Developing Agile Standard Operating Procedures That Align with Your Business Model

Feeling lost and confused at work and having no one to turn to for assistance? Methodologies combine various SOPs, and other requirements into a framework focused on achieving project success. A suitable methodology must also be lean, light and scalable to use in different circumstances. Try looking through the company's standard operating procedure to find a detailed list of instructions for every process and procedure the business conducts. Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are documented processes that companies have to ensure that services and products are delivered consistently every time they are utilized.

These operating procedures are tools that communicate how to perform a task that can be used to mitigate risk in a process. Standard Operating Procedures help workers carry out routine operations and aim to achieve efficiency, quality output, and uniformity of performance while reducing miscommunication and failure to comply with industry regulations.

A business can benefit from using a standard operating procedure (SOP), but some companies are hesitant to invest the time into creating one. Having an extensive network of standard operating procedures can help eliminate confusion and unaligned strategies within your organization.

Some benefits of writing a standard operating procedure are:

1. Promote Positive Change: When a team member is confused about what they must do at work, the right SOPs can help guide and promote change in the workplace. The operating procedure aims to improve the way things are done at work and can be easily edited. This change can lead to less questioning and confusion in the workplace.?
2. Produce Reliable Results: Being a consistent leader is vital for your team members when running a successful business. When there aren't procedures and critical steps in place, this can be forgotten, mistakes made, and be less efficient or lower the quality of products and services. When having a standard operating procedure in place, you set your company or organization up for success and reduce the room for error as you provide the best results for your clients and customers.
3. Improve Employee Training and Management: When there is a standard operating procedure in place, it makes hiring and retaining employees easier. Business owners hiring these new employees can turn to the standard operating procedure to learn essential things about your business. It acts as a guide to understanding how often processes need to be done, what they need, and what it consists of. The guide includes techniques from start to finish and what role each employee plays. When these new hires turn to SOPs, they can take pressure off you and your team and be more efficient. This means saving money on overtime fees for extra work while reducing any errors in the workplace.
4. Find Gaps: Many problems can occur in businesses that can easily be fixed when having a carefully written standard operating procedure in place. When writing this plan as an experienced team member or leader in the company, there can be room for gaps or critical information not included in the operating procedures. After you are done writing this information, take time to see how many things you change about how your company or organization operates. You never know what you can find once you write everything down.
5. Increase Safety: Regardless of what industry you're in, team safety is vital for every business. You want to make sure you are always trying your best to create a safe environment for you and your team, as an unsafe environment can lead to more than injuries for your employees. Having operating procedures to follow can help with compliance and potentially stop equipment or merchandise from getting damaged.
6. Improve Efficiency: Think about a day's work, the process it takes for a service or product, and think about a delay or ways to improve efficiency? Operating procedures can eliminate a lot of questions that slow down decision-making and processes. When there is a standard operating procedure in place, it is easier for employees to follow this guide and get things done right on the first try.
7. Standardize Customer Service: When a customer or client has a complaint or issue with your product or services, do you know exactly how this issue is resolved? Businesses that don't have an SOP in place can find that the customer service department lacks the proper skills and technologies to resolve these issues. When reasonable procedures aren't in place, customers may not get contacted with appropriate follow-ups. Not only will having correct and guiding procedures in place help your customers, but it will also be very beneficial to your customers.

SCENARIO:

The crisis will reveal not just vulnerabilities but opportunities to improve the performance of businesses. Decisions regarding how far to flex operational workflows and standard operating procedures without losing efficiency will give a stronger sense of what makes business more resilient. Making these decisions result in sudden ambiguity and changes in norms, more productivity, and a better ability to deliver to customers.

Here is a case in point: You started your business five years ago, and everything went smoothly; however, COVID-19 has hit the industry hard, and you now see production starting to slow down. Many are dealing with sharp slowdowns in their operations, while some seek to accelerate. Business continuity and employee safety plans have been escalated, with remote work being established as the default operating mode. It seems as if all employees and executive team members are confused, leading to a lack of motivation and productivity. To resolve this issue, you decide it's time to update and revamp the outdated operating procedure. Over the last five years, technology has changed, processes have been updated, and more efficient ways of completing tasks have entered the workplace. When constructing this operational procedure, it's vital to include the right people from employees in different departments, executive members, and yourself. With this meeting, the team plans out step-by-step instructions that are informative but not lengthy. These procedures accommodate the use of new technology and operations. Opportunities to push the envelope of technology adoption will be accelerated by rapid learning for what it takes to drive productivity when labor is unavailable. Having an updated standard operating procedure in place minimizes confusion and increases productivity. It will inform all current team members and new hires in the future. Additionally, taking time to be flexible and seeing the needs of your team members will benefit the company in the long run.

