Many businesses balk at the prospect of updating their Standard Operating Procedures, thinking the process too complex or time-consuming. “My team has been trained on what to do” is a common refrain – yet in truth, we require current SOPs from industries we deal with every day. Airlines, food manufacturers, and health care providers work with standard checklists and procedures to ensure safety, consistency, accountability, and quality. Would we do business with them if they did not?
In fact, every savvy business understands that up-to-date, clearly documented procedures give employees a roadmap to follow, improving productivity and significantly reducing errors. With SOPs distributed throughout the organization, employees have clear directives on how they are expected to perform their jobs. When mistakes happen, managers have a tangible basis for resolving the issue or disciplining an employee.
Creating a library of organizational SOPs may be one of the most vital things you can do to ensure effective communication throughout your company. Small companies may struggle with this documentation, but they require standardization as much as any other organization.
Standardization is the Key
For an organization to work efficiently, standardization is required. An SOP manual lays out strict guidelines that every employee should follow, creating a standard throughout the organization that results in several key benefits.
1. SOPs achieve quality control through consistency: SOPs ensure that no matter the shift or the employee, critical tasks necessary to keep the organization moving are being appropriately performed. They provide job security to employees who do not have to guess or make judgment calls on their own – they know what is expected of them at all times.
2. SOPs improve communication with employees: Clearly written SOPs effectively communicate job responsibilities to employees. They don’t have to rely on their memory to recollect what they learned in training or repeatedly ask a colleague what to do.
3. SOPs increase organizational productivity: Employees who clearly understand what’s expected of them are overall more productive and more likely to reach peak performance. SOPs also maximize productivity for managers and supervisors by eliminating the need to retrain employees or continually remind them of what needs to be done.
4. SOPs allow for cross-training: Most companies have several key employees who are the only ones who perform specific tasks on a daily basis. SOPs permit other employees to fill in and do a job they don’t typically perform if those key players are out sick, on vacation, or suddenly leave the company.
5. SOPs are critical for employee performance evaluations: Employees cannot be held accountable for tasks and responsibilities that are not documented. Without SOPs as a guide, performance evaluations become opinion based – and possibly biased. SOPs help managers objectively identify employee successes and deficiencies during their performance reviews and justify if disciplinary action (up to and including termination) is required.
6. SOPs encourage accountability and coaching among peers: When comprehensive SOPs are available to employees, they can mentor each other rather than always relying on a manager to be present. They also provide employees with justification to correct or redirect their colleagues when tasks aren’t being performed adequately.
7. SOPs help to develop a safer workplace: Concise SOPs work in tandem with proper training to lessen the likelihood of accidents or injury. They may also minimize legal liability should an incident take place.
8. SOPs enhance staff motivation to perform well: Effective SOPs not only direct an employee on what to do but also explain why the specified procedure is necessary. When an employee understands and “owns” the sound logic behind the required methods, they are more likely to remain vigilant.
Access to SOPs is Vital
The most beautifully constructed and comprehensive procedures are useless if the employee does not have ready access to them or is confused about where to look. Often, SOPs reside in a binder received at orientation – a binder now in the back of a filing cabinet drawer, gathering dust.
While many organizations have digitalized their SOPs and made them available through employee portals, employees may have to wade through years of presentations and files to find the piece of information they need. For organizations to truly benefit from clear and well-written SOPs, they must also create a system that allows employees to easily access the most current versions of the documents they need and provide direct navigation to the unique answers they require.
Only when employees have an intuitive way to utilize and access SOPs can companies enjoy the most benefit from their existence. While most bury their SOPs into an employee manual that is signed by employees, individual acknowledgment of these procedures is not necessarily customary.
The KLONE Group provides innovative software solutions to help companies convert, organize and disseminate mission-critical knowledge throughout their organization – not to mention gain employee buy-in and feedback. Call today for more information on how we can help you improve and replicate best practices and top performance across all levels of your company.