Why Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are Important for Any Business





Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are documented processes that are in place to ensure services and products are delivered consistently every time. They make clear what the rules are and document them. They help to communicate to the employees any changes in the way the business operates.

Why are SOPs important?

  1. They ensure structured quality systems and processes are in place for everyone to follow.
  2. They help evaluate what is happening now and how to move forward.
  3. They communicate the correct way of carrying out an activity.  
    1. This increases consistency
    2. This decreases quality problems
    3. This decreases errors
    4. This increases communication

What are the benefits of having SOPs in place?

  1. SOPs provide the employees with all the information necessary to perform a job properly.
  2. They offer consistent quality control of process and products.
  3. They allow for uninterrupted processes and ensure that processes are completed on schedule.
  4. They ensure there are no harmful failures.
  5. The ensure that government and company regulations are followed.
  6. They serve as a training document that can be referred to when there are questions.
  7. They decrease training times.
  8. They serve as checklists for auditors
  9. They act as a historical record of process which allows for easy revision.
  10. They allow for easy review for safety in preventing accidents.
  11. They meet legal requirements.
  12. They establish a chain of command
  13. They allow for easy transfer of work during illness or vacation.

As you can see, having set SOPs in place and accessible to employees will make your employees work more cohesively as a team. They will ultimately increase productivity by lining out exactly what the next step is and decrease error rates for that same reason.

If you are looking for help writing or updating your standard operating procedures, contact Barb@beaconvirtualassistants.com. Beacon Virtual Assistants can help not only with SOPs, but any array of administrative work you might need done.

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