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Introduction
It’s money-making Monday, as you arrive at your organization, you expect to see everyone doing what they know how to do best.
But that is not happening.
Employees who are meant to perform key tasks are not around probably due to illness or some emergency. There aren’t many others can do in their absence; they are clueless about the tasks. You have deadlines to meet. Your clients are waiting.
Your business is at the mercy of a few people. It should not be so. A standard operating procedure software is your go-to knowledge base to get things done. It facilitates knowledge sharing and backs up information for available team members to keep work moving. Your business does not suffer when certain people are not around.
Processes, no matter how effective they are, do not execute themselves. That is why people are employed. And it’s also why people are often recognized as the most valuable asset in an organization.
It is the responsibility of employees
to produce results, but there’s only so much they can do. Their outcomes partly
depend on the instructions they are given to work with. Do not just blame them
whenever things are not moving smoothly; check your processes.
Are your processes effective?
This is where standard operating
procedures come in.
Standard operating procedures are
step-by-step instructions laid out by an organization to guide employees in the
best ways to execute routine tasks.
It’s great that you understand how
things work in your organization. Then you can move a task from point A down to
point Z effortlessly. Brilliant. But unless you are a one-man army, you need to
empower other team members to be as competent as you or even better.
Rather than continuously explaining
things to them every single time they need to get something done, you create a
document that outlines each process in the simplest form. By doing this, you
give them a guide to look at if they ever get confused about things. You don’t
have to babysit employees. You empower them to be the adults that they are.
“documented information [to] support the operations of processes.”
Consequently, only organizations with standard operating procedures are eligible to obtain the internationally recognized quality standard certification.
In today’s mobile society,
restricting work activities to the confines of your office is outdated.
Standard operating procedure software gives employees access to documents they
need to work effectively from any location.
Find out what they are in the next chapter.
What is Standard Operating Procedure Software?
You have created a detailed guide for
employees to follow when carrying out routine functions, i.e. your standard
operating procedures. When these documents are all over the place, what
happens? Disorganization.
An Express Employment Professionals study found that 57% of workers lose six hours a week to disorganization. If employee A wants to execute a task, he/she will need to move from one place to another, or make calls to teammates to get the relevant information they need to forge ahead because other employees will need the standard operating procedure (SOP) documents too. When this is the case, you are still battling with the same problem you wanted to eradicate by creating your SOPs in the first place.
SOPs have to be organized and stored somewhere safe and convenient, otherwise, you may not get favorable results. Data published in the Journal of Consumer Research revealed that a clean and organized workplace enhances productivity. You need a portable system that allows employees to retrieve information at any time without hindrance – this is your Standard Operating Procedure Software.
Standard operating procedure software
is a tool used to capture and store an organization’s workflow. It is an
organization’s go-to resource for all their SOPs. This software is often
cloud-based. It can be accessed by authorized team members remotely. Work isn’t
restricted by physical location. Employees can be productive from anywhere and
at any time.
Understanding the need for standard
operating procedures helps businesses to measure results, and justifies their
efforts. In the next chapter, we shall
examine whether or not your business needs SOPs.
Do You Need Standard Operating Procedures in Your Business?
If your business is experiencing good
times, doing things differently might be the least of your worries. Why change
a winning formula?
Organizational problems can be categorized into two areas: the known and unknown. Most organizations are concerned about the former. Being concerned with only the known problem is wise. With the known problem, you can work on a solution. But with the unknown, you remain oblivious until things deteriorate beyond repair. You wake up one morning, and you are faced with a disaster. It might seem sudden to you. But things are hardly so sudden. Most times, we fail to see the signs.
Do not be a victim due to negligence.
Answering these simple questions
objectively will give you insights into unknown problems in your business.
1. Do you waste time bringing new employees up to speed?
Having hired the best man for the
job, taking too long to bring them up to speed is a waste of time. With
standard operating procedures, new hires do not need mentors for so long. They
are empowered with the necessary information to generate the results they were
hired for.
2. Are effective processes becoming less effective?
It can be confusing when processes
that used to be effective suddenly become less effective. You begin to wonder
what the problem is.
Your winning formula might need an
adjustment when the dynamics of business operations change. Your business has outgrown its processes.
It’s about time you upgrade your system.
