How to Write an SOP Manual in 6 Steps

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Did you know that almost 50% of employees feel like work instructions are scattered across different platforms, negatively affecting their productivity and wasting their time searching for the right information instead of focusing on completing more complex tasks?

The good news is that there's an easy way to solve this issue – creating an SOP manual that serves as a knowledge base but also helps you standardize your organization's procedures.

In this article, we'll show you the best way to write SOPs and tools to automate the process and share free SOP templates to get you started.

What is an SOP manual?

SOP stands for standard operating procedure, and it refers to a document that outlines detailed, step-by-step instructions on performing a particular task or process within an organization.

SOPs serve as a framework every employee can follow to complete a task or achieve a particular result successfully. There are different types of SOP manuals, depending on the tasks and the industry, and we'll cover them in detail, helping you to choose the best SOP format for standardizing your internal processes.

How to write an SOP manual

Here's how to write standard operating procedures in only six steps.

Identify the goals and audience of your SOP manual

To ensure your standard operating procedure manual is relevant, clearly define its purpose and target audience.

The content, format and language you'll use depend on your target audience and whether you create SOPs for in-house employees, external collaborators, regulatory bodies or other stakeholders.

It also depends on your employees’ role, experience and technical knowledge: the SOPs you write for your IT department will look different than those for non-tech-savvy employees from some other departments.

Also, consider the specific objectives you want to achieve through standardization and documenting processes: quality assurance, excellent customer service, acceleration of the onboarding process, or something else.

Choose an SOP manual format

As mentioned, the SOP format will depend on your target audience and the procedures you want to standardize.

Here are the three most common types:

1. Simple bulleted point checklist

This format is ideal for outlining simple procedures and everyday processes. Here's an example of what it looks like:

• Step 1
• Step 2
• Step 3
• Step 4
• Step 5
• Step 6

2. Hierarchical format

This format is suitable for more complex procedures and situations when you need to add additional steps within steps. Here's an example of what it looks like:

1. Objective
2. Scope
3. Responsibilities

• Team Lead/Supervisorsome text
  1. Responsibility: [Detailed explanation]
• Task Executives/Team Memberssome text
  1. Responsibility: [Detailed explanation]

4. Procedures

• Phase 1: [Title]some text
  1. Substep 1: [Detailed instructions]
  2. Substep 2: [Detailed instructions]
  3. Substep 3: [Detailed instructions]
• Phase 2: [Title]some text
  1. Substep 1: [Detailed instructions]
  2. Substep 2: [Detailed instructions]
  3. Substep 3: [Detailed instructions]
• Phase 3: [Title]some text
  1. Substep 1: [Detailed instructions]
  2. Substep 2: [Detailed instructions]
  3. Substep 3: [Detailed instructions]

5. Quality control
6. References

3. Flowchart format

This may be the most complex format, but it's great to visually represent some procedures and create a process map using elements such as flowcharts and diagrams.

Determine the structure for your SOP manual

The structure of your standard operating procedures manual might depend on your specific situation and industry, but here are the key elements to include:

1. Title and identification number: a clear title and unique identifier serve to distinguish it from existing SOPs
2. Timeline: the day when the SOP comes into effect or the days when a procedure starts and when it's considered complete
3. Objective: purpose and specific goals of an SOP manual
4. Scope: list of all the processes and activities covered in the manual
5. Procedure: this is the main part of the SOP manual, and it should include step-by-step instructions on how to perform a particular task or a procedure
6. Quality control: standards and measures to use to ensure consistency
7. Glossary: explain any terminology and abbreviations used in the manual
8. Reference materials: add links to relevant resources, such as industry regulations and standards that your SOP complies with

HR SOP example: Freelancer hiring and onboarding process

Title: Freelancer Onboarding

Timeline: Document introduced on December 10, 2023

Objective: Improving and speeding up the onboarding and integration processes for freelancers and external collaborators

Scope: Includes all activities during the freelancer onboarding journey, from recruiting and hiring to the start of the work

Procedure:

1. Assess the requirements for a freelancer in terms of skills, experience and duties
2. Write a comprehensive job description and publish it on relevant freelance platforms
3. Review applications, portfolios and cover letters to assess the candidates
4. Schedule and conduct interviews
5. When you find the right candidate, ask them to sign an NDA
6. Draft a contract outlining their duties, payment procedures and other relevant details
7. Provide training and orientation explaining procedures
8. Provide them with access to the necessary tools for work and communication
9. Assign them their first task, and establish expectations and feedback mechanism
10. Schedule a check-in after seven days

