How to Write a Standard

Operating Procedure: More Than

a Simple Process
Reading time: about 10 min

Posted by: Lucid Content Team

Many years ago, I was given the assignment to write a process paper
in a college English class. The teacher explained that we needed to
describe a process or skill that others may not know how to do. I
chose to write about programming a simple four-beat pattern into a
Roland TR-505 drum machine, using clear explanations and step-by-
step procedures.

A few years later, I was asked to write a standard operating procedure

(SOP) for providing release notes with software product releases. That
sounded simple enough—all I had to do was write some clear
explanations and step-by-step procedures again, right?

Wrong.

I quickly realized that writing an SOP document involves more than

writing a simple process.

SOP Flowchart Example (Click on image to modify online)

What is the difference between a process

and a standard operating procedure?
Processes and procedures each include step-by-step instructions to
help you to correctly perform a specific task. A process usually works
at a higher level while a standard operating procedure takes the
elements of a high-level process and adds more detail, specific
assignments, and workflows to conform with company or industry
standards.

You may only need a process when you only need your audience to
know what needs to be done to achieve the desired outcome.

For example, you don’t need an SOP to program a drum machine

because there are too many variables. There are no standard drum
sounds that you have to use to create a beat. All you need is a step-
by-step process describing how to select a time signature, a tempo,
and the specific sounds you want to use and how to arrange those
sounds in a pattern that sounds good to you. This basic process leaves
it up to you to unleash your own creativity.

In an SOP, you also describe what needs to happen for an outcome. In

addition, you would include more detailed steps and information such
as who, when, and where. Here are a few reasons you may need an
SOP:

 To ensure compliance standards are met

 To meet production requirements
 To ensure the procedure has no adverse impact on the
environment
 To ensure safety
 To adhere to a schedule
 To prevent manufacturing failures
 To be used for training
For example, you may need to create an SOP for people who produce
release notes. The SOP could include:

 Which information should be included (bug fixes, new

features, known issues)
 Which information shouldn’t be included (fixes or
improvements that are not customer-facing)
 When information should be collected (how many weeks or
days before release)
 Who collects the information (writer, product manager,
testers)
 Which format to use for the output (HTML, PDF)
 How the review cycle works (when the document is sent for
review, who reviews the document, how much time to review,
how much time to implement edits)
 Who needs to approve the document (team leads, product
owners, senior managers)

How do you write a standard operating

procedure document?
No matter what kind of business you are in, you should have well-
defined SOP documents that will help your employees understand
how to perform routine jobs safely, in compliance with regulations,
and consistently no matter who completes the task.

There is no official standard operating procedure document that will

teach you how to write an SOP. But there are some steps you can
follow that will help you to organize your thoughts and plan the most
effective path to standardizing your procedures.
Step 1: Begin with the end in mind

Define what the end result or the goal is for the SOP you are writing.
For example, if you are writing a document that describes the
procedures for closing a restaurant each night, the goal is to secure
the building until the prep crew arrives in the morning.

This step does not include details such as cleaning floors or arming
alarm systems. You simply want to identify what the procedure will
accomplish.

All organizations have processes and procedures that are repeated

daily, weekly, and monthly. As you define your goals, ask whether an
SOP document is needed for that particular goal. Or, see if an SOP has
already been created to accomplish the goal and maybe you just need
to review it and looks for ways to improve it.

Ask yourself if there is a specific reason why this goal should be

accompanied by a standard operating procedure document.

When you know what you want your SOP to accomplish, it’s much
easier to write an outline and define the details.

Step 2: Choose a format

Chances are that your company already has some SOP documents that
have been written for other procedures in the past. You can simply
refer to those documents as templates for preferred formatting
guidelines.

If you don’t have any documents to use as a reference, try one of

these ideas:
 A simple steps format: Use this format for routine
procedures that are short and easy to follow. In addition to
safety guidelines and other mandatory documentation, this type
of format is generally a simple numbered or bulleted list with
short, simple sentences that are clear and easy for the reader to
follow.
 A hierarchical steps format: If your procedures have a lot of
steps that involve some decisions, you may want to use the
hierarchical steps format. This is usually a bulleted or numbered
list of main steps followed by a set of specific substeps.
 A flowchart format: You may want to use a flowchart to map
out and plan procedures that include many possible outcomes.
This is a good choice when the results are not always predictable.
Lucidchart can provide you with the perfect template to help you
create flowcharts, mind maps, or any other document to help you
visualize how your SOP will be developed. See our examples that
could be included as part of an SOP on qualifying and processing sales
leads.