3. Can your business function smoothly in the absence of certain key officers?
Every business needs outstanding
workers – they are almost too good for the job. You probably have people like
that in your organization. They are the solution providers. When a nut is
proving too hard to crack, they come on board, and do what they are known for –
provide results.
But life happens.
Your outstanding workers may not
always be around. They may be away for a short period of time, or in the
worst-case scenario, resign. So, what is going to happen? If you cannot deliver
the quality service that was exclusively provided by them, you might not be in
business for so long. This is not a good thing. Do not leave the fate of your
business in the hands of anyone. A standard operating procedure ensures that
your business goes on, smoothly, in the absence of anyone, including you.
4. Are you 100% confident that your employees can deliver high-quality performance without supervision?
Most business leaders are
perfectionists. There is always the concern that no one can run their business
as well as they do. So, they try to be involved in everything.
Perfection is impossible. Your idea
of perfection is the best you can offer, not necessarily the best there is.
With the right guidance through
standard operating procedures, your employees can be as good as you on the job
or even better than you. You do not have to worry about them not delivering
high quality without your supervision.
As a business leader, you have a lot
on your plate. Forfeiting commitments that will take your business to the next
level just so you can be around to babysit your employees is counterproductive.
5. Can you measure employee performance?
Keeping busy does not the same as
being productive. There is the chance that your employees may be spending all
day doing unproductive things. There is no better way to figure this out than
to measure their performance. Accountability is important in building a
productive workforce. It is not okay for employees to just show up at work and
get paid at the end of the day. You need to see the results of what you are
paying for. Otherwise, your expenditure will be more than your income. You know
what that means, don’t you? An SOP
software gives you insights to know whether or not your employees are
productive.
There are several types of standard
operating procedure software on the market. You do not need one just because
every business has one. You need one so your business can be better. There are
certain elements you must look out for in SOP software, so you do not waste
your resources. Find out the features of an effective SOP software in the next
chapter.
Features of Effective Standard Operating Procedure Software
Tools are an integral part of modern businesses. With reports from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics showing that American workers are getting lower output for their input, now is not the time to depend solely on human abilities at the workplace. The most competent employees can do so much when empowered with the right productivity tools.
By developing an operating guide for their internal processes, Dan Schneider was able to revamp the business when he took over as interim CEO of SIB Lighting a few years ago. They were able to increase sales by 64%. But they did not do it all alone. According to Dan
“…we implemented a new software system that helps us manage the process.”
An effective standard operating
procedure software empowers employees to exceed basic performance. To get the
most of your SOP software, it must be able to perform the following tasks:
1. Document control workflow process
Effective SOP software gives you a
standard approach to every step of the documentation process including
creation, collaboration, editing, approval, adjustment, notifications,
rewriting, retiring docs, and filing so they are easy to find.
2. Free templates
A standard operating procedure template saves you the time and trouble of creating a framework for every single procedure you have in your organization. With several free templates at your disposal, you are able to choose the one that is most suitable for a particular procedure. Rather than doing all the work from scratch, you simply fill in the gaps.
3. Sharing and permissions
Unless you are the only one working on a project, it is important that everyone on it has the correct access. While it is important that your documents are locked from unauthorized access, good SOP software allows identified team members access and sharing privileges.
4. SOP writing manuals
Writing your standard operating
procedures well makes it easy for employees to comprehend and replicate them on
their own. The right software simplifies the seemingly difficult process of
writing your SOP by making needed tools such as extensive help files and a
knowledge base available to you.
5. Centralized processes and procedures
Having strings of processes all over
the place litters the system. With a centralized system, you can have it all
under one umbrella. This allows employees to easily access what they need at
any time.
What do you stand to gain by having effective
SOP software for your business? Mouthwatering benefits. Come along to the next
chapter as we discuss all the benefits you are already missing.
Benefits of a Standard Operating Procedure Software
The long and short of this article point in one direction – benefits. After all, is said and done, you want your business to improve. You want to make your clients/customers and employees happy. You want to make more profits. The list is endless. Guess what? Standard operating procedure software can help you achieve all of these.
Construction company Balfour Beatty Construction achieved great results following the standardization of its processes. The fourth-largest general builder in the U.S. generated a 5% gain and kept their workers out of danger.
