My Newest SOP’s (And Why They Were Created)

Hello!

Well, it’s been another week!  Crazy, right?  That means it’s time for another blog post from me 🙂

I was encouraged by Hannah Frankman (one of my Praxis advisors) to write about a recent project I did for the company I currently work for.  Since I’m about to start my apprenticeship with Praxis, I have been preparing to train in a new intern to replace my position.  It was at this point when I suddenly realized that there was a lot of things that I do.  They didn’t always take a lot of time, but there were a lot of things on the list.

Eventually, my boss asked if I could create a manual of Standard Operating Procedures for all of my tasks.  That way, anyone who replaced me would be able to easily take over by studying the manual.

If you don’t remember what an SOP is, read my other article where I explain it 🙂

Okay – back on point:

I had been thinking about figuring out some systematic way of training a new employee, but I had not exactly thought of creating a manual.  Once I heard the idea, I took it and ran with it.

I created a step by step process for EVERYTHING I do for my job.  Most of the explanations are written out and accompanied by screenshots, and some have YouTube video tutorials to explain the concepts.  First, I talk about best practices for certain areas (mainly social media), then I give a list of hashtags that are important for our company, and then I go into the specifics of certain tasks (the SOP’s).

It was a fun experience!  I am kind of weird and enjoy creating presentations like that, so yes, I did enjoy it.

So, how does one create an SOP?

Simple.

Step 1 – Go through the process you want to document.

Step 2 – As you’re going through the process, note each and every small step (no matter how small).

Step 3 – Document each step using words AND pictures (include locations of essential tools as well).

Step 4 – Put all the steps together in an easy to follow format (like a booklet or PDF).

There you go!

I will include some screenshots of my project in my project write-up!

Remember, and SOP is helpful for documenting a process that needs to be done the exact same way every time.  However, they are also useful for creating a system where there is no system – and systems make companies more efficient.

So if the place you work doesn’t have an SOP (or SOP’s) in an area where there NEEDS to be one, go ahead and create one!

 

Until next time,

Hope Frances