Simplifying Complex Processes With SOPs

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?

Ok guys. You fought one fire too many and said enough's enough, our agency needs a process for this. So you made that beautiful SOP with all the links and had everyone dump everything from their brain... and yet... still nobody knows wtf is supposed to happen. You want to actually solve the problem, your process has to be 1. simple 2. usable 3. scalable. Easier said then done. I know, me, an ops/finance/leadership expert and I'm still saying it's tough. Why? Bc we're human! This is the work we want to just be done already so we can have the results, but we don't actually want to invest the time, discipline, or finances to do it well. So here’s the method that worked best for me growing an agency from startup to $10M with systems that actually stuck (& didn't suck 🤣 ). 🔍 Simple = clear. Simple ≠ basic. Start with a visual map. (Miro, Canva, or ClickUp all work great.) Something that helps your brain see the big picture before zooming into the steps. Then outline the process in a doc: » Each task » Who owns it » When it’s due (relative to the overall workflow) » Description + links to resources/templates » Checklist of actions » Subtasks + dependencies Your tasks should be your source of truth, where the process is integrated into the actual work. Great process documentation doesn’t have to be hunted down bc it's right in front of your face where the work happens. 💪🏽 Usable = actually followed. Usable ≠ I understand it, why don't you. Once the process is defined, build it into your PM platform as a template. Monday, ClickUp, Asana, Teamwork... take your pick, idc, but ideally use ONE. Then roll it out with patience. ↳ Host walkthroughs. Share the why, explain the goal, set expectations, & *walk* through the flow. Highly recommend multiple sessions for team-specific & role-specific nuances. ↳ Run a mock client exercise. Assign the full process like it's real and watch for friction. You'll catch gaps, errors, missing links, unclear instructions, before it goes live. ↳ (I know I'm a broken record but) Build accountability into the process. If something gets skipped, the workflow should stall. If you have to manage people through reminders and nudges, that's a flag the process isn't solid yet bc when it's clear and owned, the gaps reveal themselves. 📈 Scalable = evolves with you. Scalable ≠ reinventing the wheel. The process doc is your editable hub. When something needs to be changed, you should have roles responsible to update the doc, confirm with leadership or team, & apply the update to the task templates. Use a highlighting system in the doc to track: • Needs updating • Changed, not yet confirmed/approved • Approved + ready to go • Remove highlights once it's live in the system And that’s it. That's how to build a process that holds steady AND stays flexible. And when you do it this way, your processes support growth without burning people out along the way.

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.

If your SOP takes an hour to read, it's a waste of effort. It won’t be used. Let me explain I see 47-page process documents gathering digital dust while teams reinvent the wheel daily. The problem isn't that people don't want processes. It's that most processes are designed to impress, not to use. Here's what actually works: The One-Page SOP → Trigger: When does this process start? "New client signs contract" → Steps: What exactly happens? (Max 5 bullets)  "Send welcome email, create project folder, schedule kickoff..." → Guardrails: What could go wrong?  "If budget > $50K, involve legal first" → Definition of Done: How do you know it's finished?  "Client receives project timeline and first milestone is scheduled." → Owner: Who's accountable?  "Account Manager" → Loom Link: 3-minute walkthrough video  Shows the process in action, not theory That's it. One page. Five minutes to absorb. Zero confusion about next steps. The magic is in the constraints: - When you can't write a novel, you write what matters.  - When you can't explain everything, you explain what's essential.  - When you can't perfect it, you make it usable. Results speak: Teams that use One-Page SOPs execute 3x more consistently than those with "comprehensive documentation." Because perfect processes that aren't followed are worthless. Simple processes that get used are priceless. This is exactly the work I do with growth-stage founders: Stripping away complexity and building systems that stick. If you want your processes to actually drive execution, drop me a DM and let’s talk. 

