Does Your Business Need Standard Operating Procedures? Here's How to Create Them
When your employees are learning and teaching new employees how things are done, do you know whether it's being taught correctly? Though you probably don't need to have one single way to properly sweep the floor at the end of the day, other tasks, such as how to close out the cash register, handle the mail or other daily - or not-so-common - tasks should be laid out so that they're always handled the same way. This is most easily accomplished by setting up Standard Operating Procedures, or business SOPs. Here's how to get started.
Determine what areas and aspects of your activities need business SOPs in place. As mentioned above, you probably don't need one on how to sweep the floor, but including a cleaning SOP that states, among other tasks on the SOP, that the floor needs to be swept at the end of the day every day, would be helpful.
Gather all the stakeholders in that process to make sure that all the relevant information is included in the SOP. This is especially important if you don't fully understand their daily actions or the reasons behind them. Make sure that any potential trouble spots are noted in the SOP, and have someone not experienced in the department work through the SOP to ensure that it's complete.
Be consistent in your SOPs so that they're easy for your employees to scan. Start with a title on top, the department, date and procedure number below that, a summary of what it covers, definitions to clear up any industry jargon that is used, and then a step-by-step process below that. Ensure that SOPs have a specific beginning and end.
If words aren't enough, add images, flow charts or similar visual tools. This provides workers with a concrete example of what something should look like.
By using business SOPs for your company, you can ensure that the processes your employees use are in line with your expectations and industry standards. If you need help developing a solid set of business SOPs for your company, the experienced professionals at AccountRely can help. Please feel free to reach out today to get connected with a business consultant who has experience in your industry.
