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What is the difference between a process

and a standard operating procedure?


Processes and procedures each include step-by-step instructions to
help you to correctly perform a specific task. However, process
documentation is a high-level overview of routine operations while a
standard operating procedure is more granular— adding more detail,
specific assignments, and workflows to conform with company or
industry standards. In other words, a process tells you what to do and
an SOP tells you exactly how to do it.

For example, you don’t need an SOP to program a drum machine


because there are too many variables. There are no standard drum
sounds that you have to use to create a beat. All you need is a step-
by-step process describing how to select a time signature, a tempo,
and the specific sounds you want to use and how to arrange those
sounds in a pattern that sounds good to you. This basic process leaves
it up to you to unleash your own creativity.

An SOP also describes what needs to happen for an outcome but


includes more detailed steps and information such as who, when, and
where.

For example, let's say you need to create an SOP for people who
produce release notes. The SOP could include:

• Whichinformation should be included (bug fixes, new features,


known issues)
• Which information shouldn’t be included (fixes or improvements
that are not customer-facing)
• When information should be collected (how many weeks or days
before release)
• Who collects the information (writer, product manager, testers)
• Which format to use for the output (HTML, PDF)
• How the review cycle works (when the document is sent for
review, who reviews the document, how much time to review,
how much time to implement edits)
• Whoneeds to approve the document (team leads, product
owners, senior managers)

When to create an SOP

SOPs are important for running an efficient and compliant business.


They help eliminate uncertainty about how to complete routine work
and ensure the right people are doing the right tasks at the right time.
While no SOP can guarantee performance, they standardize best
practices across the team or organization, improving the quality and
predictability of outcomes.

Here are a few reasons you may need an SOP:

• To ensure compliance standards are met


• To meet production requirements
• Toensure the procedure has no adverse impact on the
environment
• To ensure safety
• To adhere to a schedule
• To prevent manufacturing failures
• To be used for training
How do you write a standard operating
procedure document?
No matter what kind of business you are in, you should have well-
defined SOP documents that will help your employees understand
how to perform routine jobs safely, in compliance with regulations,
and consistently no matter who completes the task.

No official standard operating procedure document will teach you


how to write an SOP. But there are steps you can follow to organize
your thoughts and plan the most effective path to standardizing your
procedures.

Step 1: Begin with the end in mind

Define what the end result or the goal is for the SOP you are writing.
For example, if you are writing a document that describes the
procedures for closing a restaurant each night, the goal is to secure
the building until the prep crew arrives in the morning.

This step does not include details such as cleaning floors or arming
alarm systems. You simply want to identify what the procedure will
accomplish.

All organizations have processes and procedures that are repeated


daily, weekly, and monthly. As you define your goals, ask whether an
SOP document is needed for that particular goal. Or, see if an SOP has
already been created to accomplish the goal and maybe you just need
to review it and looks for ways to improve it.

Ask yourself if there is a specific reason why this goal should be


accompanied by a standard operating procedure document.
When you know what you want your SOP to accomplish, it’s much
easier to write an outline and define the details.

Step 2: Choose a format

Chances are that your company already has some SOP documents that
have been written for other procedures in the past. Refer to those
documents as templates for preferred formatting guidelines.

If you don’t have any documents to use as a reference, try one of


these ideas:

•A simple steps format: Use this format for routine procedures


that are short and easy to follow. In addition to safety
guidelines and other mandatory documentation, this type of
format is generally a numbered or bulleted list with short,
simple sentences that are clear and easy for the reader to
follow.
•A hierarchical steps format: If your procedures have a lot of steps
that involve decisions, you may want to use the hierarchical
steps format. This is usually a bulleted or numbered list of main
steps followed by a set of specific substeps.
•A flowchart format: Use a flowchart to map out and plan
procedures that include many possible outcomes. This is a
good choice when the results are not always predictable.

Lucidchart has a library of customizable templates to help visualize


your SOP. See our examples that could be included as part of an SOP
on qualifying and processing sales leads.
Procedure Diagram (Click on image to modify online)
Qualifying and Processing Leads Flowchart (Click on image to modify online)

Step 3: Ask for input

Get the team together and ask them how they think the job should be
performed. These are the people who you are going to ask to adhere
to the SOP, so you want to be sure that it makes sense to them and
that all the necessary tasks are included.

