SOP Handbook

You can use this document to make your own company SOP Handbook. Do customize it accordingly.

About SOP:

  1. A SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) can be defined as a document in a Standardized Template which contains a Set of Instructions on how to perform a task or details of a process or details on a policy of a company.
  2. A SOP helps in:
  3. Routine Jobs get performed in compliance and standardization in the instructions for the same.
  4. Intra Vertical alignment
  5. Provide Direction
  6. Improve Communication
  7. Reduce Training time / Induction
  8. Help to consistently improvise work
  9. Easy access to all Processes across the company
  10. A SOP could involve a Process and a Policy.
  11. Process:
  12. Product Release – This could involve 2 Verticals – Sales and Technology
  13. Generate Reports directly from Database – This involves MIS Team and Technology
  14. Policy:Reimbursements and Purchases
  15. SOP Library:
  16. SOP Library is a place where all Final SOPs are stored
  17. All SOPs stored in the Library are the only ones that would be considered as Final copies and no other
  18. In those also – The Last SOP Version copy will be the final one
  19. The Library should be an Online Portal controlled by a SOP Administrator
  20. SOP Administrator will also be responsible for the improvisation of the SOP Templates and Management

Process of making a SOP:

  1. A SOP can be initiated by anybody
  2. Step 1: A request will need to be sent to the Vertical Head on an email for creation of a SOP with the Objective of the SOP
  3. Step 2: Only a Vertical Head can then assign an Owner to the SOP
  4. Step 3: Post the Vertical Head’s approval, the SOP Name will need to be sent to the SOP Administrator and the Administrator will then assign a SOP number
  5. Step 4: Once the SOP is Created, Reviewed and Approved then the same will be sent to the SOP Admin. The SOP Admin can demand changes based on the understanding & quality of the documentation
  6. Step 5: Once a SOP passes the SOP Admin the same will then be uploaded in the SOP Library and Released

Mandatory Steps in making a SOP:

  1. All fields given on the first page need to be filled in with no changes in the Font, Color, Size and Format
  2. Simple Language
  3. Short Sentences
  4. Pointers instead of Paragraphs
  5. If Acronyms or Short Forms are used (other than the Standard Acronyms) then please define them in a bracket the first time it is used.
  6. Standard font size for text = 11 Calibri and Standard font size for Headers = 11 Calibri + Bold
  7. Formatting of all tables to be kept the way it is
  8. A SOP Document should always be a PDF – Name of the File should be: SOP Number – Name of the SOP
  9. Example: 1.1 – SOP Handbook

Details:

