Guidelines to Developing a Standard

Operating Procedures Manual

STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES MANUAL

A standard operating procedures manual is a written document that lists the

instructions, step-by-step, on how to complete a job task or how to handle a
specific situation when it arises in the workplace. The thought process behind
a standard operating procedures manual is that consistent results will occur
as long as everyone follows the steps.  This manual may include tasks for the
entire company, or separate manuals may exist for each department.  The
critical concern of an operations manual is its use. 

A standard Operating Procedure (SOP) manual should as a matter of fact

carry an introduction that establishes and enforces the organization's brand
position relative to its strategic objectives.

The following questions must be answered to enable a successful

development and implementation of a standard operating procedure manual:

What is the usefulness of the Operating Manual?

The operating manual provides a handy reference to common everyday

business practices, daily activities, or routine tasks. New employees will find
an operations manual especially helpful in getting up and running as fast as
possible. It reduces work interruption and also serves to train staff.

For Whom is the Operating Manual Written?

The operating manual must be targeted towards all members of staff in the
organization. The employee and anyone who works for the organization
should be able to pick it up and read on how to do what needs to be done on
a daily, operational basis.

What Resources are Available?

To document an operating system, there are resources that must be made

available—people, time and materials.  It is strongly recommended that you
use employees for the development of the manual. 
Are all Employees required in the process of Developing the Manual?

It is important to note that employees must to a large extent be involved in

making suggestions and contributing their ideas to the project. This practice
encourages staff to be committed to its implementation.

How would the Document be controlled?

The company needs to agree on the process of reviewing, updating and

communicating changes on the manual, as well as who reviews and
approves.

How should the SOP be written?

SOPs should be written in a concise, step-by-step, easy-to-read format. The

information presented should be unambiguous and not complicated; use a
flow chart to illustrate the process being described.

WRITING THE OPERATING MANUAL

Step 1 - Determine the Project Goal: Ask yourself, what is the objective for
writing this SOP?  Are you merely documenting an existing process so it can
be executed uniformly?  Are you trying to optimize the performance of an
existing process?  Do you have a new piece of equipment whose use needs
to be documented?  Once this is determined, use this objective to drive all
aspects of the SOP creation. 

Step 2 - Pre-Project Evaluation: Evaluate and review all existing materials,

processes, procedures or documents necessary for the task.

Step 3 - Map-Out your Core-Processes: Carry out a process map of your

top-level processes. Most companies' processes are streamlined into Primary
or Essential Process - processes that provide value directly to the
customer, Support Processes - processes that support the primary process;
these have no direct contact with the customer, Management Process -
processes that co-ordinate the primary and support processes; this takes on
the responsibility for measuring, monitoring and controlling.

Step 4 - Define your Core Processes:  Define each core business process

and its activities. Think top level once again. For example, in the sales
process, how are your orders converted into a shipped product? Orders are
received, entered, picked, packed, shipped, and invoiced.
Step 5 - Document your Processes/Procedure: Document each operation
from start to finish in other to have a procedure. Let's take the sales process.
How do your sales orders arrive, who takes them, how often, under what
criteria, who touches the order next, what do they do, and so on?? Just follow
the sales order through your system and define each step. You are well on
your way to writing standard operating procedures and your SOP manual is
gradually building.

Step 6 - Implement your Records: Determine the required records, forms,

and management metrics. Do you have a standard order form, confirmation
checklist, pick sheet, or invoice? We need to know what forms are used,
where they are located, and who maintains them in case we run out and have
to get more; identify core metrics for each activity, the transaction volume, and
timing.

Step 7 - Draft your SOP: With all the information gathered in the previous
steps, draft an initial version of the SOP. Ensure to fill in your acronyms, run a
spelling and grammar check; check the document to ensure correctness of
the header and footer.

An SOP usually has the following:

 Purpose - The purpose statement describes the rationale and intent of

the document.
 Scope - The scope statement identifies who and what the SOP
governs.  It is also important to note those items which are out of scope
to provide 100% clarity. Be sure to keep your purpose and scope
separate and distinct.
 Responsibilities - List all the actors required to complete the process
defined in the SOP.  If you find yourself with a large list of actors,
consider narrowing the scope of your SOP and create smaller, related
SOPs or work instructions.
 References -  List all documents related to the SOP as clearly as
possibly.  This could include governing policies, work instructions,
forms, standards or other documents.  If you are referencing internal
documents, include the document number and revision.  If your
references are external, include the URL.
  Assumptions/Precautions/Warning - List any assumptions made in
the drafting or execution of the procedures as well as any precautions or
warnings to the user.
 Materials & Equipment - List any of the materials the user will need to
complete the procedure as well as any equipment needed.

