Short form SOP's

Standard operating procedures should be implemented for any process or operation that occurs in industry requiring multiple steps. Many companies publish over-sized binders and require third party contractors to meet the specifications outlined within them. This is an effective tool to ensure consistency across different suppliers. These giant books are confusing and cross-references are required from one chapter to another sub-chapter. The only way to implement them successfully is to practically memorize the whole document. Although a single document publication of a SOP is much simpler in the third party case, implementing such an all-encompassing approach internally for your processes will be quite an exhaustive task. Breaking this accepted practice down into smaller documents is more efficient, more easily understood and writers can place emphasis on important areas first. Stepping out of the writers box and implementing some visual tools can greatly improve interpretation and comprehension.

Use SOP’s to ensure that production processes are performed consistently and all regulations and requirements are always within compliance. An effective way to ensure nothing is forgotten or left out is to employ a checklist. Checklists are not meant to be a permanent part of the document but approved and turned in at job completion or scheduled intervals during the run. Complicated or multiple step processes benefit substantially by the use of checklists. 

Previously, I wrote an article about the benefits of pictures in operational documents. There is no exception here and the addition of diagrams with numbers and a subsequent legend takes understanding to the next level. 

To enhance process set up and in cycle time procedures the use of a process map can be invaluable. If a picture is a thousand words then a flow chart must be ten thousand in relationship to describing operations in words alone. This breaks the complexity down to single simple tasks that flow naturally. An operator no longer has to rely on memory to recall process details and order of operations. Set-ups now follow a previously well thought out structured path reducing time and errors.

 Skilled tradesman of any kind nowadays seem to be getting harder and harder to find. If you have one you pay to keep him, provide him with benefits and keep him happy. Your competitors are using the same tactics. The best philosophy is to start employees at the ground floor and train them upwards molding them into the ideal worker. This requires training and training can be considered a waste. Therefore it is a target for improvement. Well-written standard operating procedures can greatly reduce the learning curve.

I like to think of SOP’s as a cookbook for processes and the short form SOP implemented at every step in the process is a recipe for improved operations.