32 business process terms defined simply

Executive overview

Business jargon creates an unnecessary barrier to understanding how work gets organised. Knowing the core vocabulary unlocks the ability to lead, systematise, and communicate clearly about operations.

This video defines 32 standard business process terms, plus 5 internal terms used at ProcessDriven, in plain language.

Shared vocabulary is the entry point to building systems that outlast any individual.

Core process and documentation terms

1. ROI (return on investment) — what you get divided by what it costs; informally used to mean "is this worth it?"
2. Deliverables — the specific outputs you are contracted or expected to produce
3. Pain point — a persistent problem or friction for a customer or team member
4. Process — a series of steps with potential deviations to achieve a desired outcome
5. System — a collection of processes, people, and technology working together
6. SOP (standard operating procedure) — a recipe for how a specific task should be done
7. PKM (personal knowledge management) — how an individual organises and retrieves information
8. Wiki — a shared, editable internal encyclopedia for team knowledge
9. Documentation — any written record of previously unwritten organisational knowledge

Roles, tools, and software

10. Job title — external-facing name for a person's role
11. Job role — internal name for a collection of responsibilities; one person may hold multiple
12. CRM (customer relationship manager) — software tracking who your customers are and how you interact with them
13. PMS (project management software) — tools like ClickUp, Notion, Trello used to manage collections of tasks toward a goal
14. ERP (enterprise resource planning) — custom-built software designed around one company's specific processes; typically expensive and high-maintenance
15. No code / low code — software that requires no (or minimal) coding to configure and use

Process execution terms

16. WIP (work in process) — something that is not yet complete
17. Pipeline — a process built into software so work moves through defined steps, like a conveyor belt
18. Scope — what is included in a project; "out of scope" means not included
19. As is / to be — current state versus desired future state of a process
20. Gap / gap analysis — the obstacles between current state and desired outcome; a structured effort to identify them all
21. Policy — a rule for how things should be done
22. Iterate — to try something again, aiming for incremental improvement
23. Change management — the skills and practices used to help people move from current to future state
24. Bottleneck — a point in a process where work slows or backs up due to capacity constraints
25. KPI (key performance indicator) — an important number that signals how something is performing
26. QA (quality assurance) — checking outputs meet the required standard before they proceed or ship
27. Rituals — recurring team practices, often with a culture component (e.g. icebreakers, retrospectives)
28. Stakeholders — anyone with a stake in the outcome of a project or decision
29. Retro (retrospective) — a structured look backward at how something went, to extract lessons
30. EOD / EOP — end of day / end of play; a deadline timeframe

ProcessDriven-specific terms

31. Action it — create a task with an assignee and due date (as opposed to leaving it as an idea)
32. Equipment — any resource created to make work easier; catch-all for SOPs, wikis, documentation, templates
33. ECHO — email writing framework: Empathy, Challenge, Honesty, Opening
34. Process org chart — a visual map of everything a business does, used as the starting point for systemising
35. CARS — a framework for clear internal communication in project management tools, to reduce meetings and back-and-forth
36. TLDR — too long, didn't read; an internet-age summary shorthand
37. FU — follow up (shorthand used in internal notes)