Standard Operating Procedure

There are several moving parts of every company or organization.
The team members must be on the same page at all times for them to work together like a fine-tuned computer. But, what happens if an employee goes on vacation? Who would cover for them? Will they have any idea what to do? Also, how can a new employee learn how to conduct their duties if they join the company? In these cases, standard operating procedures allow work to proceed without interruption.

To take a closer look at what an SOP is and how it works, enjoy reading the following.

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31. Sanitation Standard Operating Procedure Example

What Is a Standard Operating Procedure?

A standard operating procedure (SOP) is a set of instructions that guides employees in performing their regular tasks. An SOP is a form of process paperwork that documents how a particular process works. For a complicated position that may conform to regulatory standards, a written SOP is necessary.

There are several reasons companies develop SOPs:

• Ensure the continuation of the business
• Consistent quality and fewer mistakes
• Faster onboarding of new employees 
• Retention and management of information

How to Create an Effective Standard Operating Procedure?

Whatever industry you’re in, you should have well-defined SOP documents to help your employees understand how to complete routine tasks safely, following regulations, and consistently, regardless of who completes the task. There is no official manual that can show you how to compose an SOP. However, there are several steps you can take to coordinate your thoughts and prepare the most productive route to optimizing your procedures.

Step 1: Set Your Goal

Define the desired outcome or aim for the SOP you’re writing. For instance, you’re writing a plan about how to close a restaurant each night. Your aim can be to protect the building before the prep team arrives in the morning.

Step 2: Choose Your Format

There are a variety of companies that have standard operating procedures manuals written originally for other procedures. In this scenario, you can use certain documents as templates for your preferred formatting standards.

Step 3: Request for Input

Gather the team and inquire if they agree of the job needs to be done on time. Since these are the individuals you’ll ask to follow the SOP, make sure it makes sense to them. And determine if they include all the required duties. There will be several drafts and reviews. Let the team also review the draft for additional feedback.

Step 4: Determine the Scope

The SOP you are working on maybe relying on the results of other SOPs and teams in other divisions. As a result, you should decide whether you need to apply to other protocols or the current standard operating procedure manual. A flowchart or a map can help explicitly identify dependencies and liable actors. 

Step 5: Know Your Audience

Knowing who your audience is will help you decide how to compose your SOP paper. Therefore, it’s necessary to determine their prior knowledge, language skills, experience, and many more. Once you’ve defined your target audience, creating a chart can help you recognize duties and obligations within the protocol.

Step 6: Write Down the SOP

Make a rough copy of the standard operating procedure and include any of the following components:

• Title Page 
• Table of Contents 
• Specific Procedures

FAQs:

Documenting processes might seem to be a tedious task. However, it is a vital aspect of business process management that needs proper attention. When you have clear, detailed basic operating procedures in hand at all times, the staff will still know what to do in whatever case. Employees come and go, bringing their knowledge and skills with them. SOPs are what enable you to expand and scale your company without being slowed down.