Step 8 - Review your draft SOP: Do a review of the draft and allow other
members of staff, especially those who are process owners or users in the
particular process, to read and critique it. The feedback provided would form a
basis for necessary corrections and updating.

Step 9 - Perform a dry run of the SOP:  After your reviews are complete,
perform a dry run of the activity the SOP governs. Try to simulate as close to
a real world scenario as possible.  This will facilitate the identification of any
gaps in your SOP which will require updates to capture the full process.

Verify that your SOP is a manageable size. If it becomes too large, consider
splitting it into two supporting SOPs or create separate work instructions and
forms to support it.  One way to ensure your SOP is sized properly is to think
about it from a training standpoint.  Ask yourself: Will my trainees need to train
on this entire document or just portions?  If a large portion of your trainees are
only training to a section of the document, that may be a good time to split that
portion of the document off into a separate SOP.

If there are major changes to your SOP as a result of the dry run, consider
conducting another set of reviews prior to sending the document out for
approval.

Step 10 - Compile and Combine into SOP Manual for Approval: After

making necessary corrections from the draft, you can now put together your
manual, ensuring all comments and changes have been effected. If the
document is rejected, make the appropriate changes and be sure to get all
approvals again.  If people had previously approved, they will need to approve
again.

Step 11 - Distribution of final SOP Manual:  This involves making copies for
distribution to employees in the organization for the purpose of
implementation. This should be followed up with regular sensitization and
training.
Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)

A standard operating procedure (SOP) is a set of written instructions that

describes the step-by-step process that must be taken to properly perform a
routine activity. SOPs should be followed the exact same way every time to
guarantee that the organization remains consistent and in compliance with
industry regulations and business standards.

Standard operating procedures provide the policies, processes and standards

needed for the organization to succeed. They can benefit a business by
reducing errors, increasing efficiencies and profitability, creating a safe work
environment and producing guidelines for how to resolve issues and
overcome obstacles.

It is important for all types of organizations to maintain standard operating

procedures to ensure every employee can consistently and safely complete
routine tasks in accordance with all standards and regulations.

How to write a standard operating procedure

An effective standard operating procedure clearly explains the steps taken to
complete a task and informs the employee of any risks associated with the
process. The manual should be brief and easy to understand, with a focus on
how things should be done rather than what needs to be done. Once written,
the SOP should be analyzed and updated every six to 12 months to
guarantee it remains relevant to the standards and requirements of the
organization; any changes made should be recorded.
Before writing the SOP, the author(s) should perform a risk assessment of all
the steps in the procedure to determine any obstacles that may arise during
the process and any risks associated with those obstacles.

Key questions that should be answered in the standard operating procedure

include:

 Who performs what role?

 What does each role do?

 What is the goal or outcome of each person's role?

 Has what needs to happen been explained clearly?

In order to decide which procedures would benefit from an SOP, organizations

should make a list of all their business processes. Managers should discuss
employees' day-to-day responsibilities and tasks to ensure all procedures are
accounted for. Any tasks that are repeated by multiple employees should be
considered for SOP creation.

The first step to writing a standard operating procedure is to define the task's
goal and understand why that goal needs an SOP. Next, the author must
decide what type of format they would like to use for the SOP. Sometimes, an
organization will have a premade template provided; other times, authors will
have to design their own. Some examples of formats include:

 Flowchart or workflow diagram -- used to display procedures with

unpredictable or various outcomes.

 Simple steps -- often written as a bulleted or numbered list, including

documents such as safety guidelines. This brief, simple list is best used
with procedures that are short and easy to follow.
  Hierarchical steps -- also written as a bulleted or numbered list but
intended for procedures with many steps and decisions. This list
includes a numbered list of primary steps followed by a collection of
more specific

Once a format has been chosen, the author must then decide if the SOP will
be available as a written hard copy or if it will be available online.