Quality control: Ask the freelancer to evaluate the onboarding experience and collect feedback on their work from their supervisors

Glossary:

• Portfolio: samples of previous work showcasing skills and style
• NDA (Non-Disclosure Agreement): a legally binding document that restricts the disclosure of confidential information and must be signed before starting the work

Gather materials and start writing

If this process seems overwhelming, the good news is that you probably already have 90% of the material, and you just need to put them together. Here's what you can use as a source:

• Existing documents
• Training manuals
• Tools and software how-to guides
• Internal policies
• Regulatory guidelines
• Examples and best practices

Here are some tips that may be useful if this is your first time creating a SOP manual:

1. Leave no room for ambiguity by providing detailed instructions for every step of the process
2. Avoid using complex terms when it's not necessary, and make sure that the manual is easy to understand for everyone, including beginners and new hires
3. If you're combining different documents as a source, make sure to use consistent terminology throughout the whole SOP manual to prevent confusion among readers
4. Add a lot of visuals to illustrate the process (screenshots, flowcharts, diagrams etc.)
5. Anticipate the most common issues and include troubleshooting tips and solutions

Of course, check out the general process documentation best practices as well.

Make use of SOP software

Despite being aware of the importance of standard operating procedure manuals, many people should have documented all the company's operations because it seems time-consuming.

And it is when done manually. But documenting processes becomes a breeze if you use the right SOP software.

MagicHow is an AI-powered process documentation tool that can create comprehensive SOP manuals, tutorials, guides and work instructions with only a few clicks.

Here's how:

1. Install MagicHow: you can choose between desktop and browser versions, which are compatible with Chrome, Safari, Firefox and Edge
2. Click the Record button and start doing the process you wish to document in your SOP manual, just like you'd usually do it

3. When you finish, MagicHow will split the process into logical steps and create step-by-step instructions with screenshots illustrating every step

4. Now, that's just the first draft, although it's complete and can be used as an effective SOP manual immediately. However, you can edit and customize your operational handbook and decide how much detail you want to add by:

• Adding titles and additional descriptions for every step
• Cropping screenshots
• Replacing or merging the slides
• Blurring any sensitive data
• Adding brand colors and your logo

5. Finally, it's time to share your SOP manual, and we provide four ways to do so, granting everyone easy access:

• You can share it through a link and configure who can access it
• You can export in PDF
• You can post it on your website using an HTML or Markdown format
• You can embed it in Notion, Zendesk, Confluence, Webflow or other tool

Here are the examples of other documents you can create with MagicHow:

• Customer service training manual
• Salesman training manual
• Employee training manual

Ask for feedback and update

Finally, remember to ask for feedback from the people doing the work and who can provide you with valuable insights from their experience.

Here are some questions you can ask them:

• Does the SOP manual provide clear instructions that are easy to understand and follow?
• Were there any parts that seemed confusing or needed additional explanations?
• Did the manual cover all the necessary steps to complete the task? Was it well-organized?
• Were there any irrelevant or missing details?
• How practical were the instructions in a real-life scenario?
• Is there anything you'd like to add to the SOP manual?

You should regularly update your SOP manuals to make sure they stay relevant and aligned with all the regulatory standards in your industry and new technologies and tools you might be using.

Why do you need an SOP manual?

There are numerous reasons your organization needs SOPs and business process documentation in general, and here are just some of them:

• Efficiency and productivity: It improves operational efficiency and boosts productivity while saving time for your employees who, on average, spend one working day a week searching for information that is scattered across different platforms.
• Consistency and standardization: It ensures that tasks are completed in a consistent manner all over the organization and that customers receive the same level of service.
• Training and onboarding: It streamlines the onboarding process for new employees while accelerating staff training as it enables them to learn online and on their own, which is a preferred learning method for 70% of employees. Also, written SOPs can speed up the implementation of new tools and software.
• Regulatory compliance: It ensures alignment with laws and regulatory requirements in your field.
• Safety and risk management: It mitigates potential risks and increases the safety of both your staff and clients, which is especially important in industries like healthcare and labor-intensive jobs.
• Accountability: It clearly defines roles and responsibilities, promoting transparency and accountability at the workplace.

Conclusion

Now that you know all the benefits of having standard operating procedures SOPs, why put off creating them when you can do it right away?

You might say you need more time, but let us remind you that SOPs are saving you a lot of time and reducing errors at work.

Finally, with MagicHow, you don't need extra time to create standard operating procedure guides. All you have to do is perform your tasks as usual, and we'll record the process and break it into logical steps, creating a comprehensive SOP manual while you're working.

Sign up here to start creating SOP documents with ease!