  1. SOP Name:
  2. SOP Name is a Single line description of what the SOP will be – This will come on the top of the SOP Doc in the Header and will be used to refer the SOP
  3. Do not include company name in the SOP Name
  4. Contents:
  5. Contents of an SOP in an Index
  6. SOP Number:
  7. SOP number consists of 2 values
  8. The Value before the decimal is the SOP’s Primary number which once assigned will not change unless the SOP is deleted from the system
  9. The Value after the decimal is the Version Number
  10. Every time a SOP is edited or content is added the version number will change
  11. Version number change will be the decision of the SOP Administrator
  12. Business Unit:
  13. If there are any official Business Units in the company
  14. For generic SOPs which are not related to a specific Business Unit, Corporate term can be used
  15. Creator:
  16. Name of the person who has drafted the SOP
  17. Owner:
  18. The Owner once assigned will own the SOP end to end.
  19. It will be the responsibility of the Owner to ensure that a SOP is made with compliance of all parameters.
  20. Example: SOP number, Upload to Library, Continuous improvement with growth and changes in physical environment, Approval, Reviewers, Implementation
  21. Owner will ensure that the SOP is the best possible way to achieve the goal and do the task / process
  22. Any change desired by anyone in the SOP will need to be routed to the Owner and it will depend on the Owner on how to implement the change, if it has to
  23. Appointment of the Owner will be the job of the Vertical Head
  24. Why and How can an Owner be different than the person who Drafts it
  25. Though it is ideally recommended that the Owner Drafts the SOP also, it might not be practically feasible sometimes
  26. Also – to start with SOP Administrator will help in Drafting SOPs but will not be the Owner
  27. As work, business size and teams grow the person who Drafts the SOP could be more on the execution / collating SOP ingredients side but the Owner could be a more senior person
  28. Hence there are 2 separate fields
  29. Who should be the Owner:
  30. The Owner can be the person who has the final KRA of the task delivery
  31. With the maximum knowledge and control over the task or process
  32. Someone who has to coordinate with others to get the task delivered
  33. Someone who has to do the maximum work
  34. Ideally the Owner should be a person who has the job of managing / executing the process than just monitoring the process
  35. Approver:
  36. Approver has to be a Vertical Head or above
  37. Ideally the Approver should be the Vertical Head of the Owner – but exceptions can be taken
  38. Approver has to ensure directly or through the Owner that all Verticals, their stakeholders and reviewers are in alignment with the SOP
  39. An Approver (Vertical Head or above) can also be the Creator and Owner
  40. Reviewer:
  41. There can be multiple Reviewers
  42. If a SOP involves multiple verticals then the Vertical Heads and Senior Management should be the Reviewers
  43. The job of a Reviewer is to ensure that if the SOP involves their Verticals / Individual work then they are aligned and agree with the SOP
  44. Owner Vertical:
  45. The Vertical in which the Owner comes will be the Vertical Owner
  46. Another way to define Owner Vertical is: The Vertical for which this Process or Task is most critical
  47. Owner Vertical will also be responsible for all aspects of the SOP
  48. In case of a conflict SOP Admin will take the final call
  49. There can be only 1 Owner Vertical
  50. Vertical and Association:
  51. A Vertical that is not the Owner of the SOP will be associated with the SOP in 2 ways
  52. Co-Owner or Associated
  53. Any Vertical that Co-Owns the SOP
  54. Example: Product Release is the responsibility of Technology but Co-Owned by Sales
  55. Salary is the responsibility of Finance but Co-Owned by HR
  56. There can be multiple Co-Owner Verticals
  57. Associated Vertical:
  58. Any Vertical that does not Own or Co-Own a SOP but is associated
  59. Only given Vertical Names can be used. Please define Verticals for your company.
  60. In the Table given with Vertical Names – Co-Owner or Associated needs to be written next to the Vertical
  61. Attachment:
  62. SOPs can also contain Attachments if need be for Templates, MISs or better explanations
  63. In case of multiple attachments please zip them in 1 file
  64. For any Images please paste them in the SOP Doc or in PowerPoint Presentation
  65. In case of Attachments which are physically required to execute a Process, please ensure that there is detailed explanation given in the SOP, in a proper section on how to use the Attachment and Checklist
  66. Each Attachment should be named with the name and number of the SOP – Example: 1.1 – SOP Handbook – SOP Template
  67. Checklist:
  68. A SOP could also have a checklist as a process which is different from the attachments.
  69. If a SOP completion has multiple smaller tasks attached to it, then a checklist should be used to ensure that they were completed
  70. A checklist should have the list of the tasks and people it needs to be sent to
  71. All Checklists need to be in Excel only
  72. In case of Attachments which are physically required to execute a Process, please ensure that there is detailed explanation given in the SOP, in a proper section on how to use the Attachment and Checklist
  73. Versions:
  74. SOPs will keep changing and hence will have Versions – A Particular Version will have a Release Date which will be mentioned in the Versions section
  75. Whenever changes are made to the SOP the fields given in the Versions section need to be filled in
  76. Changes made column should have a 1 line note on what has changed to make it easier to find
  77. SOP Owner will need to have all previous versions of Published SOPs
  78. Audience:
  79. Audience are the people for whom the SOP is made and needs to be sent whenever its edited
  80. There are 2 sections given in the Audience sheet
  81. Group Names: Sub Vertical or Vertical names if the SOP is assigned to everybody in a complete Vertical like – Operations, All Managers, Product Support. This to reduce the work in writing all Individual names and for the convenience of SOP Administrator
  82. Individual Names: Write names of all the people to whom the SOP needs to be sent
  83. If someone is a part of a Group and the Group name is written then no need to write the name again in the Individual names section

How will SOPs be assigned:

  1. SOPs will be assigned to employees and not groups
  2. An employee will get access to a SOP only if it is assigned to that specific employee
  3. Hence SOPs need to be made keeping in mind that if a particular information is not to be shared between 2 employees then it should not be in 1 SOP

What should be made into a SOP:

  1. Most of the understanding will come with experience of executing SOPs, but given below are a few guidelines
  2. Processes & decisions that require the agreement and alignment of various people.
  3. Processes that are repeatedly executed and cannot be monitored on a daily basis by anyone
  4. Everything that a new joiner in a company should have with him to read anytime
  5. Things that once told in an induction or even post an induction are difficult to understand and remember
  6. All Processes that have critical decisions in them
  7. All Policies of any Vertical
  8. Conflicting tasks / processes between 2 or more verticals
  9. All Live Product Releases

What should a SOP Document contain:

  1. The objective of a SOP is to make people understand a particular process, policy or task. Anything that helps in doing that should be used in a SOP. There is no restriction on what a SOP should or should not contain.
  2. Definitions / Flowcharts / Diagrams
  3. Text in Pointers / Tabulated Information
  4. Images and Screenshots
  5. Any amount of Examples would help in understanding

What should a SOP Document not contain:

  1. Employee compensation (salary and incentive) information
  2. Financial Information, Accounts Master and PnL
  3. Passwords of any kind or process to make a Password

SOP with Multiple Verticals:

  1. SOPs with multiple verticals involved should have task ownership defined clearly in the body of the SOP along with the name of the person from the Vertical owning that particular task.
  2. Example:
  3. Employee joining involves multiple verticals
  4. HR , Finance, Technology, Facilities and Legal are involved in all new joiners

Deletion of a SOP:

  1. The Owner of the SOP needs to send an email confirmation to the Administrator to delete the SOP and all of the Audience Group post deletion

Confidentiality:

  1. SOPsshould not be shared with anyone who is not a part of the Audience Group unless approved by the Owner of the SOP

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