There will be multiple drafts and reviews—make sure to invite your


team to review the drafts so they can make additional suggestions.

Step 4: Define the scope

It’s possible that the SOP you are working on is dependent on other
SOPs and teams in other departments in order to be completed
successfully. Determine whether it is sufficient to reference those other
procedures or if you need to add them to the current standard
operating procedure document. Consideer using a flowchart or a map
to clearly define dependencies and responsible parties.

Use Lucidchart to create the documents you need to monitor and


track procedural paths and dependencies.

Business Process Flow Template (Click on image to modify online)

Step 5: Identify your audience

Knowing your audience helps you determine how you should write
your SOP document. Consider these questions:

• What is their prior knowledge? Are they already familiar with the
organization and the procedures? Do they already know the
terminology? Have they become complacent and need a
refresher? You need to write to your audience’s knowledge
level. Too basic and you'll waste their time on information they
already know. Too complicated, and you’ll confuse them—and
risk mistakes when they try to implement the SOP.
• What are their language skills? Maybe your audience does not
natively speak your language. If that is the case, you may want
to use more pictures than words.
• Arethey new employees? When bringing on new employees,
your SOP documents need to be very detailed and training-
oriented. You want to ensure consistent outcomes regardless
of who is performing a task.
• What is the size of your audience? Will multiple people in
different roles across multiple organizations be reading the
document? If so, write the procedures in a way that clearly
defines who, or what role, performs each task. This helps your
audience understand where they each fit into the process and
why their particular part is important.

Once you determine your audience, you can use Lucidchart to


delineate roles and responsibilities within the procedure, so everyone
understands what tasks they are responsible for.
Roles and Responsibilities (Click on image to modify online)

Step 6: Write the SOP

Write a draft of your standard operating procedure and consider


including some of the following elements:
Title page

This page can include:

• The title of the procedure


• An SOP identification number
•A publication date or revision date
• The name of the role, organization, division, or agency that the
SOP applies to
• Names and signatures of those who prepared and approved the
procedures outlined in the SOP
Table of contents

You only need a table of contents if the document is very large with
many pages. The table of contents allows easy access to specific areas
of the document.
The specific procedures

This is the bulk of the document and includes the specific step-by-step
procedures that need to be followed in order to successfully comply
with company standards and safety regulations. This section could also
include:

•A description of the scope and purpose of the SOP, its limits, and
how it’s used. You can include standards, regulatory
requirements, roles and responsibilities, and inputs and
outputs.
• Necessary and additional details that are needed to complete
each step. Discuss decisions that need to be made, possible
blockers, safety considerations, and any other “what if”
scenarios that may arise.
• Clarification
of terminology, including acronyms and phrases that
may not be familiar to your audience.
• Health and safety warnings. These warnings should be listed in a
separate section, and they should accompany applicable steps
within the process.
•A complete list of all equipment and supplies that are needed,
where to find them, and when each will be needed.
•A troubleshooting section to cover things that can go wrong,
what types of things the reader should look for, and what may
interfere with the final outcome.

Step 7: Review, test, edit, repeat

After you have written your standard operating procedure document:

1. Send a draft of the SOP to team members for review. Have


them note grammatical and technical errors.
2. Test the document yourself to ensure that you achieve the
desired outcome.
3. Have other team members test the procedures to ensure that
the language is clear, can be easily followed, and can be
completed successfully.
4. Incorporate relevant edits and suggestions to improve the
document.
5. Repeat these steps until the document is approved and
accepted by all stakeholders.
6. Implement the SOP. Make it easily accessible to those who
need it to do their jobs.

You should review the SOP every six to twelve months or as necessary
to identify areas where it can be improved and to reflect any changes
that have been made to current procedures.

How Lucidchart can help you write


standard operating procedures?
Standard operating procedures can quickly become large and
unwieldy documents with wordy, technical information. This makes it
harder to understand how processes fit together and implement the
instructions. But visual templates can help stakeholders get out of the
weeds and see the big picture.

Lucidchart is a web-based application that lets you create any diagram


and collaborate with anybody, anywhere, and at any time. Diagram a
flowchart, swimlane, or a business process model to help you visualize
and document your processes. Using visualizations can help you more
easily understand the procedure’s flows than a written checklist or
paragraph.

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