Creating SOPs For Quality Control

90% of SOPs die in Google Drive purgatory because they’re either too complicated, too basic, or written by someone who's never actually done the job. Here's the framework that actually works (written by someone who’s actually used it): 1. Do you even need an SOP? Only document when: The same questions keep coming up repeatedly Multiple team members need to execute consistently The task happens on a regular schedule The current process owner is leaving or scaling More than one person needs to know how to do it 2. Answer these 5 questions first What's the core objective? Who currently owns this process? Who else needs to execute it? How often does it happen? Where is it breaking down right now? 3. Match the detail level to the user For new team members: Step-by-step instructions with screenshots Basic terminology only Clear checkpoints throughout For experienced staff: Fewer checkpoints Technical language is fine Focus on efficiency, not handholding For leadership review: Technical enough to validate without drowning in details Clear success metrics High-level overview with essential specifics 4. Include these non-negotiable elements Every effective SOP must have: Time expectations (how long it should take) Clearly numbered steps Highlighted critical actions Validation checkpoints Common pitfalls and how to avoid them What success looks like 5. Validate with these 5 tests Not done until it passes these checks: Can leadership understand it? Can a new hire execute it without confusion? Does it solve the original problem? Are the time expectations realistic? Is there a clear path to completion? This will never change for how I'm creating or my team is creating SOP's but what will change is how the person uses it and has it evolve over time.

I just discovered how construction companies are creating complete SOPs in 45 minutes instead of 18 months. Building PPL shared their exact framework, and it's brilliant. Most companies approach process documentation like they're writing a manual for NASA. ❌ Old Way (18 months): • Form process improvement committee • Research industry best practices • Draft formal documentation • Endless revision cycles • Launch and pray people use it 18 months later, you have a beautiful manual that sits on a digital shelf collecting dust. ✅ New Way (45 minutes): • Grab your best person for this process • Record them explaining it to someone new • Use AI to structure the messy conversation into clear steps That's it. Building PPL worked with a construction company that had been "meaning to document processes" for 3 years. In one afternoon, they captured their entire submittal process—including all the unwritten tricks that actually make it work. The difference was they stopped trying to create something perfect and started extracting knowledge that already existed. Your people already know how to do the work. They just need help getting it out of their heads. Here's how to get started: STEP 1 - Pick Your Paint Point • List your 5-8 core processes that cause chaos when key people are out • Pick the one causing the most pain RIGHT NOW STEP 2 - Extract The Knowledge • Record your expert walking through the process • Don't script it. Let them ramble. • Capture the WHY, not just the WHAT STEP 3 - PACKAGE • Use AI to transform rambling conversation into clear steps • Simple format: Purpose → Steps → Success Definition • Store where people actually look for information What used to take committee meetings and corporate writing now happens over coffee. Your challenge: • Pick ONE process that confuses new people • Block 45 minutes on your calendar • Follow the framework: Identify → Document → Package You can start with just a phone recording and some AI help. Building PPL has turned this into a science, but the basics work for anyone. Construction is complex enough. Your processes don't have to be. 👇 Which process will you document first?

If I had a dollar for every organization I've worked with where the SOPs were good, I wouldn't have a dollar. From my work with companies such as GSK, Novartis, and Pfizer, I hold that: 📋 SOPs must be functional above all else. Their purpose is to help people complete tasks successfully and safely, on time, with expected outcomes. ❌ But most SOPs fail because of: 1. Too Much Information • Every task 20+ steps • Information not concise or focused • Steps containing rationales (belongs in policy docs) • Poor titles that don't indicate task purpose Example of what NOT to do: "Please take a moment to review the testing documentation below." (It's not a favor—just write "Review the testing documentation") 2. Format & Language Issues ⚠️ • Walls of text without reading cues • No white space for visual breaks • Complex words where simple ones work ("utilize" vs "use") • Multiple actions crammed into single steps Real example of what NOT to do: "Remove one packet from the pouch and carefully add all contents to the water sample, swirl the sample until all the reagent dissolves into the solution." (That's 3 separate steps crammed into one!) 3. Structure Problems 🔍 • Steps not chronological • Sections bleeding into each other • Missing process mapping (critical for understanding flow) • Key information (like definitions) buried at the back ✅ The solution starts with three key principles: 1. Map Before Writing 🗺️Process mapping isn't optional; it's the foundation for any usable SOP (like your clinical trials, start with a protocol, not a prayer). 2. Write for Real Use ✍️One action per step, simple language (save the fluff for your cotton swabs). 3. Structure for Success 🎯Put key information where readers need it (hint: definitions belong up front, like your safety goggles). 💡 As I tell my pharma clients: "Will incorporating these concepts make your SOPs longer? Yes, sorry. Will it make them more usable? Yes, not sorry." ⚠️ Because in pharma, unusable SOPs aren't just inefficient—they're a compliance risk (or worse, accident) waiting to happen. Questions? AMA in the comments ⤵︎

