Why Your Business Needs Standard Operating Procedures and How to Implement Them

By Cotney Attorneys & Consultants. 

Resolve your everyday issues by adding much-needed organization to all of your business processes.  

Organization is a must for any successful business. When you allow employees to fly by the seat of their pants, you risk wasting time and making mistakes that will be costly to you and your bottom line. Applying Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) into your business can dramatically improve the functionality of your company and help your employees be more successful on the job. 

What are SOPs? 

A standard operating procedure, or SOP, is a written set of instructions describing how to perform an activity. These in-depth rules leave very little ambiguity. Employees will know what to do and how to do it. 

SOPs are efficient and to the point, and managers can set them up for nearly every work task. They help with everything from legal affairs to business development, finance and business operations. 

The benefits of setting up SOPs 

Suppose your business is looking for a sure way to get tasks completed efficiently and in a non-confusing manner. Set up standard operating procedures employees can follow. In that case, they precisely know what you expect of them.  

By providing employees with a network of SOPs, you eliminate disorganization and improve operations:  

1. Provide a path to completing tasks that is less confusing and more structured. The right set of standard operating procedures ensures employees know what you expect. SOPs give employees the predictability they want, along with an efficient and reliable system. They can be tweaked as needed. 

2. Consistency and success go hand-in-hand. Consistency is the key to your successful business. Overall, companies rely on the consistency of their products, services and the work they produce. By using SOPs, everyone follows a standard procedure to produce those results, leaving little room for error. Without such systems in place, employees can make mistakes and forget steps that can lower the quality of your products or services. SOPs reduce errors so you can give your customers the best results. 

3. Train employees on how to use SOPs. Hiring and retaining employees is easier if you have SOPs. By training and managing them properly, your employees will understand processes and how often they need to be done. They will also understand how their coworkers fit into the process. SOPs act as a guide to help the entire staff improve their work. They make the desired outcome of every task apparent. These procedures can also allow employees to be more productive, saving money, overtime fees and reducing errors. 

4. Find your gaps in service. Once you sit down and carefully craft procedures, it is easier to find any holes in your system. For example, you may realize that you left out a step that could help improve a process. Writing down these processes can help you identify any missing procedures. You might be surprised to see what you are missing. 

5. Increase employee safety. Every business must emphasize employee safety, whether it is construction or otherwise. Ensure your company is doing what it must to keep the workplace safe for employees, or injuries may result. In addition to equipment or merchandise damage, a customer could get hurt. When employees have SOPs to follow, you will not have to worry much about injuries. Standard operating procedures make it easy for employees to complete tasks successfully. 

6. SOPs improve efficiency. If an employee knows the standard procedure for approving a contract, a business decision moves along. It makes it easier for employees to complete steps the right way. 

7. Set up a proper customer service system. Have follow-up procedures for contacting customers. Have policies in place to let people know about new customer service inquiries. This will keep both customers and employees happy by ensuring that employees do the right thing for customers. 

Over-informing is better than under-informing 

When you sit down to write your standard operating procedures, do not assume the reader is familiar with each step or concept. Spell it out. It is better to over-inform; otherwise, you could be setting up a new employee for failure. 

Write a glossary so employees can learn each step. This will also keep you from making SOPs too long. 

Do not just focus on recording the current task process. Take the time to test each step before it becomes an official part of the process. Walking through the steps makes it easier for you to see how things are working and where the process may need improvement. 

Involve employees in developing your standard operating procedures. Group efforts promote success. Include someone who has intimate knowledge of the task you are outlining. They will understand what you are trying to accomplish and may have valuable input. 

Use someone on your staff who can communicate, so everyone understands what is written in an SOP. Also, make sure you have a handle on the task.  

Make your SOPs informative by including graphics and other imagery. 

Photos of actual objects, infographics and reference videos can help you communicate difficult concepts. They can also make your content more powerful. 

To make your SOPs effective, do not just focus on the current task process. Consider new directions if you discover them during this exercise. 

Once you have written your SOPs, take time to review them periodically to ensure they reflect the most important and current information possible. Some businesses conduct reviews more than once a year or even quarterly. Encourage your employees to point out any inconsistencies they find to revise an SOP when possible. 

You can improve your business with standard operating procedures, so implementing them and training employees on how to follow them is a worthwhile endeavor. 

Learn more about Cotney Attorneys & Consultants in their RoofersCoffeeShop® Directory or visit www.cotneycl.com.  

Original article source: Cotney Attorneys & Consultants