What Are Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)? + How To Guide

Standard operating procedure documents contain the necessary instructions on how to complete work. Writing standard operating procedures ensure that a business can keep running smoothly as employees come and go.

Standard operating procedures create continuity in business. Employees, customers, and the workplace will change. SOPs will ensure that a standard set of tasks can continue to be completed while those all shift.

In this article, we're going to talk about the importance of standard operating procedures and how to develop them. Let's dive in.

What Is an SOP?

So, what is an SOP? And why should you use SOPs in your business?

An SOP, or Standard Operating Procedure, is merely a documentation of how a process works.

SOPs work best as a step-by-step list of procedures that anyone can follow with a bit of training. 

Companies develop SOPs for a variety of reasons. One of these reasons is that SOPs help reduce the training time for new team members. Hand them a well-built SOP, and they'll have a considerable head start on completing the task at hand.

Once all the HR training and onboarding is complete, a well-written SOP can serve as the first point of introduction for new team members. 

Writing standard operating procedures helps to ensure continuity. Have you ever worked with someone who was crucial to the team's success because of their knowledge and experience? I've seen this type of person leave companies many times, and the process breaks down and can't be completed.

There's certainly no replacing top talent easily, sure. But SOPs help to ensure that crucial tasks are still completed even if key members leave for new opportunities. Even as team members change, a well-created SOP ensures that other employees can complete the task.

SOPs also act as important legal protection for a company. We operate in a litigious environment that's fraught with lawsuits. To protect your company, you need to create SOPs with documentation.

But standard operating procedures aren't just for big Fortune 500 companies. In my freelance practice, I've developed SOPs to outsource low value tasks. That includes tasks that I'd prefer not to do, like sending my clients invoices or even editing a document for publication.

Let's face it: if you don't have a process documented, you don't have a process. You've got some steps that you sometimes perform haphazardly.

Standard operating procedures are just that - standardized. They can be handed off to others without the process breaking down.

Create SOPs to Grow

Above all, consider creating SOPs to help you grow.

I'll bet that you didn't start your business because you love sending invoices. Most of the time, we're drawn to a certain type of work and are stuck with the administrative tasks that come with it.

But you also know that you can't merely neglect these business processes. Invoicing, for example, is crucial to maintain your business and continue your creative work. This is the ideal task that should have an SOP built for it so that it can potentially be outsourced or handled by others.

To grow from a solopreneur into a thriving business requires thinking about scale. SOP (standard operating procedure) documents helps you to outsource or hand off the work to other team members.

I'm sure that no one gets excited by the thought of writing SOPs. But growing your practice is all about putting scalable systems in place that can grow with your workload. Part of that is developing SOPs for these business-critical processes. Let's talk about how to build them.

How to Quickly Customize SOP Standard Operating Procedure Templates (For 2021)

Need to know how to give your SOP meaning in 2021? The perfect choice is to use a standard operating procedure PowerPoint template from Envato Elements. These are easy to use, and they can be customized in just five quick steps. Let’s learn how.

To follow along, download the Operate - Creative PowerPoint Template from Envato Elements.

Let's get started:

1. Select Slides

A standard operating procedure definition helps you place processes in written form. A PPT template is a great way to do that. But chances are, you won't need every slide in the deck to give your SOP meaning.

When you’re working in PowerPoint, choose only the slides that you need most. Click on the View tab, then click Slide Sorter. Here, you’ll see each slide displayed in thumbnail form. Right-click and choose Delete Slide to remove SOP meaning business slides that you don’t need.

Once you’re finished, click Normal to return to the standard editing mode.

2. Customize Text

Your standard operating procedure definitions need to be clear and well-written. This, of course, begins with customizing your text. Premium Envato Elements SOP standard operating procedure templates have text placeholders built in.

Customize these with your own words. Click into any text box and select the text inside. Then, start typing in your new text. Repeat throughout the deck, and you can give your SOP meaning in only seconds.

3. Edit Fonts

After you add SOP standard operating procedure definition text, you can customize it. Begin by selecting a block of text again. Then, go to the Home tab on PowerPoint’s ribbon. Just left of center, you’ll see the Font section.

Here, you've got a variety of options in the dropdown menus and buttons. Click to add effects like bold and italics. Or open up the dropdowns to change the font size, design, and more.

4. Add Images

What are standard operating procedures without images to illustrate them? Thanks to Envato Elements SOP meaning templates, these are quite easy to add. Begin by browsing to any slide that contains an image placeholder.

Then, browse to an image stored on your computer. Click on it, then drag it over the image placeholder. PowerPoint will import the image, sized and scaled to fit exactly on your slide.

5. Change Shape Colors

Standard operating procedure definition slides like these often include custom shapes. These have beautiful default color palettes, but you can always change these up. This is useful if you want SOP standard operating procedure slides to match your brand color.

To begin, click on any shape to select it. Then, go to the Shape Format tab, found on PowerPoint’s ribbon. Color options live on the Shape Fill dropdown. Open it up, then click on any of the thumbnails to apply a new design to your slide. It’s that simple.