If your company relies on work processes better communicated in writing than orally, say, for a recipe of some kind, then a manual containing various SOPs would be wise. Having written SOPs increases the likelihood that important procedures can be repeated over and over, no matter which employee is charged with emulating the process. In addition, written instructions remove the guesswork from the equation.

SOPs of creating SOPs
For businesses, standard operating procedures are like the rules to playing a board game. Just like the rules of Monopoly allow players to buy houses only after the initial requirement of owning all properties in a set is met, SOPs delineate how to accomplish a process, a recipe or goal.

SOPs need to be written in clear and concise language. If the directions contained in an SOP are confusing, they will be difficult to follow and could lead to failure. For example, if the SOPs for compounding medications are unclear, the technicians manufacturing prescription medicines could ruin a batch unintentionally. Therefore, it’s imperative specific steps are followed to ensure SOPs accomplish the job they were designed to do.

Step 1: Identify the SOPs needed for your organization. That includes determining who should contribute to creating those SOPs. It wouldn’t make sense for the maintenance staff to write the SOPs for making paint.

Step 2: Choose a template for your SOPs. There are several reference web sites on the Internet with examples. Among the best is the National Interoperability Information eXchange, which provides the Formal Agreement and SOP Reference Library web site. It also includes some state-specific information for certain kinds of SOPs.

Step 3: Create a title page for your SOP. Include a list of materials, such as machinery, chemicals, tools or whatever else is needed to accomplish the SOP. Safety precautions should also be mentioned. List the name of the author, the date the SOP was created and who approved it.

Step 4: Write the SOPs, including the number of pages long it is and in which category it belongs. That means an SOP for making bread dough should likely not be grouped with SOPs for wiring lights.

Step 5: After the SOP is approved by the appropriate people, it should be copied and archived. Employees should be trained how to understand and follow the SOPs and the SOPs should be revisited on occasion to determine if they should be tweaked.

There are numerous complexities involved with establishing effective SOPs, so it’s imperative the most qualified personnel collaborate to create them.

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Tami Kamin Meyer is an Ohio attorney and writer. She may be reached at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it..