How to Write Standard Operating Procedures in 15 Minutes

What Does a “Good” SOP Look Like?

An effective SOP is skimmable and easy to consume while providing all the necessary steps to complete a task successfully. There should be no more than 8 steps per SOP.

If you want more context, you can add it to the detail section or create a separate operating procedure document.
  

ProcessDriven Standard Operating Procedures Manual

We don’t mean to brag, but we like to think of ourselves as SOP masters. After all, we’ve helped thousands of small teams document their SOPs over the last six years. 👐 

Still, we understand how daunting operating procedures can be, especially if you haven’t implemented them before. 

Without further ado, let’s review our 7 easy steps for creating an SOP without sacrificing hours of your valuable time. Let the timer begin! ⏰

Step 1: Create (or Duplicate!) Your Template (00:30) 

Tired of rewriting and reformatting your SOPs? Skip this tedious phase by making a customizable template that you can copy. You can reuse a template inside most task management tools, like ClickUp (affiliate link), Notion (affiliate link), Asana (affiliate link), Monday (affiliate link), or your tool of choice.

We will keep this tutorial simple with a Google Doc, which you can grab your copy here. If you’re constructing your own template, add these key sections:

✔ Purpose
✔ Procedure
✔  FAQ

📢 SOP freebie shoutout: While we’re on the topic of SOPs, snag our free 109 Time-Saving SOPs PDF to learn the essentials of operating procedures and documentation! 

Step 2: Select the Focus of Your SOP (01:10)

Consider the area(s) of your work that you want to share with your team. You can apply a how-to style to your SOP templates. For example:

✏️ How to script a video
✏️ How to invoice a client
✏️ How to follow up with a prospect
✏️ How to process a testimonial

Keep in mind that your SOP will not replace your training. Instead, use it as a resource to teach your employees how to approach specific tasks. 

❌ Common mistake #1: Establishing unnecessary SOPs. You don’t need an operating procedure for every action in your company. When brainstorming SOPs, opt for guides that will support daily operations. 

Step 3: Decide on Your SOP Expert and SOP Owner (03:11)

When it comes to your SOPs, you’ll want to fill two critical roles:

👉  Subject matter expert: The individual(s) who will influence the strategy of your action and how you will accomplish it. If you don’t have an in-house subject matter expert, you or a fellow colleague may fill the role and use tools like YouTube videos and books to inform you. 

👉 SOP owner: This team member will write out the procedure and likely be the one who practices the activity at work. In addition, they will maintain the SOP over time. 

📝 Quick note: If you’re hiring a new employee, you can designate them as an SOP owner. Having new hires draft operating procedures during their first 90 days can help them learn the ropes.

For the next few steps, you can either:

• • Type out your SOPs. (Approximately 15 minutes)
  • Record a Loom video doing the work, paste the transcript into an AI tool, like ChatGPT, convert the transcript into an SOP, and paste it into your software of choice. (About 25 minutes) 

In our experience, typing is almost always faster, so we’ll use this approach for steps 4, 5, and 6.

Step 4: Write the Start, Stop, and Key Steps (06:23)

After duplicating your SOP template: 

✅ Update the title of the SOP
✅ Write the first step of the process
✅ Scroll to the bottom and write the final step of the process
✅ Add steps between your starting and stopping points

💡 ProcessDriven pro tip: Write out your steps as mini results to ensure readers understand each outcome in the process. 

❌ Common mistake #2: Making SOPs too big. An SOP with 30+ steps can become rigid and hard to maintain. Instead, keep your SOPs short and bite-sized.   

Step 5: Write the Purpose, Inputs, and Outputs (11:00)

Apply SOP best practices by filling in the purpose section. Briefly summarize what will happen when the user follows the procedure correctly and when they ignore it. 🙉

From there, complete the inputs and outputs area:

📥 Input: The resources required to complete an SOP. For instance, reading a book or receiving access to a file or software.
📤 Output: The outcome defines what success looks like, such as closing an action item or documenting feedback in your system. 

💻 Virtual event: Are you gaining new insight from this guide? If so, you’ll appreciate our upcoming SOP in a Day™ workshop on September 25, 2024, where we’ll teach you how to write standard operating procedures in real time. 

Step 6: Fill in the Details and FAQ (12:16) 

Many people believe that details require an excessive amount of time to explain. But you don’t have to do this. Instead, share the most relevant details at the moment and let the SOP owner add more information over time. 

Think of it this way: if you only had 5 minutes, what would you write, share, link, or include images of? Keep it straightforward and only provide what’s necessary to complete the job. 

Limiting yourself to a short time frame ensures you don’t dwell on the details for hours. Yes, we’re speaking to the perfectionist crowd here! ✋

❌ Mistake #3: Overloading the FAQ section with screenshots and videos. The last thing you want to do is overwhelm anyone. Be selective with your graphics. 

Step 7: Use and Improve Your SOPs (13:48)

After you write an SOP, update it as your business grows. Have the SOP owner compare the operating procedures and processes side by side to see if any steps are off course.

If users notice differences, encourage them to edit the SOP to match reality. Maintaining your SOPs will save you much time and many headaches in the future!

How to Write Standard Operating Procedures With Ease

As you may have realized from our standard operating procedures manual, SOPs don’t need to be a thorn in your side. In fact, the most effective SOPs can take as little as 15 minutes to draft. All you have to do is follow these proven steps and get to work. 💪  

We hope this guide makes it easier for you to establish SOPs for your small business. But if you could use more support in this area, say no more!

💡 We have the perfect solution for you: Our upcoming SOP in a Day™ workshop!

This 3-hour virtual event will give you a behind-the-scenes look at how other companies draft their SOPs and help you improve your SOP writing game. Plus, you can participate in our SOP Swap™ and unlock up to 200 pre-curated SOPs. 🔑

Register for our live workshop on September 25, 2024, and enjoy the process!