subprocess

The logic of this process is as follows. It consists of two subprocesses:

1. Project Management Process, which includes the classic project management processes: Initiation, Planning, Monitoring and Control, and Project Closure.
2. Project Execution Process: which involves the sequential steps of Defining Requirements, Designing Business System Elements and the structure of necessary documents, Developing Business System Elements and documents, and Implementation.

The Business System Support Subprocess

As in the previous case, the word ‘Ongoing’ is not necessary. I added it to emphasize this aspect as well.

The Business System Support process also consists of two sub processes:

1. Support Operations Management Process, which includes Planning, Control, Measurement, and Analysis.
2. Support Operations Execution Process, which includes the following execution steps:
   1. Identifying Nonconformities and Deviations in the Business System,
   2. Eliminating Nonconformities and Deviations in the Business System,
   3. Making Minor Changes to Business System Elements and Documentation,
   4. Preparing Proposals for the Development of the Business System.

It is important to understand that at the start of the systematization activities, innovative proposals will mainly be formed based on strategic goals, which will indicate which projects we need to implement in order to achieve the desired business system. The frequency of such projects will be high at first; then, a stabilization period will follow, during which the frequency of such projects will decrease, and innovative proposals will mainly be generated by process owners or managers, as well as by the business system support process.

Realization in Notion.

The systematization life cycle diagrams clearly show which Notion database tables must be created next to launch the building, improvement, and support of the business system.

So, we should add next portion of tasks in the Tasks database table with “Business System” tag and start executing them:

1. Create Innovative Proposals database table;
2. Create Feasibility Reports database table;
3. Create Projects database table;
4. Create Project Requirements database table
5. Create Project Risks database table
6. Create Nonconformities database table
7. Create Business System Changes Log database table
8. Create Project Reports database table – optional table of project information to track project’s progress.
9. Create Operation Reports database table – optional table to prepare and tracking operational reports.

Benefits of Work Done

Innovative Proposals Notion Database Table

The ‘Innovative Proposals’ table is used to collect proposals on how to improve the existing business. Thanks to Process Tags, the ‘Innovative Proposals’ database becomes a universal tool that can be applied not only to systematization but to any aspect of the business — including new products, marketing tools, promotional campaigns, sales activities, and more.

Feasibility Report Notion Database Table

The ‘Feasibility Reports’ table is used to group proposals and justify the feasibility of their implementation through development projects. It is linked to the ‘Process Tags’ table to identify the area of the future project, and to the ‘Goals’ table to clarify which previously established goals the project’s implementation is intended to support. Like the Innovative Proposals table, the Feasibility Reports table applies not only to the systematization of activities but also to the business as a whole.

Project Register Database Table

The ‘Project Register’ table is used to manage all projects across the entire business and the data related to them. It links with Process Tags, Feasibility Reports, Goals, Project Requirements, Project Risks, and Project Reports to provide a comprehensive view of each project’s context, rationale, objectives, constraints, and outcomes.

Project Requirements Database Table

The ‘Project Requirements’ table is used to define, collect, refine, prioritize, and manage project requirements throughout the project lifecycle, ensuring alignment with stakeholder expectations and project objectives.

Project Risks Database Table

The ‘Project Risks’ table is used to manage all identified and documented risks by tracking their likelihood, impact, mitigation strategies, and status throughout the project lifecycle

Nonconformities Database Table

The Nonconformities Database Table is used to register, handle, and resolve identified nonconformities of the business system by documenting their nature, root causes, corrective actions, and resolution status to ensure compliance.

Change Log Database Table

The Change Log Database Table is used to register and analyze Business System changes, ensuring that all modifications are documented, evaluated for impact, and properly implemented to maintain system integrity and traceability.

The Complete Set of Tools for Business Systematization

Finally, a complete, ready-to-use set of tools supporting the business systematization process has been developed, ensuring continuous analysis, improvement, and development of the business system. It functions as a unified, cyclical mechanism that enables the business to evolve consistently, systematically, and cost-effectively, taking into account:

• strategic vision and long-term goals,
• initiatives from process participants,
• changes in the external business environment.

Project Management Tools

Additionally, we have developed a set of project management tools designed to support not only systematization but the entire business. Unlike the business systematization tools placed in the ‘Business System’ section of the Notion workspace, project management tools are placed in the ‘Projects’ section according to the business process model.

The Key Strategic Benefit

The key strategic benefit of work done is that this systematization process model remains, on the one hand, simple and flexible, while on the other hand, it aligns with Level 5 (Optimizing) of the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI). This provides the business with a number of advantages:

1. Continuous Process Improvement
   • Organizations systematically identify weaknesses and strengthen processes.
   • Use of different business-analysis techniques ensures that problems are not just fixed, but prevented from recurring.
2. Quantitative Decision-Making
   • Business and engineering decisions are based on data, not intuition.
   • Enables predictable outcomes in quality, cost, and schedule through statistical analysis.
3. Innovation and Agility
   • Encourages the introduction of new tools, techniques, and technologies in a controlled and measured way.
   • High process maturity allows for faster adaptation to change while maintaining performance.
4. High Customer Satisfaction
   • High reliability, predictable delivery, and consistent quality lead to stronger customer relationships and repeat business.
   • Organizations can offer clients customized improvements and better responsiveness.
5. Operational Excellence
   • Reduced waste, rework, and defects through process optimization.
   • Higher productivity and lower costs over time.
6. Competitive Advantage
   • Level 5 certification demonstrates world-class capability.
   • Often a requirement for large government or enterprise contracts, especially in defense, aerospace, and critical systems.
7. Cultural Maturity
   • The entire organization is aligned around process excellence and learning culture.
   • Employees are empowered to propose improvements and are actively engaged in process performance.

Summary and conclusions:

In this article, we explored the development of the most optimal process model for building, developing, improving, and maintaining a business system. As a result, we arrived at a process mechanism that:

1. Is universal, meaning it fits a wide range of businesses at any stage of development;
2. Enables deeper engagement of the company’s personnel in business improvement activities, aligning with one of the key goals set by the business owner;
3. Is fairly simple and flexible, allowing us to add certain operations and details to the described processes for more complex businesses—such as introducing audits to identify nonconformities—or, conversely, to simplify the process by replacing “Innovative Proposals” with simple “Ideas” and streamlining the development and approval of a Feasibility Report by replacing it with a “Project Candidate” for small businesses and startups;
4. This process model for the life cycle of analysis, improvement, development, and support of the business system corresponds to the highest, fifth maturity level of the Capability Maturity Model Integration (CMMI) (Optimizing), meaning the business focuses on continuous process improvement.

We have also completed the development of a full set of tools for business systematization and project management across the entire business. Now, we’re ready to move on to the fourth step: launching systematization and development projects to elevate the business to the next level.