7 Simple Steps to an SOP Manual

SOPs but make it sexy

Welcome to We Make Systems Sexy! Last week we talked about SOP Manuals, Part 1: Why you need an SOP manual (linked here for you). Today we’re continuing with part 2 for SOP Manuals: How to create an SOP Manual step-by-step.

SOP Manuals are my love language. This is how I live and breathe. We’re gonna talk today about the step by step of how to create an SOP manual in just 7 simple steps.

Step 1: First you need to set your goals for your business.

We don’t want a set of instructions or a set of rules for our SOPs (standard operating procedures). We really need to know what the purpose and procedure is for each of these processes and why. So you begin with the end result in mind. Get your team together, and brainstorm about problems that you’re needing to solve.

Figure out what your current main processes are, and then think about the questions. Does this current method align with our organization’s goals? And how does this SOP connect with some of these bigger goals that we have?

Step 2: Create your SOP blueprint.

You really need to have a set template that you can just duplicate each time you’re going to create an SOP. This will give you consistency across the board. Choose what works for your organization or the words that make sense for your organization.

Essentially what it’s going to include is:

Your logo at the top because it’s nice and branded to your organization,
The title of the SOP – the overview of what this SOP or procedure is about
The tools or resources that are needed to complete this task. Is there anything else that you need to link there?
What is the purpose of this task or this set of instructions?
The policy = So when is this done? When does this usually get completed? If it’s a weekly task or if it’s after we sign a new client, whatever that policy is
The parties that are involved or who is going to actually be responsible for completing this task?
The property = who is responsible for updating this SOP or who would you go to for questions about how to do this task?
And finally, breaking down the processes and procedures.

Within our business, we like to break the processes down in bigger points. For instance, these are the 4 main things that you’re going to do for this procedure.

And then you break those down in detail step by step for each point. This part is the actual procedure. Then we like to have any images that you need to complete this task. At the bottom, document who created it, when they created it, and also the last time it was updated. *Those few points at the bottom of each of these documents are very important for future reference.

Step 3: Research and then gather materials.

So again, we mentioned a little bit about having images, which can be screenshots, pictures, flow charts, or other kinds of images that have to do with completing this task. Sometimes it’s much easier to show an actual screenshot of what it’s going to look like and where they can click and add a circle or an arrow around that area.

Adding that information into the step right below where you say where you should do it is a really great, clear way to make sure the team members understand what this actual instruction or process looks like for them. Having the right set of materials can help your contractors or your team members to understand and implement the procedure.

Step 4: Begin with where you are right now.

You need to evaluate how your current process is working and then move forward. Don’t try to reinvent the wheel. Just start where you are. Think about those routine tasks and decisions, which will give you a better result and then help you to carry out and write the actual SOP process. We can optimize later but document what you’re currently doing.

Step 5: Create your first draft.

I say the first draft because there will be others. Write it. Just get everything in there and try to make sure that you’re thinking about all of the details as much as possible on this first go. It’s always better to include more information than less because you can always take away if it ends up being repetitive or is just not a point or detail that another person looking at this SOP would need. Again, gather all those visuals.

Step 6: Look for inequality checks, then review and share.

There will likely be errors in the first draft so make sure that you share it with someone else. Perhaps someone else who also does the same task on a regular basis to make sure that you’re not missing anything, because they might say, “Oh, you missed this piece.” It’s really easy for us to document something that we’ve done a million times not thinking about something that a beginner who’s never done this task would not think about and would miss because they don’t know it like you do.

Another really good thing to do is share with somebody on your team who’s never done this task before, and see how it works out for them from start to finish. That’s a really good testing ground to see how well this SOP was written.

Step 7: After you’ve shared it with another person, do your final edits and then redraft.

This would be based on the comments or any other concerns that you’ve seen for how this SOP actually plays out when someone who hasn’t done the task follows the instructions. Something that you should always remember though is that your processes, your procedures, SOPs, are constantly changing. That’s the reason why it’s really important at the bottom to include the information of who created it when, and then when it was updated.

I’m telling you that you have to update your SOPs.

You really should have a task set in your project management tool. I would recommend quarterly at least, to go in and make sure that your current SOPs are up to date, because softwares that we base them on and platforms and processes, all of that changes as well, and we need to change our processes along with that.

So there you have it,