Q&A for How to Write a Standard Operating Procedure

This is part of the SOP format, and can be found at the top of the SOP pages as a header.

Think of all the tasks you complete in your facility and write them out step by step.

When writing the objective for the project, include the time frame for completion as part of the project time line. For example, if you are submitting a contract to complete a provider's audit, you would state, "Four patient's audits completed in one-week time frame." If you are contracting with another party, the contract would state, "Agreement of four audits to be completed by [the date]."

There is generally a document master which has details of all the SOPs in use with number, title, short description, etc. If you have a quality team, it would typically be maintained by them; once a document is approved by quality, it is entered in master and given a number based on the predefined numbering scheme.

My "starter" recommendation: It's important to know the purpose of your SOP - the "why" of creating it. I'm not a banker, but I image an SOP for a financial institution should include all the banking procedures (i.e. open business, cash drawer maintenance, cash handling/counting, excess cash, deposits, withdraws, closing, etc.). Having those step by step directions for the different responsibilities an individual has (and what position fulfills what roles and responsibilities) will provide clear direction. An SOP provides black and white direction to employees (new and old) as well as temps.

Have other people walk through the SOPs and critique your information and steps. It's best to have people from a variety of experience levels walk through it to make sure it's accessible to everyone.

SOPs should cover the basics, not specific recipes. The SOP in this case would state, "Combine ingredients in accordance with recipe."

Depending on the industry you are in, where an SOP is kept is determined by your company's quality assurance team, regulatory affairs department or possibly the legal team. How long you keep an SOP is determined by your company policies and whatever standards by whichever regulatory organizations to which your company must comply.

The SOP for the food industry would be based on the same fundamental steps as making an SOP for any industry. What are you making the SOP for, the process of serving food to a certain standard? Break it down and work steps giving it definition, and if a step is irrelevant, then just skip it and move to next. It is likely you will find most all steps above for making an SOP are relevant and useful.

An SOP for a project would be too broad of a timeline. Think of it more of a quick step process to complete a task or activity. i.e. If you are a licensed driver and get a new vehicle, you just need the locations and basics of the controls. Compare a Jeep with a Volvo. Do you operate a project?