What is a standard operating procedure?

An effective standard operating procedure is like a recipe for your business. Have you ever gone to a favorite store in a new city and immediately felt at home even though it’s thousands of miles away from your usual location? That’s the result of effective SOPs. Multiple processes and procedures get altered and shuffled through the life of a company in an effort to find the combination that works the best. The SOP is the official document that lays out the actions that must be performed to meet customer and company expectations and details how those actions are executed. As long as everyone follows the recipe for the action, the results will be consistent.

To be effective, the SOP should be simple and easy to follow so there’s no room for personal interpretation. The document addresses all the required steps for a particular activity and explains when and how they are to be completed. Once drafted, the document should provide enough direction that someone unfamiliar with the company could follow the directions to produce the same results as someone who has been there since the beginning.

Standard operating procedure examples

Large chains maintain a loyal customer base because they use SOPs universally throughout their locations. These companies want each of their stores to feel comfortable and familiar to customers wherever they happen to be located. The experience for shoppers is consistent because certain expectations are met every time.

The best example of this is the restaurant industry. As a customer, you can expect to get the same quality and flavor profile every time you go to your favorite chain restaurant, even if you’re in a completely different area. This is because each chain has a set of SOPs for every dish that details ingredients, cooking instructions and presentation. Employees across all locations are operating from the same set of instructions, setting and maintaining consistent expectations for you as the customer.

SOPs are also useful for internal processes. Many repetitive or critical tasks related to company operations yield better results if they’re completed the same way every time. For example, if a company’s intranet crashes, specific steps need to be taken to reboot and get everyone back online. If the exact procedure isn’t known and multiple people attempt to resolve the problem, there could be an unnecessarily long delay. Having a SOP in place that determines what steps need to be taken, what order they are to be performed, and who is responsible for taking action creates a smoother and faster resolution every time.

Other possible standard operating procedure examples include:

• Troubleshooting
• Store opening/closing
• Managing complaints
• Product returns
• New hire onboarding
• Account creation

What do SOPs look like?

Since the SOP is an internal document meant to guide a relevant process, companies have some flexibility in what form it needs to take, based on the intended application. In all cases, the SOP is a list of ordered actions, but you may see it as a functional checklist, a standard step-by-step list, a visual process flowchart or a hierarchical list when main steps require multiple sub-actions to complete.

Why do you need SOPs?

You may wonder why you need to invest in the SOP for your processes if you already provide employee training. It’s true that long-term employees likely have a good understanding of how to perform their functions, but you might be surprised how much having a SOP in place will improve efficiency for everyone on the team.

Prevent procedure evolution

Even legacy employees sometimes take shortcuts when performing their duties or try to improve their work experience by rearranging tasks to their liking. If you don’t have an established SOP in place, important steps may be forgotten over time.

Eliminate procedural conflict

Staff left to their own devices often come up with their own ways of doing things. When the preferences of employees don’t match, conflict in the team can result, as each person prefers their own method. The SOP makes it clear to everyone how a process is expected to be handled.

Proactively answer questions

When someone in the company is unfamiliar with a task they’ve been given, having the option to ask, “What is SOP for this situation?” and the ability to look up the answer for themselves saves time and money. There will be fewer mistakes made and less need for another staff member to explain the process.

Secure legal protection

If a mistake is made, you reduce company liability when you have established SOPs in place and can show that they’re expected to be followed consistently.

Improve training

SOPs are excellent reference and training tools. Having detailed instructions available creates a smoother transition for new hires and department transfers. They also ensure initial training efforts are uniform, keeping everyone on the same page.

Contribute to a positive work environment

Employees are happier when they clearly understand what is expected of them and are given the tools to complete their work successfully. Less wasted time trying to figure out how to perform a task equals a more productive workday, maintaining strong momentum and motivation. They’re also offered greater autonomy to handle their workload without excessive supervision because they have guidance from established SOPs.

How to create and implement your standard operating procedures

Establishing effective standard operating procedures requires some time investment initially, but the future value can be considered a significant return on this investment. There are several parts you can include in your SOP, depending on the critical nature of the procedure being covered.

• Title page
• Table of contents
• Purpose (objectives and goals)
• Scope (limitations)
• Glossary
• Roles (responsibilities of key stakeholders)
• Procedures (the actual SOPs)
• Additional materials (any relevant guides and training materials)
• Health and safety warnings (emphasis on safety precautions needed and possible risks)
• Revision history (record of any changes made)
• Signatures (some companies may choose to require approval before the SOP is implemented)

You should include most, if not all, of these pages in your reference SOP copy, but some companies may choose to distribute only portions to the employees assigned to the relevant procedure. If you choose to do this, make sure to provide updated copies whenever changes are made.

Steps to draft your SOPs

Several steps are needed to create SOPs that offer the greatest impact for your team and ensure document longevity.

1. Identify all the processes within your company that can benefit from an established SOP. If you’re having trouble getting started, it might help to create a standard operating procedure for generating additional and future SOPs. This is a great way to become familiar with the process and set clear expectations for your entire SOP catalog.
2. Set the scope for each process. You want a clear picture of what each SOP covers so there’s no accidental overlap or incompatibility between them.
3. Research the steps needed for each process and decide on best practices. This is the time to eliminate any unnecessary redundancy and address notable areas of confusion for each action.
4. Create your first draft. This should be detailed and relevant, sticking to the information needed to complete the process. Decide the appropriate SOP style for each process.
5. Have relevant stakeholders review the document. This can alert you to any steps that are confusing, point out potential problem areas and make improvement suggestions based on their experience. Make any necessary revisions.
6. Publish and implement the finished SOP. Make sure all the required parts are included and any signatures have been obtained. Train staff on the new expectations and make sure they know where to find the SOPs for future reference.

Avoid common SOP mistakes

Your standard operating procedures can only be effective if they’re used properly. Watch for these common mistakes to get the most out of your SOP efforts:

• Inconsistent enforcement (SOPs feel optional)
• Cumbersome (unnecessary steps that slow production)
• Out of touch (written without knowledge of real-world process experience)
• Inflexible (no opportunity for improvement or change)
• Inconvenient placement (SOPs should always be easy to access in the area where they’re needed)
• Outdated (includes irrelevant steps or misses newly implemented steps)

Creating living document SOPs that are consistently implemented while avoiding the common mistakes that reduce their success, can give your company a number of powerful advantages. Take the time to make this simple investment to generate greater productivity, work satisfaction and reliability for you and your customers.