Standard operating procedures

How many standard operating procedures (SOPs) have you followed today? Probably more than you think. At work, in the world and at home, we’re using SOPs all the time to carry out all kinds of activities.

You’re following an SOP if you’re:

• serving a customer
• manufacturing a product
• interviewing a prospective employee
• driving on a public roadway
• preparing your taxes
• following a recipe
• brushing your teeth

What is a standard operating procedure?

In its simplest terms, an SOP is a step-by-step series of instructions used to accomplish an action. The action is broken down into distinct parts in a specific sequence. An SOP explains what supplies you’ll need to complete the task and what to do with them, from start to finish, to get the desired outcome.

In a workplace, SOPs provide a reliable process that ensures the outcome is consistent no matter who is doing the task. An SOP could exist in a digital format or as a piece of paper. It can be a step-by-step written document or a series of images. Some SOPs are embedded in equipment, such as manufacturing machinery that has its instructions digitally displayed.

Consider a coffee shop: the employee wiping tables and sweeping the floor is following an SOP to keep the restaurant clean. The barista behind the counter is following a customer service SOP when greeting people and ringing in orders. When the coffee shop closes at the end of the day, the employees follow several SOPs to clean the equipment and shut down the establishment.

Why is it important to have standard operating procedures?

SOPs exist to support employees as they perform their duties. They provide purpose, direction and consistency.

“They’re a source of information that reinforces training that employees have received and helps them do their work safely and with autonomy and confidence,” says Patrick Choquette, Senior Business Advisor with BDC Advisory Services.

What does a standard operating procedure include?

While different workplaces and industries have different variations on an SOP, most include:

• purpose: reason for the process
• scope: workplace location where it’s applied
• definitions: its terms and actions and what they mean
• requirements: list of required supplies or equipment
• responsibilities: outline of people’s roles
• training requirements: what employees require prior to its undertaking
• procedure: a step-by-step process for the task’s completion
• time (optional): estimated length of time for completion

Standard operating procedure examples

SOPs can touch a variety of areas. Some examples include:

• a PDF brochure that shows employees how to reduce the spread of COVID-19 in the workplace
• a posted sheet at the entry and exit with instructions on how farmers can minimize the transfer of disease when moving personnel into and out of their barns
• a how-to national dental association web page on properly brushing and flossing teeth

How do you develop a standard operating procedure?

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) recommends that companies look at their business data and decide what needs to be documented.

Common areas that benefit from SOPs include:

• high-risk tasks that, if done improperly, could compromise employee or environmental safety, cause harm to customers and/or their information, or damage the company’s reputation
• complicated procedures that require several steps in a precise order to achieve a consistent result
• tasks that require special employee training
• areas of the workplace prone to producing errors

It’s important to consider both format and audience. In a manufacturing facility, visual reminders with images and no words may be the best format for low-literacy or non-native-speaking employees. In an office setting, a binder of printed SOPs or a library of pdfs available in a shared drive may be most appropriate. Think about your workplace, your employees and the contexts in which they need to refer to SOPs.

“When developing SOPs, it’s important to find the right balance between not enough and too much information," says Choquette. “That 150-page manual is not helpful if no one is reading it. Conversely, an SOP that says little beyond ‘Set up machine’ isn’t offering users enough meaningful information.”

How do you write a standard operating procedure?

The best way to start writing an SOP is by bringing together the person or team that developed the task or has most consistently been doing it, and ask them to explain it, step by step. Break down each component and its sequence, including tasks within tasks. Once the important steps are thoroughly covered, you can look at how you might consolidate some steps or eliminate the ones that don’t need explicit instructions.

Finally, test the SOP with employees who are unfamiliar with the task to determine how effective it is in helping them achieve consistent results.

What kind of employee training do standard operating procedures require?

It's important to note that SOPs are meant to complement employee training, not replace it. An SOP is a reference tool for employees who have already been trained for the task.

If a new SOP is being introduced to serve as a refresher for employees, you may consider having a training session to review each step. Start with the purpose for the SOP and work your way through areas such as scope, supplies and procedure, so employees are clear about any new direction.

When should you revise your standard operating procedures?

SOPs should be reviewed every year to ensure they’re still accurate and relevant. They may need to be updated or even removed.

If challenges in a particular area come up before the review process, don’t wait; revisit the SOP to ensure it’s clear and comprehensive. You may need to revise it and offer some retraining.

Another best practice is to encourage your employees and supervisors to let you know if they’re having difficulties carrying out instructions. Factors like location, materials or people might need to be tweaked to improve the SOP.

No matter your industry, standard operating procedures should be part of the way your organization ensures consistent, high-quality products and services. Your employees will appreciate the purposefulness and clarity that it brings to the work they do, and your customers will appreciate the results.

Next step

Uncover and eliminate inefficiencies in your business by downloading the free BDC guide, Optimize Your Business Processes.