How I Write an SOP That Actually Helps as a Program Manager at Amazon Most SOPs gather dust. Too long. Too vague. Too disconnected from the real work. At Amazon, a good SOP doesn’t just document a process. It makes the next person’s job easier…immediately. Here’s how I write SOPs that people actually use: 1/ I write it like a checklist, not a policy doc ↳ Clear steps ↳ Clear triggers ↳ No corporate speak Example: I once rewrote a 5-page doc into a 1-pager titled “How to Launch a New Data Feed.” Each step was 1 sentence, each had an owner. Adoption went up overnight. 2/ I start with the “when” and “why,” not just the “how” ↳ Why does this SOP exist? ↳ When should someone follow it? Example: I added a top section: “Use this when onboarding a new team to the dashboard. Purpose: prevent access issues and missed metrics.” That framing reduced questions by half. 3/ I link directly to the tools and templates ↳ No “search the wiki” ↳ Just: click → fill → done Example: Instead of “Use the onboarding tracker,” I write “Fill out this tracker → [link].” That one link removes 3 minutes of confusion. 4/ I include edge cases and common mistakes ↳ “If X happens, do Y” ↳ “Avoid this—it’s where people get stuck” Example: I once added a tip: “If permissions fail at Step 3, ping analytics-infra in Slack.” That one line prevented dozens of Slack threads. 5/ I test it with someone new ↳ If they’re confused, the SOP isn’t done ↳ Feedback closes the loop Example: I had a peer follow my SOP step-by-step, cold. Their questions helped me rewrite 4 sections before publishing. A great SOP doesn’t just live in Confluence. It lives in your team’s day-to-day execution. What’s your #1 tip for writing SOPs that actually get used?

Say what you actually mean in your SOPs. Here’s what your auditor is thinking when they review a procedure: “Do these instructions tell me exactly what will happen every single time… or are they relying on the operator’s best guess?” Most SOPs collapse under the weight of that question because they’re packed with subjective language. If you use language like "uniform" or "until mixed", set objective limits for what that actually means for the operator. If you want predictable outcomes, you have to eliminate as much subjectivity as possible from your written procedures. Here are 3 steps to eliminate subjectivity from your SOPs: 1. Replace vague verbs with measurable, objective actions. Cut words like inspect, ensure, verify, and check unless you define how the action occurs. Use specifics: “Measure torque to 18–22 in-lb,” “Visually inspect per ANSI Z1.4 using (form #) Defect Acceptance Criteria.” 2. Define acceptance criteria. Terms like “clean,” “uniform,” “properly labeled,” and “intact” mean different things to different people. Give the target ranges, parameters, tolerances, and/or visual standards that remove interpretation. 3. Make the sequence as error-proof as possible. Number the steps. Add photos. Be specific. Remove optional language. If three operators can read it three different ways, you don’t have a suggestion document, not an SOP. Auditors don’t care how pretty the document looks. Well, most don't care how pretty the document looks. They care whether the instructions eliminate subjectivity and produce the same result every time. If you want fewer deviations, fewer surprises, and a more consistent quality system, start with this: Say exactly what you mean. Then write your SOPs so no one has to guess. If you want a quick confidential review of an SOP you wrote, redact it, and send it over.

Most SOPs fail before they even get written Why? Because they’re written for the boss, not the team. A lot of small business owners treat SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) like a rulebook. Long. Rigid. Complicated. But real documentation isn’t about control. It’s about CLARITY. One client came to me after her VA kept missing steps in the onboarding process. She had a Google Doc. It was 7 pages long. No one used it. So we rebuilt it, together. ↳ We started by identifying just the three core workflows she needed help with most. ↳ Then we simplified. ↳ Created a step-by-step checklist for each task. ↳ Added visuals to show exactly how things should look. ↳ Recorded short Loom videos (each under 3 minutes) to walk her VA through the process. The result? ✅ Her VA stopped asking the same questions. ✅ Tasks were completed on time. ✅ She finally stopped waking up to Slack messages at 6 a.m. Here’s the truth most people miss: Good systems don’t live in your head…. They live where your team can find and use them. And when your team has access to simple, repeatable SOPs, they stop waiting, guessing, or spiraling. They just do the work. Struggling to get your team to actually USE the SOPs you’ve created? I created a free guide to help you build simple, streamlined SOPs your team will follow, without extra meetings, micromanagement, or overwhelm. Link is in the comment section below. This is exactly what I help small business owners do: Turn over complicated processes into clear, practical systems that actually get used So your team runs smoother, and you stay focused on growth. #systems #leadership #business #strategy #ProcessImprovement