How? Through the following ways:
1. Save time and resources
Time is money. Not having a specific
standard for executing tasks means that you have to try something new every
single time. You spend so much time and resources in getting it right each time
without even realizing it. On top of it all, there is no guarantee that after
wasting time and resources, you will get it right. With a standard operating
procedure, there is no wasting time on “trying,” you just do it right.
2. Facilitate compliance
There are regulations guiding businesses to protect consumers and maintain sanity in the field. When you do not have a standard for operations, you are less likely to comply with these regulations, putting your business on the wrong side of the law. But with standard operating procedure software, there is no cause for alarm. Your business processes are set in line with industry regulations, and you simply replicate already established processes.
3. Ensure consistency
One minute your business is doing
great, and the next minute, it is anything but great. This is the case when you
work without a standard operating procedure. The quality of your product or
service is not guaranteed.
You cannot claim to be competent at
something you cannot replicate. The thing is, you only get lucky the times you
get it right. Anyone can get lucky. There is no difference between you and the
quacks.
Experts replicate high quality over
and over again. They are in high demand because they are sure to deliver. With
standard operating procedure software, you belong to the league of experts in
your industry. When people want guaranteed results, they come knocking on your
door. This means your services will be in high demand, and you will be smiling
on your way to the bank.
4. Mitigate risk
Safety is non-negotiable. The work has to be done, and the workers have to be safe. Exposing employees to risks in the course of work is unethical, and can get you into trouble.
No one in their right mind would want
to do a job that does not ensure their safety. This can even discourage
competent people from working for you. Standard operating procedure software
eradicates dangers associated with the job. As long as everyone abides by its
processes, safety is guaranteed.
5. Hold employees accountable
Accountability at work is in your
best interest. You need to see results. Do not feel guilty over ensuring that
the work you are paying for is well executed.
Having played your part by creating a conducive working environment,
employees have to play their own part by doing the right thing. You should be
able to know who is bringing value to the table and who is not. SOP software
helps you to measure employee performance. You know who to hold responsible
when things go wrong.
Are you considering investing in SOP
software? There are certain factors you need to consider in order to make the
right choice. Remember, the goal is for you to get value for your money. In the
next chapter, we’ll discuss factors to look at before choosing SOP software for
your business.
Choosing the right Standard Operating Procedure Software for your business
That moment you realize you have
wasted money on useless SOP software can be depressing. You do not want to be
stuck with SOP software that has little or nothing to offer your business.
To get value for your money, consider
the following factors in choosing the right SOP software:
1. Pricing
What is the cost of the software? As
much as you need effective SOP software, it is not advisable to go for one that
will put a strain on your business. You are in business to make money, not
spend excessively.
To make an informed decision, the pricing of software should be compared to its value. Standard operating procedure software differs in prices. This difference is often linked to their individual features. If two different software has the same features, you are better off going for the more affordable one.
2. Simplicity/Learnability
SOP software is meant to simplify
your work, not complicate it. The essence of SOPs is to get work done in the
most seamless way possible. Check the functionality of the software. Can you
learn how to operate with a little time and guidance? If the answer is no, you
have to keep looking.
3. Specific use case
You are acquiring SOP software to
meet a need in your organization. A widely acclaimed SOP software is useless if
it does not meet the requirements of your organization. The most popular
software may not be the best option for you if it does not align with your
business.
4. Fixing bugs
All software has bugs. In most cases,
only the manufacturer can fix bugs effectively. Is the software company willing
to provide needed assistance in fixing bugs when they arise? If the answer is
no, you will be stuck with non-functional software in the future.
Do your research. Check version
history, update frequency, reviews and people’s reaction on the app’s forums.
5. Upgradeability
There is always room for improvement.
Innovative software companies acknowledge this, and are frontrunners in
developing features to enhance their app. Rather than wait on others to do the
work and imitate them, they take the lead.
If you are in a heavily regulated
industry, you need software that is often updated to meet the most recent
regulations.
To make the process of choosing the
right SOP software for your business easier, we have compiled a list of the top
standard operating software programs on the market for you. Get details of
their functions and features in the next chapter.
Top 10 Standard Operating Procedure Software
With more organizations recognizing
the need for standard operating procedures in their business, there has been an
increased demand for SOP software. Many companies have sprung up, offering SOP
software to cater to the needs of businesses. While these software have
particular features, they are all used to improve workflow.
