Do you document your internal and external guidelines? Then you’re part of the vast majority of organizations that spend significant time identifying, developing, communicating, and monitoring them. And let’s be honest — much of that time is often wasted. That’s why it’s worthwhile to take a systematic look at the lifecycle of a guideline: Which phases does it go through, and how can you optimize them?
Introducing: The Guideline Lifecycle Model
All of this can be illustrated with the guideline lifecycle model. It’s a great starting point to ask: How can we improve how we manage our guidelines? The fictional company Opti1 GmbH explores that very question using the model’s eight phases.
Hands-on Example: A Guideline in Practice
The initial challenge: So far, the introduction of new IT tools at Opti1 GmbH has been rocky, leading to repeated questions and rework. To improve this, the company now wants to establish a binding process for rolling out new IT tools.
Phase 1: Create the Guideline
The IT department begins by collecting typical steps for introducing a new tool and drafts a process description. Special attention is paid to clearly defining roles and responsibilities. In addition to personal experience, they consult other teams and do online research.
Phase 2: Align the Guideline
It is now time to coordinate the content. All roles involved in the process come together — IT, executive leadership, and the data protection officer — to assess whether the guideline is feasible and to weigh costs vs. benefits.
Key questions include:
The outcomes flow directly back into the process description.
Phase 3: Approve the Guideline
In this phase, the drafted guideline is officially approved and becomes binding. At Opti1 GmbH, this happens via a formal release workflow in the management system. Approval from management, the IT lead, and the compliance officer is required — otherwise, it goes back to Phase 2.
Phase 4: Publish the Guideline
Once released, it’s time to inform the entire team. The IT department sends out an announcement email linking to the new process in the management system. Attached is a “Quick Check: Introducing IT Tools” document that departments can use in team meetings to explain the new guideline.
Phase 5: Train the Guideline
Now it’s about ensuring everyone is up to speed. The IT team decides to visit each department meeting and be available to explain the new procedure. They track their visits in an Excel list. Other organizations may expect employees to self-educate or require read confirmations. In some cases, formal evidence of awareness (e.g. signature) is collected to meet compliance standards.
Phase 6: Apply the Guideline
Opti1 GmbH rolls out two new tools — and puts the new guideline to the test. This is a critical phase, because only now can the company assess whether the rule is being followed and whether it’s practical. In this case: Success. The team is glad to finally have clarity on “how we do it here.” Technically, this is the only phase that generates real business value, since it's the point where the guideline influences actual behavior.
Phase 7: Monitor and Audit the Guideline
Depending on the nature of the guideline, it's often necessary to regularly evaluate its effectiveness. At Opti1 GmbH, this happens via internal audits. Six months later, IT leadership checks whether the new process was followed — using invoices for reference. The outcome: Four tools were introduced, but only two followed the official process. Compliance is a coin toss. That leads to frustration, retraining, and plans to sharpen the guideline: It must be clearer what exactly counts as a “new IT tool.” And so, the guideline loops back to Phase 2.
Phase 8: Retire the Guideline
Four years later, the guideline reaches the end of its life. The IT rollout process is now managed almost entirely within a project tool. With automated tasks and reminders, it’s nearly impossible to deviate from the defined path. The company actively retires the original guideline and archives the corresponding process description so that no one accidentally follows the outdated version.
More Impact, More Efficiency
Every guideline has one overarching purpose: to increase value or efficiency. But let’s be honest — only Phase 6 delivers measurable business benefit. The other phases could be seen as administrative burden… or as necessary building blocks that make impact in Phase 6 possible. Either way, it pays to optimize every phase. A modern management system that automates communication and workflows can help streamline the entire lifecycle.
Therefore, ask yourself: Where in the guideline lifecycle are we losing the most time? And: How can we do better?
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