Now that we’ve discussed some benefits of having a standard operating procedure in place, let's talk about efficiently writing a standard operating procedure. Your company can improve hiring, increase profitability, keep customers happy, and have a better overall business experience by writing a good SOP. A good SOP needs to be brief, easy to follow, but efficient for employees and not a one size fits all for every operational procedure. A sound method incorporates agility by including processes for scaling and adjusting the methodology to fit each project.

Things to think about when writing a standard operating procedure:?

1. Don’t assume anything: When writing an operating procedure, believe that the reader isn't familiar with a step or concept as it is better to over-inform than provide little information. When leaving things out, you can sometimes set your employees up for disaster.
2. Test before you write: If you want your operating procedure to be effective, you take the time to test out what you wrote and see if there are processes or steps you need to add. Walking through this process you created makes it easier to see how things are working and improve moving forward. Through this, you may find you wrote a perfect operating procedure or should have documented something differently. It is possible you made a discovery that pushes the operating procedure in a completely different direction.
3. Involve the right people: Writing a standard operating procedure should be a group effort and includes the right people. Including your team in the writing of the operating procedure is a crucial aspect. It's good to have someone heavily involved and educated on the tasks when outlining the SOP. They can help you understand exactly what needs to be included to complete the job and have suggestions.
4. Include plenty of visual aids: An operating procedure should be informative but not too much text. Infographics, pictures, and videos for reference can help better communicate complex concepts. Using images and videos can make your SOP more accessible for people.?
5. Set time for periodic review: Writing an operational procedure doesn't stop there. You need to make sure it's effective and ensuring that it reflects the most important information possible. You will want to set aside time to go and review your SOP and the changes that have progressed. Change is a natural part of the business world, and procedures that you rely on today will change over time to stay effective. The time frame you chose to review the progress of your operational procedure is different for every business, so figuring the right time for your business may take a while. To save time, get employees to point out any inconsistencies they see in the SOP and add these changes in the next round of revisions.

Following these key steps and implementing them into your business's standard operating procedure can increase operational efficiency and create alignment within the different departments of your organization. Operating procedures can save your business time and money by having solutions right there for employees when needed. There are reliable results in these procedures as employee training time can be reduced. This allows employees not to waste time or as much time training new hires as they can be heavily equipped and guided with a well-written SOP.?

Throughout this past year, we've been on a rollercoaster named COVID. Although it is always an important idea to have a standard operating procedure, being flexible during turbulent times makes all the difference. But agile doesn’t mean anarchy. It means the flexible application of the right processes to achieve success. Creating an accelerated response to an unforeseeable crisis can benefit you, the business owner, and your team members.

Four essential points when planning a response to a critical situation:

1. Gather and implement a Crisis Management Team: In turbulent times, solid and sturdy leadership keeps the business afloat. The main purpose of the crisis management team is to regulate business and guarantee the right steps are taken based on the current social climate.
2. Carry out a business plan involving sustainability and flexibility: Companies should consider a plan focused on sustainability. During critical situations, concentrating on continuing business while also being flexible with running your business is important. This plan is made for companies to be proactive as opposed to reactive.
3. Employee Well-being: It is always important to think about the organization and those who play a role in the organization. COVID demonstrated to those who ran a business how to be flexible. Zoom meetings and remote working became the new normal for all. It is crucial to have protocols set in place to ensure employee well-being and combat uncertain times.
4. Alignment for organization: Alignment within different departments can occur once the operating procedure is implemented, as everyone is informed about their tasks. Now the organization is well organized to best support the fulfillment of different products and services. A standard operating procedure is a common practice in business that can be transformative, with long-lasting effects. A well-written procedure can save your company time and money while creating more revenue, profits, and sales.

Dr. Valerie D. W. James is Chief Leadership, Learning and Efficiency Officer at VisionSpot Consulting Group, LLC. She specializes in creating and implementing people, processes, and productivity solutions that help leaders create more inclusive and appealing places to work, maximize operational efficiency, and lead brilliantly.