Is it time to update company standard operating procedures?

The team members in each of your organization’s departments probably follow a set of standard operating procedures for their most essential processes. It’s second nature to them, but not for employees outside that department.

So what would happen if there was a fluke staffing situation? For example, your Payroll manager is taking time off and the designated backup staffer for processing payroll gets sick.

Or how about this scenario? The A/P staffer who just started working for you is the only person available to process an invoice. Would they know what info is essential to enter into your accounting system?

In both cases, having an official go-to department workflow guide – a standard operating procedure – would be a lifesaver.

10 standard operating procedure keys

To keep operations consistent, regardless of shifting duties, here’s what you need to evaluate when reviewing or creating a standard operating procedure with your department managers.

1. Is there a title page with the department the standard operating procedure is for, a publication/revision date and the writer’s name? That’ll indicate how up to date the document is.
2. Is there a table of contents broken down into chapters, with page numbers listed that show where the chapters start? This is so staffers can easily find what they’re looking for.
3. Are the objectives of each process mentioned? What does it accomplish? Why is it important? What are the expectations?
4. What software or hardware is required? List key technology or equipment used in each procedure. Are there any operating quirks that staffers should know about? Are there special login credentials?
5. Is it easy to understand when read aloud? Think of standard operating procedures as verbal orders.
6. Is it broken down in a way that’s easy to execute? Keep it step by step (e.g. ordered bullet points) with short sentences. Long, detailed sentences can get people lost and flustered.
7. Would a picture or diagram help?
8. Are there definitions of key terms? Provide a short dictionary of terms frequently mentioned throughout the standard operating procedure that may be unfamiliar or have alternate names – including acronyms.
9. What could go wrong? Mention any common problems that could arise and how employees should troubleshoot them.
10. Would a first-timer understand it? Give the standard operating procedure to someone not involved in its development and see if they could complete a certain task the way it’s supposed to be done. Make note of any areas where they encounter uncertainty or confusion.

Free templates for standard operating procedures are available online.