Don’t Automate Complexity... Simplify and Error-Proof Instead When problems arise, it’s tempting to think automation is the magic fix. But automating a broken or complex process just means you’re speeding up the production of errors. The smarter approach? Simplify the process and error-proof it (Poka Yoke) before thinking about automation. Here’s why simplification often beats automation and how you can apply it. Why You Should Simplify Before Automating: 1️⃣ Faster, Cheaper Improvements Simplifying a process through standardization and removing unnecessary steps often solves problems more quickly and at a lower cost than automation. 2️⃣ Avoid Automating Waste If your process is full of waste (like waiting, overprocessing, or rework), automating it only speeds up inefficiency. Fix the process first, then think about automation. 3️⃣ Built-In Error Proofing With Poka Yoke solutions (like jigs, fixtures, or guides), you can design processes to prevent errors from happening in the first place—without needing expensive sensors or software. 4️⃣ Flexibility and Adaptability Simplified processes are easier to adjust and improve, while automated systems can be rigid and costly to change once implemented. How to Simplify and Error-Proof a Process: 🔍 Map the Current Workflow: Identify unnecessary steps, bottlenecks, and areas prone to errors. ✂️ Eliminate Waste: Remove any steps that don’t add value to the product or service. 📋 Standardize Work: Create clear, repeatable instructions that everyone can follow. 🔧 Introduce Poka Yoke: Physical Error-Proofing: Use jigs, fixtures, or alignment guides to prevent incorrect assembly. Visual Cues: Use color-coded labels or visual templates to guide operators. Sensors or Alarms: Only when needed, use low-cost technology to detect errors in real time. Example of Simplification and Poka Yoke in Action: A warehouse team was dealing with frequent errors when picking products for orders. Instead of implementing a costly automated picking system, they: 1. Introduced a color-coded bin system (Poka Yoke) to help operators select the correct items. 2. Simplified the picking route to reduce unnecessary walking and waiting time. Result: Picking errors dropped by 80%, and productivity increased by 15%—all without expensive automation. When to Consider Automation: Once the process is simplified and stabilized with minimal variation, automation can enhance speed and efficiency. But it should support an optimized process, not mask its problems.

Most agencies don’t fail because they can’t get clients. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗳𝗮𝗶𝗹 𝗯𝗲𝗰𝗮𝘂𝘀𝗲 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗰𝗮𝗻’𝘁 𝗸𝗲𝗲𝗽 𝘂𝗽 𝘄𝗶𝘁𝗵 𝘁𝗵𝗲𝗺. If your agency runs on sticky notes, Slack messages, and “I’ll remember that later,” you’re on borrowed time. Here’s how to systemize your agency in 90 days—so it runs like a machine instead of a mess: 1️⃣ 𝗖𝗿𝗲𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗢𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻𝗮𝗹 𝗣𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿𝘀 What are the core functions that make your agency work? → Sales? → Client fulfillment? → Team operations? Define them now so you’re not scrambling later. 2️⃣ 𝗗𝗼𝗰𝘂𝗺𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗖𝗹𝗶𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗝𝗼𝘂𝗿𝗻𝗲𝘆 → Where do clients start? → Where do they get stuck? → Where do deals fall apart? Outline the exact steps from first touch to project completion. If there’s confusion, that’s where systems need to be built. 3️⃣ 𝗥𝗲𝗰𝗼𝗿𝗱 𝗦𝗢𝗣𝘀 𝗳𝗼𝗿 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆 𝗦𝘁𝗲𝗽 Every repeatable task should have one place where it’s documented. → How do you onboard a client? → What’s the approval process for deliverables? → How do you handle a late invoice? If it’s not written down, it doesn’t exist. 4️⃣ 𝗦𝘁𝗼𝗿𝗲 𝗘𝘃𝗲𝗿𝘆𝘁𝗵𝗶𝗻𝗴 𝗶𝗻 𝗬𝗼𝘂𝗿 𝗣𝗿𝗼𝗷𝗲𝗰𝘁 𝗠𝗮𝗻𝗮𝗴𝗲𝗿 Your team shouldn’t have to guess where things are. ClickUp, Notion, Asana—pick one and commit. SOPs, client timelines, and workflows all live here. If your team asks, “Where do I find this?” more than once, it’s a process problem. 𝗪𝗵𝘆 𝗧𝗵𝗶𝘀 𝗠𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿𝘀? A systemized agency scales. A messy one stalls. When you’ve got clear processes: ✅ You get clients results faster. ✅ You spend less time fixing mistakes. ✅ You finally have the freedom to work on your agency instead of inside it. The difference between a $50K/month agency and a $500K/month agency? 𝗦𝘆𝘀𝘁𝗲𝗺𝘀. If your agency can’t run without you, you don’t have a business—you have a job. Systemize now, so you don’t regret it later.

Writing SOPs is easy. Getting people to actually use them? That’s the real challenge. If you want your processes to live and breathe inside your business, not just sit in a digital folder, here’s how to operationalize them: Start with reality, not theory Don’t aim for the perfect process. Document what’s actually happening today, then improve from there. Break it down into roles Every SOP should answer: Who does what, when, and with what tools. If multiple people are involved, use a RACI matrix to align your team. Turn SOPs Into Checklists A checklist is what the team uses in real life. It should follow the flow of the SOP but be actionable, step-by-step, clear, and tied to the tools they use daily. Embed it where work happens If your team uses project management software, embed the checklist there. If they work from tablets in the field, build it into a form or app they already use. Don’t make them go hunting for the process. Train it. Review it. Reinforce It. Introduce it in a team meeting. Use real-world scenarios. Check in weekly or monthly to ask: → Is it being used? → What’s unclear? → Has anything changed? SOPs don’t create structure. Using them does.

