The following are some benefits of documenting a method:

• Streamlines the process, enabling consistency across the organization, both in terms of processes followed and work products produced
• Reduces the risk and overall cost of process execution, unifying process and governance to promote operational excellence without over simplification
• Improves the quality of what is produced.

In some cases, having a documented process is a nice-to-have; however, in others, it is a requirement due to regulatory and standards compliance and process certification. In any case, a documented process can go a long way to increasing the efficiency, repeatability and predictability of the process.

Formally, a method includes both method content and processes. However, it is quite common to refer to "process" in the general sense, where the process is assembled from method content. For more information on the key concepts that are described in a method, see Basic Process Concepts.