Standard Operating Procedure

 

 

16 April, 2023.

In this post, we will see the concept of standard operating procedure.

When you buy a product, you get a brochure or catalogue which describes it’s general working and instructions to operate. This is required so that the user gets friendly in operating it and also, he does not face any hiccups in understanding it.  Similarly, if you are purchasing a machine for your industry, then you will need a document for it to operate. This document is called as standard operating procedure. SOP is of utmost importance in any industry or commercial application, where you need to operate a system. In this post, we will see the concept of standard operating procedure.

·        What is SOP? 

SOP, as discussed earlier, stands for standard operating procedure. It can be termed as a procedural document which is used to describe how to start a system, how to stop a system, how to enter a setting, how to view or monitor a parameter, and most importantly, how to safely operate a system with interlocks present. This document is very necessary when you buy a machine, so that you can exactly know how to use them. Right from start to stop, this document will always help you in maintaining the machine properly. Let me explain this with a simple example on how to turn on or off a laptop. So, in this document, you will have the following details step by step:

1.      Laptop Description

2.      Power supply ratings required for charging the battery

3.      Battery Description

4.      Steps to turn on the laptop – First connect the charger if battery is empty, else do connect the charger. If charger is connected, switch on the power supply and press power button on the laptop. Once started, you can use the laptop now. Also, check simultaneously whether laptop has been charged or not. If charged, then switch off the power supply.

5.      Steps to turn off the laptop – When you do not want to use the laptop now, then shutdown the laptop through windows. Then flap the laptop down and remove the power charger by switching off the power supply.

6.      Tips to improve battery life.

What have you understood from this? You got to know how to turn on or off the laptop safely; by first understanding the product and power supply, and then using it properly. This information is thus explained in detail in SOP.

There are various industrial regulations and laws which must be considered into picture before operating a machine, thus improving the quality of services you are providing. If you thus follow the SOP properly, then it will improve your standards, make administration easier, increase efficiency and profitability, reduce bugs, create a healthy and safe environment to work, reduce downtime and will add value to your business.

·        How to write SOP?

Now that we have understood what is SOP, let us get into a detailed study on what factors to consider while writing it. Let us have a look at the most generally used ones:

1.      When you are trying to explain someone how to operate the machine, then it means the objective is clear in your mind before writing SOP. If you are not clear in what to write in SOP, then there is no use of explaining to others. For defining clear objectives, you need to have an idea of how this SOP will boost efficiency, improve customer service, improve company profits and overall increase the efficiency of workers. Once you are set with your objectives and you know how this SOP will impact the company, it becomes much easier to write the SOP then.

2.      Because you are selling your machine to the end customer, user thinking, nature of use, customer activities, and understanding their language of communication matter the most. Once you are able to identify the customer pattern, it becomes easier to write SOP; because then you know how your writings will correctly impact them.

3.      You need to understand who are the stakeholders and creators for this SOP. It is not necessary that the manager will have every knowledge or the operator will have every knowledge; so it is necessary to take the inputs from all the corresponding persons for the right intake. You will get proper theoretical and practical ideas from them for writing a proper SOP.

4.      Get proper information from all the resources, like researching the task, consulting experts, understanding the process, and understanding the policies, terms and conditions.

5.      Keep updating yourself for any changes happening in the process or working conditions. Any updates will help you to change the same in the SOP. Because, it is not advisable to send old SOP’s to the customers.

Now that we have understood the general factors to be considered, let us have a look on how to write the SOP step by step.

1.      Include a header and footer in the whole document. The header must contain details like system name, customer name (if you are sending to a specific customer), revision number, your company logo and customer logo (if you are sending to a specific customer). The footer must contain details like page number, your company address and customer address (if you are sending to a specific customer).

2.      Write the title page properly. It must have details like company name, company logo, system name, who is writing the SOP, date of publication, and the department to whom the SOP is concerned.

3.      Then include the table of contents. It must have proper arrangement of titles and subtitles, and have correct page numbers for each topic. Page numbering is a common mistake, because many ignore it and this can trouble the user in reading it correctly.

4.      Now, include the page for preparatory information. This page intends to tell the user why you are writing the SOP and what concerns and measures must be taken before understanding the system in detail. It will include information like defining the purpose of writing SOP, roles and responsibilities of the stakeholders involved in writing, what resources they used to write SOP and defining safety, hazards and warnings before operating the system.

5.      Next comes your main content. The goal is to define the process and system step by step. It must be written in such a way that the user understands it easily. Every process steps, conditions, and decisions must be conveyed in detail. The language must be easy to understand and not complex which will confuse the reader. Be specific and don’t try to over explain things, which will bore the reader, increase the document length and also confuse them. Remember to use proper images and diagrams, which will help them in properly co-relating with the topic.

6.      In the end, mention special thanks, credentials, frequently asked questions and if required, give some links to some other relevant documents online, which will help the users in understanding your company and system more.

·        SOP in Business:

As you found that SOP helped described the system effectively, you can use this document to help the customers understand your system and company easily. This indirectly helps in promoting the company. So, SOP’s are used in almost every industry like manufacturing, customer service, human resource, finance, environment, IT, hospitality, marketing and education. These are just some general examples. Basically, every industry where you are explaining some product will require an SOP.

I have covered the general principle of standard operating procedure. I have also not attempted to cover every theory of these design deeply; you can learn it easily once you get familiar with them. I have just given you an insight of these types of documents. A great system understanding is required by the designer who is writing such document. Learn the basics and explore a new type of study in this type of engineering.

Thank you guys; I hope you enjoyed reading the practices normally used for this type of study in industrial automation.