How can you use SOPs to mitigate operational risks?

SOPs are the minimum quality standards that the business should be aiming to achieve. Of course, the minimum standards are those of a high standard. Every colleague should have access to the quality procedures aka SOPs ideally by a shared platform eg. a Learning Management System - LMS. These SOPs, quality procedures, should not be confused with Local Working Pratice (LWPs) documents that detail the lower level 'key stroke' type detail, as in larger corporates this many vary from region to region. A self reporting non-conformance process, reviewed by the quality team, can help identify gaps in the SOPs or, training needs. All in all, an important part of any organisation.

To mitigate operational risks using SOPs you can: 1. Define Clear Procedures 2. Train Employees 3. Document Procedures 4. Review and Update Procedures 5. Implement Quality Control Measures

Standard Operating Procedures are: - For new team members, they’re step-by-step guides to mastering their roles. - For managers, they're a way to ensure consistency and quality across operations. - For the organization, they represent the best practices that drive efficiency and compliance. SOPs help you: - Streamline training and onboarding - Maintain high standards and consistency - Adapt and improve processes over time SOPs may seem daunting but they're essentially about making everyone's life easier and your business run smoother.

And also they should be made easily accessible to the people who intend to use them as part of their everyday work in a language that is understood by them.

SOP's always not necessary to be the minimum quality standards. It will also might be with some safety factors which is well above the minimum to ensure better quality.

From a safety perspective, SOPs can mitigate risk of accidents or injuries by detailing safe practices and procedures. For example, an SOP for how to handle hazardous materials might include steps for appropriate PPE gear and handling techniques, ensuring safety and risk assessment.

SOPs are crucial tools for mitigating risks. They can include risk assessment steps to identify potential risks during the execution of a process. When an organization is being proactive in this way, issues can be prevented before they become major problems.

SOPs need to be written with the user in mind. Too often I find documentation written to levels above who it applies to & would be executing the process frequently. It’s important to be all-encompassing with the SOP but keep it simple & specific to ensure usability.

By interviewing employees during the process of duringvthe drafting stage, will ensure that every step is covered and they contains all of the necessary information.

Effective SOPs have the following sections: Purpose Prerequisites Demonstration Detailed Instructions Quality Assurance Checks Those five ensure that the person executing the SOP knows what, why, and how to do so and how their work is going to be validated.

A great SOP does not simply document the current process / practice.. this is a good time to assess best practice in the industry and aim for improvement where possible.

SOPs should be regularly reviewed to make sure they’re still relevant and support your evolving goals. By involving users with a diverse set of expertise in the SOP review, you ensure the SOP can be used by non-experts to maintain business continuity when key users are absent.

SOPs help standardize a process to allow for consistency, quality and meeting established internal / external standards. keep you organizational goals in mind when developing SOPs and related KPIs.. i.e. if customer satisfaction is valued as the highest priority, establish clear goals to assess if they are being met by checking in with the customers frequently.. (remember the 2-3 question surveys you get after getting your car serviced??)

It's about seeing SOPs as living documents that evolve with your business. - Understand your business goals and strategy. It's not just knowing what your targets are but grasping why they matter. Your SOPs should mirror these ambitions in every line. Tailor your SOPs to address specific areas that directly impact your strategic objectives. - What gets measured gets managed—and improved. Establish clear metrics within your SOPs that tie back to your goals. Regularly review these metrics to assess if your SOPs are driving you toward your business objectives. - The creation of SOPs should not happen in a vacuum. Involve your team and host regular training and open lines of communication. As your strategy evolves, so should your SOPs.

Integrating SOPs with your business systems and tools can streamline operations and enhance team productivity. To start, utilize no-code platforms like Coda that allow you to create dynamic SOP documents that can be easily linked to other business tools and databases. Include all types of learning/retention preferences. Then, map out key processes and identify which tools each SOP interacts with. Embed live data, link to external resources, and automate workflows directly within your SOPs. This approach ensures SOPs are not only accessible but also actionable, keeping your team aligned. You can efficiently apply real-time updates and insights directly within the SOP environment.

have a holistic view when it comes to writing, deploying and implementing SOPs. consider impact and implications to systems/ tools and documentation to align. Automation allows to deploy, align, train and provide JIT (Just in Time) refreshers as appropriate.. remember we are all human and nobody has full recall of all SOPs they ever trained on..