Effective policies and procedures, including the manual as a whole, are living documents that must grow and adapt with a company. While the core elements and the intent of a policy will likely remain the same — keeping people, equipment, assets, and information safe, for example — the details of how to make it happen need to adapt to the changes in the industry and the organization.
Regular policy review and revision are an important part of every policy and procedure management plan, and it's something your company should put time, energy, and resources into.
Why do you need a policy review process?
Outdated policies can leave your organization at risk. Old policies may fail to comply with new laws and regulations. They may not address new systems or technology, which can result in inconsistent practices. Can you imagine a policy that still addresses whether you can bring in floppy disks from home or discusses the proper use of fax machines? Yet there are probably policy manuals out there that still have this information in them.