The top 10 standard operating procedure software include:
SweetProcess (<<<— ours) is standard operating software that simplifies the process of creating SOPs. It enables businesses to create a detailed checklist for workflow. SOPs are made more effective with the inclusion of visuals. There is room for collaboration between team members as files can be easily created, shared, and accessed.
The SOP software facilitates delegation. You can assign tasks to individual team members. You also get to set due dates for tasks and automate reminder emails to remind assigned workers as the due dates approach.
Features of SweetProcess include:
· Procedure documentation
· Process documentation
· Policy documentation
· Workflow Management
· Decision Points
· Flow charts
· Forms
· Task tracking
· Collaboration
· Process streamlining
· Multiple device support
· Employee training
SweetProcess offers a single and simple pricing plan that comes with all its features included.
Tallyfy is SOP software used to
improve business processes. It helps companies in carrying out client
on-boarding, compliance checks, and streamlining workflow for better delivery.
Team members are able to track series
of processes in one-fold. Clogs in workflow due to approval delay are
non-existent. Team members are able to make decisions by a few clicks. It can
be integrated with over 400 apps.
EtQ can be used to breakdown complex
business processes. It serves as a guide for organizations in creating,
storing, approving, and distributing controlled documents.
Various processes are centralized in
the system for effective control. It is commonly used in the areas of
automotive security, aviation safety, production, and food safety. It avails
users of an easy setup, requiring no IT expertise.
This SOP software helps businesses transform their policies and procedures into active workflows for seamless business operations. It systematizes the workflow for better performance.
Way We Do offers a checklist that
enables organizations to easily create operations policies and guide employees
in executing their daily tasks.
SOP Express offers a practical
approach to standard operating procedures. It takes things further from the
usual text-based format by visualizing work instructions for easy understanding
and implementation.
Word documents are the de facto
standard in most organizations. Harnessing the powers of pictures,
organizations can use SOP Express to make their procedures clearer to employees
by capturing them in visuals. Visual aesthetics make documents more enticing to
read.
JobRouter is a web-based standard operating procedure software that manages the entire life cycle of documents including creation, editing, approval, release, and distribution. It is integrated with Microsoft Word for ease of use.
Created documents are secure and
accessible by users identified as creators.
When editing is completed, the document is assigned to specific team
members for review, with the creators still having access to modify it.
Reviewed documents are forwarded to authorized parties for approval. These
sequential procedures ensure that an organization’s SOPs are void of any
errors.
SystemHub is a cloud-based standard operating procedure application that helps organizations replicate and improve processes within their business. It’s all-in-one feature allows you to integrate your existing project management software for maximum results.
Dozuki gives companies a standard for creating and improving workflow. The SOP enhances collaborative efforts among teams. Data can be shared and viewed in real-time.
Employee onboarding is simplified
with training tools to bring them up to speed in the shortest time possible.
Reports can be generated instantly to inform relevant parties of work progress.
Process Street is SOP software used by organizations to create and track effective business processes. It makes provision for team collaboration, control permissions, and integrations, among other things, for improved workflow.
Users can create procedure documents
in a few seconds and delegate tasks to teammates.
Features of Process Street include:
· Team collaboration
· Document management
· Integration with over 1000+ apps
· Conditional logic
· Instant visibility across in-progress workflows
· Workflow tracker
Process Street offers the following pricing packages:
Zavanta helps organizations to create
a more structured and faster workflow. Beyond creating procedures, it helps
businesses to create high-quality content with its standardized authoring
feature. Users can create user-friendly workflow instructions with ease.
Features of Zavanta include the following:
· Business rules management
· Process capture
· Process change tracking
· Collaboration
· 24/7 access online portal
· Content filtering
· Cross-document reporting
Contact the company for pricing.
Conclusion
What would you do if you were certain
that a particular instrument would unfailingly take your business to the next
level?
People often expect life-changing
activities to be mysterious or complex. It is not always the case. Sometimes,
the answer to the puzzle is right in front of you, but you fail to see it
because it appears so easy.
You probably wish you knew the secret of leading businesses in the world, so you could replicate that quality in your business. Well, I doubt they would want to tell you. But from research, it is evident that a standard operating procedure is part of their success story.
Now you know what they know. The
question is, will you do what they have done and keep doing?
To further motivate you in taking the
right action, we have put together a takeaway package for you titled – Checklist for Creating Standard Operating
Procedures – for your download.
Do it with SweetProcess, click here to learn more
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