CHECKLIST STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE

CHECKLIST STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE

Most businesses have problems consistently delivering the same quality of product or service to customers. The larger the organization becomes, the more serious the challenge. For this reason, it’s advisable to ensure consistency around all parts of the business by implementing a standard operating procedure.

This standard operating procedure checklist will help you write an SOP to ensure employees maintain the best practices. SOPs can help guide the way and method which a task should play out by documenting imperative step-by-step instructions. Take advantage of the checklist below to help write a suitable SOP.

• Procedure Title

Give your SOP a clear title at the top of the document. A title will provide sufficient detail about the process that the document will cover. You may use a title page or only include a title header at the top of the page.

• Date

Let readers know the date of creation of the document. Including a date will help employees know if the document is recent or outdated. Consider including a field that informs employees whether the SOP was recently revised.

• Individual Responsible for the SOP

Give a detailed list of those responsible for the SOP. Assign an individual to be the owner of each SOP created for the company. Taking this step will let employees know who to speak to if there are any questions to ask.

• Contact Details of SOP Owner

Always provide the contact information of the individual responsible for the standard operating procedure. It’s advisable to consider providing an email address or phone number for reaching the individual during and outside business hours.

• Target Job Titles

Let employees know who needs the SOP. Note that several departments may have similar processes with unique standard operating procedures. For this reason, it’s imperative to list the job titles that should follow the specific SOP created.  

• Purpose of the SOP

Give details of the reason for the standard operating procedure. Expatiate on what the SOP is meant to accomplish, how it benefits the business, and if there are any regulatory requirements or industry standards to meet.

• Goals and Objectives

Provide a detailed breakdown of what the standard operating procedure will achieve. Answer questions like, “What is accomplished by this SOP?” and “What should be the appearance of the final product?”

• Health Considerations

State whether there is safety equipment needed for the task. If there’s also a need for training before handling a task for safety purposes, make this clear.

• Key Terms

Provide a short but detailed glossary of any necessary key terms or industry jargon throughout the SOP.

• Important Equipment

Provide a list of needed tools or equipment to be utilized in the standard operating procedure.

• Stepwise Instructions

The significant part of the SOP should include stepwise instructions on the way to complete the task.

• Contingency Plans

Make considerations for any possible problems that may arise and how employees should effectively handle them.

• Test

Test the SOP by giving it to someone that has no knowledge of the development and see if following the process is straightforward.

• Review Schedule

Set a review schedule for the SOP to continually improve the document. For instance, companies may review their document after six months.