Procedure Diagram (Click on image to modify online) Qualifying and

Processing Leads Flowchart (Click on image to modify online)
Step 3: Ask for input

Get the team together and ask them how they think the job should be
performed. These are the people who you are going to ask to adhere
to the SOP, so you want to be sure that it makes sense to them and
that all the necessary tasks are included.

There will be multiple drafts and reviews—make sure you invite your
team to review the drafts so they can make additional suggestions.

Step 4: Define the scope

It’s possible that the SOP you are working on is dependent on other
SOPs and teams in other departments in order to be completed
successfully. Determine whether it is sufficient to reference those other
procedures or if you need to add them to the current standard
operating procedure document. Maybe you need a flowchart or a map
to clearly define dependencies and responsible parties.

Use Lucidchart to create the documents you need to monitor and

track procedural paths and dependencies.

Business Process Flow Template (Click on image to modify online)

Step 5: Identify your audience

Knowing your audience helps you determine how you should write
your SOP document. Consider these questions:

 What is their prior knowledge? Are they already familiar

with the organization and the procedures? Do they already know
the terminology? Have they become complacent and need a
refresher? You need to write to your audience’s knowledge level
—dumb it down too much or make it too complicated, and you’ll
lose them.
 What are their language skills? Maybe your audience does
not natively speak your language. If that is the case, you may
want to use more pictures than words.
 Are they new employees? When bringing on new employees,
your SOP documents need to be very detailed and training-
oriented. You want to ensure consistent outcomes regardless of
who is performing a task.
 What is the size of your audience? Will multiple people in
different roles across multiple organizations be reading the
document? If so, you may want to write the procedures in a way
 that clearly defines who, or what role, performs each task. This
helps your audience understand where they each fit into the
process and why their particular part is important.
Once you determine your audience, you can use Lucidchart to
delineate roles and responsibilities within the procedure, so everyone
understands what tasks they are responsible for.

Roles and Responsibilities (Click on image to modify online)

Step 6: Write the SOP

Write a draft of your standard operating procedure and consider

including some of the following elements:

Title page

This page can include:

 The title of the procedure

 An SOP identification number
 A publication date or revision date
 The name of the role, organization, division, or agency that
the SOP applies to
 Names and signatures of those who prepared and approved
the procedures outlined in the SOP
Table of contents

You only need a table of contents if the document is very large with
many pages. The table of contents allows easy access to specific areas
of the document.

The specific procedures

This is the bulk of the document and includes the specific step-by-step
procedures that need to be followed in order to successfully comply
with company standards and safety regulations. This section could also
include:

 A description of the scope and purpose of the SOP, its limits,

and how it’s used. You can include standards, regulatory
requirements, roles and responsibilities, and inputs and outputs.
 Necessary and additional details that are needed to complete
each step. Discuss decisions that need to be made, possible
blockers, safety considerations, and any other “what if” scenarios
that may arise.
 Clarification of terminology, including acronyms and phrases
that may not be familiar to your audience.
 Health and safety warnings. These warnings should be listed in
a separate section, and they should accompany applicable steps
within the process.
 A complete list of all equipment and supplies that are needed,
where to find them, and when each will be needed.
 A troubleshooting section to cover things that can go wrong,
what types of things the reader should look for, and what may
interfere with the final outcome.
Step 7: Review, test, edit, repeat

After you have written your standard operating procedure document:

1. Send a draft of the SOP to team members for review. Have

them note grammatical and technical errors.
2. Test the document yourself to ensure that you achieve the
desired outcome.
3. Have other team members test the procedures to ensure that
the language is clear, can be easily followed, and can be
completed successfully.
4. Incorporate relevant edits and suggestions to improve the
document.
5. Repeat these steps until the document is approved and
accepted by all stakeholders.
6. Implement the SOP. Make it easily accessible to those who
need it to do their jobs.
You should review the SOP every six to twelve months or as necessary
to identify areas where it can be improved and to reflect any changes
that have been made to current procedures.

How can Lucidchart help you write

standard operating procedures?
Lucidchart is a web-based application that lets you create any diagram
and collaborate with anybody, anywhere, and at any time. Diagram a
flowchart, swimlane, or a business process model to help you visualize
and document your processes. Using visualizations can help you more
easily understand the procedure’s flows than a written checklist or
paragraph.