Commercial data operations should be boring. I mean that as a compliment. When someone asks for a new data source, there should be a process. When Rx restatements come in, there should be a triage workflow. When a new user needs access, there should be a checklist. Adding a new visualization shouldn't feel like defusing a bomb. But in most biopharma commercial teams I talk to, every request triggers chaos. "Can we slice the data by payer channel?" Panic. "We need to add this specialty pharmacy feed." Fire drill. "The board wants to see market share by HCP decile." All-hands emergency. This is the same chaos teams had when everything lived in Excel. They just moved it into fancier tools. More platforms. Same scrambling. The teams that actually scale their analytics have something different: documented processes for the boring stuff. Things like how to: -Onboard new data sources -Handle restatements -Provision user access -Monitor and resolve errors -Train new team members None of it is exciting. All of it matters. Because when the boring stuff runs on autopilot, your team has capacity for the interesting work. The strategic questions. The competitive analysis. The insights that actually move the business. Boring operations create flexibility. Chaos creates more chaos. One client documented their top 10 recurring data requests. Built simple SOPs for each. Trained two junior analysts to handle them. Their senior analytics lead went from firefighting to actually analyzing market dynamics for the first time in months. The goal isn't a team that can heroically solve every crisis. It's a team that rarely has crises to solve. #pharma #biotech #data #analytics

If you have a sec, "I’ll explain it real quick” is the most expensive sentence in your business. If you’re still re-explaining the same thing to different people every week, you don’t have a team problem... you have a process problem. Any task that depends on you walking someone through it (again) is stealing hours you should be spending on strategy, sales, or product. If it happens more than once, it should be systemized: - Hit record: When you’re about to explain something, record a quick Loom or voice note instead of doing it live. That becomes version 0 of the process. - Give it to your EA: Have them turn that raw explanation into a simple checklist or SOP while they’re doing the task. - Close the loop: After 2–3 runs, ask, “What was confusing?” and have your EA update the playbook. The process should evolve every time it’s used. - Make it the default: Next time someone asks, don’t explain it again. Point them to the playbook. Only answer what’s missing, then plug that back into the doc. This is how your knowledge compounds instead of leaking out in random calls and DMs. We built a FREE Voice Note to SOP Converter GPT that turns your quick voice notes into usable SOPs in minutes. Grab the link in the comments below. What’s one thing you’re still “explaining real quick” that should be a playbook by next week?

The problem isn’t your outsourced team. (5 AI prompts to train VAs without repeating yourself) You’ve been running things a certain way for years. You know the steps instinctively. But your new team? They’re starting with zero context. That’s why documenting a step-by-step system isn’t optional —it’s the foundation. And don’t hesitate to use AI for this. A lot of business owners already are, and so am I. Here are the steps and prompts I use: Start with the Outcome ↳ Write 1–2 lines: what “done right” looks like. ↳ List the success criteria (deadline, format, quality). AI Prompt: “You are an operations consultant helping me define success criteria for a business task. I’ll describe the task, and you will return: (1) a 2-sentence ‘done right’ definition, (2) a success checklist with 5–7 measurable points (deadline, accuracy, quality, formatting), and (3) a one-line version for team visibility. Task: [insert task here].” Record the Process in Action ↳ Use Loom to screen-record yourself doing the task. ↳ Narrate your thinking as you go. AI Prompt: “I’ve uploaded or pasted a transcript of me completing a task. Turn this into a numbered step-by-step SOP that a new hire could follow without prior knowledge. Each step should start with an action verb, be under 15 words, and include any tools/software mentioned. Add a short intro: ‘Objective of this process.’” Break It Into Repeatable Steps ↳ Convert workflow into numbered steps (max 3 mins each). ↳ Test each step: “Can someone follow this without asking me?” AI Prompt: “Here’s a workflow: [paste text]. Rewrite this into a clear, sequential checklist of 8–12 steps. Assume the person has zero prior context. Each step must be simple enough that it can be completed in under 3 minutes. If you see a complex step, break it down into smaller sub-steps. Return in a numbered list format.” Add Context ↳ After each step, add why it matters. ↳ Write a “Common Mistakes” note. AI Prompt: “I’m building a training SOP. Here’s the process: [paste]. After each step, add a short ‘Why this matters’ note in plain English. If applicable, also include a ‘Common Mistakes’ section with 2–3 errors to avoid. Format as: Step → Why → Common Mistakes. Keep it concise and easy to skim.” Store It in One Place ↳ Pick one hub (Notion, ClickUp, Google Drive). ↳ Organize by category (Ops, Sales, Marketing). AI Promot: “I’m building a central knowledge base. Summarize this SOP into a one-line description (max 15 words) that describes the purpose in plain English. Output should be: (1) the one-liner summary, (2) a suggested category (Ops, Sales, Marketing, Admin), and (3) 3 suggested tags for easy search.” Simple. Effective. And it saves hours of manual documenting. If you could document just one process today, what would it be? 👇 Helpful?  ♻️Please share to help others. 🔎Follow Michael Shen for more.