The third step is to determine any dependencies. It is possible that the task
being recorded relies on other procedures within the organization. The author
should identify these dependencies and decide how to incorporate them into
the new SOP, or if it would be better to add the new standard operating
procedure into an existing one.

Next, the author should identify their audience to determine how the SOP
should be written. For example, an SOP written for employees with previous
knowledge will be very different from one written for brand new employees.

Once all these decisions have been made, the author can begin to write the
SOP. While writing, a present verb tense and active voice should be used.
The author should not use the word "you," but it should be implied. If a style
guide is provided by the organization, then the author should adhere to it.

The standard operation procedure should include:

 A title page listing the title of the procedure, for whom it is intended --

the specific role, department, team or agency -- its SOP identification
number and the names and signatures of the people who prepared and
approved the manual.

 A table of contents that provides easy access to the various sections

in large SOPs.
  A step-by-step list of the procedures, including explanations of the
task's goal, roles and responsibilities, regulatory requirements,
terminology, descriptions of what needs to be done to complete each
step and a discussion of decisions that must be made. This section will
make up most of the SOP.

Once the draft has been written, it must be reviewed, edited and tested
multiple times. This process should repeat until an SOP has been written that
is approved by all stakeholders. At this point, it can be distributed to every
person who needs it to do their job.

It is important to allow anyone who will be using the SOP to review the manual
throughout the writing process to ensure all necessary steps are included.

Best practices
Some best practice suggestions for writing and using standard operating
procedures include:

 Establish a common style and format for all SOPs within the
organization. Using simple, clear language will help employees
understand the manual. A defined collection of fonts, spacing, layout
and graphics should also be chosen.

 Employees should be able to easily find content within the SOP. This
can be done with the addition of a table of contents.

 Keep all SOPs in one place -- this is best done by keeping SOPs online.
This makes any necessary changes or updates easier to make and
ensures employees know where to find the information they need.

 Developing an ongoing review and maintenance plan for the SOPs

ensures they stay relevant and error-free. SOPs should grow and
change with the organization. Out-of-date SOPs are useless.
  Create a plan for distributing the SOP to employees and training them in
the procedure. Regular trainings -- in addition to the initial orientation
training -- are beneficial and ensure all employees know and understand
the most up-to-date procedures.
Uses of a standard operating procedure 
Standard operating procedures enable organizations to gain a better
understanding of their business process and identify areas that need
improvement. Reasons to use a SOP include:

 helps one stick to a defined schedule;

 assists in training employees;

 guarantees compliance standards are met;

 certifies that the procedure will not negatively impact the environment;

 ensures the safety of all employees; and

 avoids potential manufacturing failures.

SOPs are still needed even when other published methods are available. The
SOP should describe the procedure in more detail than the published content,
as well as explain any differences between the SOP and the published
method.

The SOP will fail if employees do not follow it. Management, specifically the
direct supervisor, should monitor use of the standard operating procedure to
ensure it is being properly employed and maintained.

Benefits of using a standard operating procedure

Two major benefits of using a standard operating procedure include
consistency and a decrease in the amount of errors made. An SOP can also
help an organization evaluate employee performance, save time and money
and create a safer work environment.
In addition, SOPs can improve communication throughout an organization. If a
task changes, the SOP is updated and redistributed to anyone who uses it,
helping the organization efficiently communicate the change to anyone
affected. SOPs also reduce the chance of miscommunication since the
detailed steps leave little room for debate or questioning.

Standard operating procedure examples

One example of how an SOP might be used can be found in a manufacturing
environment. SOPs are used to record in detail the production line procedures
used to train employees and make products.

An SOP might also be used in finance or administrative environments to

record the processes needed to properly bill customers and collect payments.

A third example of how a standard operating procedure might be used is seen

in customer service, sales and marketing. SOPs can be used to explain the
service delivery process and response times, instruct the management of
customer complaints and comments or prepare sales quotes.

Banks may also use SOPs to determine the identity of a customer who has
walked in and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) can use SOPs to
certify that a company's operations meet agency standards.

Standard operating procedures can also be used to train employees to collect,

track and store key performance indicator (KPI) reports or to create a
consistent new client on-boarding experience.

Finally, SOPs are frequently used when hiring and training employees. In this
situation, an SOP can ensure the orientation and training of every individual
remains consistent with their peers' experience. An SOP can also guide
managers through routine processes, from discipline and corrective actions to
performance reviews.