Still confused between tasks and procedures? I suggest you should go ahead and read about Task VS Procedures first. Whilst preparing a list of tasks for everyone in your team is a huge improvement over nothing, preparing a standard operating procedure is where things get even better for you, for your team and for your organization.

If you have tried writing a standard operating procedure before, then you know that getting everything written down will help you identify faults in the processes that you have put in place. Even if you happen to miss them, one of your employees or team members might find it and help fix it for you. This will help you improve your processes and procedures for greater efficiency in the long run.

Having instruction and procedures clearly written and documented also help reduces error and mistakes during work. Your team or employees can read the procedures and inform you if they do not understand something. This way you can focus on explaining only the things that is not easy to understand. Employees can avoid making mistakes and everyone in your team will benefit from it. It creates a better work environment for everyone.

It is common to have more than one employee referring to the same SOP. Properly documenting your SOP help establishes uniformity in their work and thus improves the quality of the team’s work. A well-documented SOP serves as a central reference point for everyone in the team.

Managing employee turnover is difficult task and would be even more difficult to manage if you do not have every procedure clearly written and documented. Well defined and documented SOPs ensure that the tasks handover process is smoother and less stressful. In addition, well prepared SOP is also useful when one of your employees are going for a long-term leave such as during maternity leave.

Clearly, there are many benefits for your business or organization when you have made the effort to properly document SOP. Out of all the investment that you can make for your organization, writing an SOP is probably one of the best investments for your business in the long run.

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