It's easier to understand after reading the previous article, "What is an SOP (Standard Operating Procedure)? The Importance of SOPs and Easy Ways to Create Them." and "Three Ways to Use SOPs for a High-Performing Company".
Have you already read the previous article, "What is an SOP (Standard Operating Procedure)? The Importance of SOPs and Easy Ways to Create Them"? Now that you understand the basics of SOPs, it's time to dive into creating one.
In this article, we'll break down the process of writing an SOP into seven steps. By following each step carefully, you'll be able to create a simple and efficient SOP.
The 7-Step Method for Creating SOPs
1. Set Your Goals
Before you start creating an SOP, the first thing you need to do is set goals for each process. The goal of an SOP refers to the outcome you want to achieve when the procedure is executed perfectly. For example, if you're creating an SOP for "Payment Processing," the goal would be "to teach employees to understand and perform the payment processing method perfectly."
Think about why you need this SOP. Are team members struggling to understand the process? Then focus on making it understandable. Is a particular step critical? Make sure to explain it in detail. The clearer your goals, the easier it will be to create the SOP.
2. Identify Your Audience
Who is this SOP for? Identify the final users who will be relying on the SOP.
You need to assess how much relevant knowledge your expected users have and what additional explanations or instructions they might need. Even if the SOP is meant to be comprehensive for everyone, you should eliminate unnecessary information while still providing sufficient detail.
Consider how the intended users will work and how they will refer to the SOP. Will they view it on a mobile device or print it out and post it on the office wall?
3. Review Existing Procedures
Before you start documenting the SOP, review and, if necessary, modify the existing procedures.
Ask the employees responsible for the task to record in detail what exactly is required for the task. What methods are effective, and which ones are inefficient? Are there any improvements that can be made by the company?
Additionally, ensure that the current procedures comply with the latest legal standards and are safe enough. Are they meeting regulatory and internal standards? Is there room for improvement to enhance safety for employees?
4. Define the Scope of the SOP
Some tasks involve multiple team members working on different parts of a process, or one process must be completed before another can begin. In such cases, it might be better to create several SOPs rather than one.
Define the scope of the SOP you're writing. Where does one process end, and the next begin? When is this process considered complete?
If multiple employees or departments are involved in a single process, you may need several SOPs. In this case, it's best to separate the SOPs based on the final users. You don’t want anyone to be confused about who is responsible for which task.
5. Choose the SOP Format
Consider the intended users and decide on the format of the SOP. What format will make it easiest for them to absorb the necessary information quickly?
If the work environment is busy, consider adding images to each step. When employees don't have time to stop and read detailed instructions, intuitive images can be helpful. On the other hand, if the work is complex and requires detailed explanations, you can use more text. Consider both the nature of the work process and the employees' work environment.
Check out the previous article, "Three Ways to Use SOPs for a High-Performing Company," for more details.
6. Write the SOP
Now it's time to finally create the SOP! Use all the information you've gathered so far to write the SOP.
Avoid unnecessary information but explain each process thoroughly.
Instead of “Send confirmation email,” say “Send confirmation email: Include itemized invoice, processing date, payment status, and order number.”
Avoid using jargon as much as possible. Write in a way that even a new employee can easily understand. If a term requires an expert to explain, it's better to omit it.
Write instructions that are action-oriented. Focus on "what needs to be done" to make the directives clearer.
7. Gather Feedback
The final step is to gather feedback from the employees who will use the SOP. Ask them to follow the written SOP and see if they achieve satisfactory results. Was the SOP effective enough? Were there any missing steps or unnecessary ones?
If you want to create an even more effective SOP, you can also ask a different team to review it as a final test. Employees outside of your team should be able to perform the tasks by following the SOP. Check if it was too complex or vague. Did beginners find it hard to follow? If so, the SOP needs to be revised.
Create SOPs Quickly and Easily with StepHow!
With StepHow, the automatic work manual generation solution, you can effortlessly create SOP documents in under a minute.
StepHow recognizes your clicks and automatically captures the screen to create a manual. A manual that would take over an hour to create using capture tools and PowerPoint can be done in just one minute with StepHow.
As an example, let me show you an SOP on how to use SAP, created with StepHow.
StepHow not only helps you efficiently create SOPs but also makes managing them easier. Would you like to give it a try?
If you're curious about StepHow, visit our official website right now!
