An SOP (standard operating procedure) is a documented set of instructions for completing a recurring process or task. SOPs give employees a consistent way to perform work by outlining what needs to be done, how to do it, and, when relevant, who is responsible.
Organizations use SOPs to make important processes easier to repeat and less dependent on individual knowledge or memory. They can be used for everything from onboarding a new employee to completing a recurring finance process or following a workflow in a software application.
What are the benefits of SOPs?
Standard operating procedures help organizations standardize important processes, reduce unnecessary questions, and make work easier for employees to learn and repeat.
Key benefits include:
- Boost efficiency: Provide step-by-step directions employees can follow to complete tasks consistently and in less time.
- Accelerate productivity: Help employees find the instructions they need without repeatedly asking coworkers for guidance.
- Standardize key processes: Give team members a consistent set of steps and rules to follow when completing tasks.
- Improve quality and reduce errors: Help employees complete work accurately and produce more consistent results.
- Improve safety: Document important procedures to help prevent accidents and equipment misuse.
- Speed up onboarding and training: Give new employees clear instructions as they learn unfamiliar tasks and workflows.
- Preserve process knowledge: Capture important procedures so knowledge can be shared across a team rather than relying on one person.
- Support continuous improvement: Create a documented process that teams can review and update as workflows change.
- Maintain business continuity: Help important work continue when employees change roles or are unavailable.
What should an SOP include?
The information included in an SOP depends on the process, but it should give employees enough context and instruction to complete the work correctly.
Common components of an SOP include:
- Purpose and scope: Explain what the SOP covers, why the process exists, who should use it, and when it applies.
- Roles and responsibilities: Identify who is responsible for completing the process or specific steps within it.
- Prerequisites: Outline any tools, information, permissions, or preparation needed before starting.
- Step-by-step instructions: Explain how to complete the process in a clear, logical order.
- Visuals: Use screenshots, diagrams, or other visuals when they make instructions easier to understand.
- Exceptions and troubleshooting: Explain what to do when the process doesn't go as expected or requires a different path.
- Related resources: Link to relevant policies, forms, templates, or other documentation employees may need.
- Ownership and review information: Identify who owns the SOP and when it was last reviewed or updated.
Not every SOP needs every component. A simple recurring task may only require a short set of instructions, while a complex process may need additional context, responsibilities, and supporting resources.
Types of SOP formats to choose from (with templates!)
SOPs can be adapted to the process you're documenting. This means there are several different standard operating procedure formats to choose from.
The right format depends on the complexity of the process and the amount of guidance employees need. For example, a complicated workflow might benefit from screenshots, videos, or a combination of both.
Here are six common SOP formats, along with downloadable templates to help you get started.
1. Simple format
Or should we call it short and sweet? These SOPs are easy to digest and straight to the point. They'll usually include bulleted lists and short explanations of what's needed for the process.
A simple format will usually include:
- Short steps
- Less text
- Bulleted lists
This type of format is best for less complicated tasks, like logging into a time-tracking software.
2. Hierarchical format
The hierarchical format goes over everything in the order in which it needs to be performed, usually with a numbered list with steps and substeps.
When writing a hierarchical format SOP, you'll likely need to include:
- More sections with headings
- Numbered lists
- Steps and substeps
These types of SOPs are most useful for longer tasks where following steps in a specific order is essential, like using software that's new to the company.
3. Flowchart format
Documenting a process that's hard to wrap your head around? A flowchart can help your team members better understand and visualize a complex task.
To create an effective flowchart, you need to:
- Make it easy to follow
- Create different scenarios
- Spell out the outcomes
Flowcharts are especially helpful for more complicated processes that lead to different scenarios, like how to log a new customer invoice.
4. Checklist format
Now, if your team thrives on checking off completed tasks, the checklist format can help create a sense of how far along they are in the project.
This is beneficial for processes that require the user to complete different tasks (in order or not), allowing the user to have a more hands-on, interactive experience with your SOP.
When creating a checklist format, you can include:
- Step-by-step instructions
- Items that need to be completed
- Who to report to when they’re completed
This format can help team members remember every task in a process, or tasks that need to be completed regularly, like a weekly reply to customer reviews.
5. Course format
If your SOP requires lengthy training, the course format can help your team understand everything that's on their plate.
With the course format, your SOP will usually include:
- Videos
- Images
- Quizzes
This format is best for when you have to implement an SOP for a large group of people, such as onboarding new hires.
6. Visual format
We might be biased here, but this is one of our favorite formats. The visual format helps your audience understand the documented process without needing to read dense blocks of text.
A visual SOP will usually include:
- Images
- Short videos
- Animations
- Less text
- More context
Visual SOPs are not only more engaging, but they also help users easily understand exactly where to click and what to do. This SOP format works great in many cases, especially for an onboarding process and difficult-to-use platforms.
What makes an SOP effective?
An effective SOP doesn't just document a process. It makes the process easy for employees to understand and follow when they're doing the work.
Effective SOPs are:
- Clear: Use straightforward language and instructions that are easy to understand.
- Accurate: Reflect how the process is actually performed, including the tools and workflows employees use.
- Easy to access: Give employees a simple way to find the right SOP when they need it.
- Easy to follow: Organize instructions so employees can move through the process without unnecessary friction.
- Open to feedback: Give employees a way to ask questions, flag unclear or outdated instructions, and suggest improvements to the SOP or process.
- Kept up to date: Reflect changes to software, policies, responsibilities, and workflows as they happen.
- Available in the flow of work: Make instructions accessible where employees are completing the task.
Even a well-documented SOP has limited value if employees can't find it, struggle to follow it, or discover that the instructions no longer match the way work is done.
How does Tango help teams create and follow SOPs?
Tango helps teams create SOPs as they work. Start a capture and complete a task as you normally would. Tango automatically turns your clicks into a step-by-step guide with screenshots, highlights, and descriptions, without having to document each step manually.
Once created, SOPs can be edited, shared, and updated as processes change.
Teams can also turn guides into interactive walkthroughs that highlight each step on-screen as employees work through a process. They can add guidance directly to buttons, fields, or screens in the tools employees already use, making notes, reminders, and links to documentation available right where they're needed.
Frequently asked questions
How do you create an SOP?
To create an SOP, identify the process you want to document, capture the steps as they're actually performed, and organize the instructions in a clear, logical order. Add any context or visuals employees need to complete the work, test the SOP with the people who use the process, and update it as the workflow changes.
What is an example of an SOP?
An example of an SOP is a step-by-step guide for creating a new customer account in a CRM. The SOP might explain which information to enter, which fields are required, and what steps to complete before the account is ready to use.
What is the difference between an SOP and a work instruction?
An SOP documents a recurring process or procedure, while a work instruction provides more detailed directions for completing a specific task within that process. An SOP may include step-by-step instructions itself or link to separate work instructions when a task requires more detailed guidance.
