Thankfully, procedures have a major place. Think of processes as describing the big picture, while procedures are designed to help you address one task that makes up the big picture. Procedures are best viewed as residing at the micro level, while processes take place at the macro level. Theoretically, it is possible for you to include all of your procedures in the process to give you a very thorough outline of the process. While you definitely could do that (especially if it helps you and your staff out), if the result is so much information that things become confusing, then consider abandoning this approach.
With that being said, the next aspect of procedure development is to think logically. Procedures need to be laid out very carefully, giving a very clear workflow to how things must be accomplished. Sometimes, a different route might be required, and in rare cases, intervention from a higher level of management might be necessary. Regardless of what all of the potential routes might be, develop procedures thoroughly, with the goal of accomplishing tasks quickly and efficiently.
Possibly, an effective way to think about procedure development is the way that we approach driving from home to, say the grocery store. The fastest route would obviously be our most preferred route, since it means that we can get to and from our destination quickly. Sometimes, however, an accident might occur, or the road might be closed for routine maintenance. In that case, a different route that is longer (but still the fastest) route of all of the routes that we could take to and from the grocery store. To further add complexity, on occasion, we might need to stop by another grocery store to get an item that the primary grocery store does not carry. Therefore, while we can take the standard route to the grocery store, we might need to take a different route to get to the other grocery store.
The point with this analogy is that in certain situations, different routes become the right choice. While this is something that might occur at the process level, there is a very good chance that this will occur at the procedural level. By carefully mapping things out, procedures can be developed with thoroughness, thereby streamlining your operations so that you can focus on getting things done quickly.
One other key thing to keep in mind with procedures is that, while they might focus on addressing a specific task, there is a possibility that this task will involve multiple software apps and people. While things could get very complicated on these points, keep in mind that the focus needs to be on creating the shortest path to completion. When developing the initial procedures, be prepared to revise multiple times.
One crucial point in conclusion: do not take a top down approach to developing procedures. Your employees that handle them do them more times than you do. If you hear suggestions about making things more efficient, give it some consideration. While there is always the chance that the suggestions are not worth pursuing, that is not very likely. After all, what would you rather do: insist on being right and for all of your employees to follow a path that you have decreed as the only correct one, or adjust based on their recommendations and save time and resources in the process? This might sound like an easy solution, but I have worked with bosses before who would insist on a certain way even if it clearly could be made more efficient if done as advised.