It's easier to understand after reading the previous article, "What is an SOP (Standard Operating Procedure)? The Importance of SOPs and Easy Ways to Create Them." and "Three Ways to Use SOPs for a High-Performing Company".
Have you already read the previous article, "What is an SOP (Standard Operating Procedure)? The Importance of SOPs and Easy Ways to Create Them"? Now that you understand the basics of SOPs, it's time to dive into creating one.
In this article, we'll break down the process of writing an SOP into seven steps. By following each step carefully, you'll be able to create a simple and efficient SOP.
The 7-Step Method for Creating SOPs
1. Set Your Goals
Before you start creating an SOP, the first thing you need to do is set goals for each process. The goal of an SOP refers to the outcome you want to achieve when the procedure is executed perfectly. For example, if you're creating an SOP for "Payment Processing," the goal would be "to teach employees to understand and perform the payment processing method perfectly."
Think about why you need this SOP. Are team members struggling to understand the process? Then focus on making it understandable. Is a particular step critical? Make sure to explain it in detail. The clearer your goals, the easier it will be to create the SOP.
2. Identify Your Audience
Who is this SOP for? Identify the final users who will be relying on the SOP.
You need to assess how much relevant knowledge your expected users have and what additional explanations or instructions they might need. Even if the SOP is meant to be comprehensive for everyone, you should eliminate unnecessary information while still providing sufficient detail.
Consider how the intended users will work and how they will refer to the SOP. Will they view it on a mobile device or print it out and post it on the office wall?
3. Review Existing Procedures
Before you start documenting the SOP, review and, if necessary, modify the existing procedures.
Ask the employees responsible for the task to record in detail what exactly is required for the task. What methods are effective, and which ones are inefficient? Are there any improvements that can be made by the company?
Additionally, ensure that the current procedures comply with the latest legal standards and are safe enough. Are they meeting regulatory and internal standards? Is there room for improvement to enhance safety for employees?
4. Define the Scope of the SOP
Some tasks involve multiple team members working on different parts of a process, or one process must be completed before another can begin. In such cases, it might be better to create several SOPs rather than one.
Define the scope of the SOP you're writing. Where does one process end, and the next begin? When is this process considered complete?
If multiple employees or departments are involved in a single process, you may need several SOPs. In this case, it's best to separate the SOPs based on the final users. You don’t want anyone to be confused about who is responsible for which task.
5. Choose the SOP Format
Consider the intended users and decide on the format of the SOP. What format will make it easiest for them to absorb the necessary information quickly?
If the work environment is busy, consider adding images to each step. When employees don't have time to stop and read detailed instructions, intuitive images can be helpful. On the other hand, if the work is complex and requires detailed explanations, you can use more text. Consider both the nature of the work process and the employees' work environment.
Check out the previous article, "Three Ways to Use SOPs for a High-Performing Company," for more details.
6. Write the SOP
Now it's time to finally create the SOP! Use all the information you've gathered so far to write the SOP.
Avoid unnecessary information but explain each process thoroughly.
Instead of “Send confirmation email,” say “Send confirmation email: Include itemized invoice, processing date, payment status, and order number.”
Avoid using jargon as much as possible. Write in a way that even a new employee can easily understand. If a term requires an expert to explain, it's better to omit it.
Write instructions that are action-oriented. Focus on "what needs to be done" to make the directives clearer.
7. Gather Feedback
The final step is to gather feedback from the employees who will use the SOP. Ask them to follow the written SOP and see if they achieve satisfactory results. Was the SOP effective enough? Were there any missing steps or unnecessary ones?
If you want to create an even more effective SOP, you can also ask a different team to review it as a final test. Employees outside of your team should be able to perform the tasks by following the SOP. Check if it was too complex or vague. Did beginners find it hard to follow? If so, the SOP needs to be revised.
Create SOPs Quickly and Easily with StepHow!
With StepHow, the automatic work manual generation solution, you can effortlessly create SOP documents in under a minute.
StepHow recognizes your clicks and automatically captures the screen to create a manual. A manual that would take over an hour to create using capture tools and PowerPoint can be done in just one minute with StepHow.
As an example, let me show you an SOP on how to use SAP, created with StepHow.
StepHow not only helps you efficiently create SOPs but also makes managing them easier. Would you like to give it a try?
If you're curious about StepHow, visit our official website right now!