A Standard Operating Procedure for every activity

What do the terms SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) and SOP (Standard Operating Procedure) mean? What is their role in the company? And why are they a major tool for quality?

For each task, a standard operating procedure to establish

Your company’s activity can be divided into different tasks to be accomplished. Some of them are even regulated or must meet standards, such as ISO 9001, which defines good practices for organization and management.

• For example, in a hotel, rooms will need to be prepared between guests.
  – one aspect of the preparation includes cleaning, which must guarantee the cleanliness of the room. It is based on a precise cleaning and disinfection plan, especially in this period of pandemic COVID-19.
  – another part of the preparation is the arrangement of the room, the provision of equipment, … in accordance with the standards specified by the establishment.
• n order for these operations to be carried out correctly, each procedure must be :
  – well-defined in its purpose and operating mode,
  – intelligible,
  – transmitted to those responsible for and involved in the performance of the tasks,
  – accessible when needed,
  – controlled.

The document recording these work directives constitutes a standard operating procedure (SOP).

How to build a SOP

SOPs are developed with the participation of all levels of the operational chain so that no goal or detail is overlooked.

• In the example of the hotel, from the management to the chambermaid, everyone will work together to define each step :
  remove the dirty laundry,
  cleaning the room
  clean the sanitary facilities,
  make the bed,
  lay out towels, toiletries, instructions for use and service information,

  each procedure (type of material, product, implementation, …),
  each actor (chambermaid, housekeeper, steward, linen maid, …),
  the necessary skills or training,
  compliance with the rules or standards in force,
  the controls to be foreseen.

The SOP describes the procedure and how to carry it out in detail, in writing, without jargon, so that it can be understood and used by everyone.

What are the expected benefits of SOP’s?

Standard operating procedures are major assets for your company, the keystone of your quality strategy.

• The anticipation of the work to be done and its good understanding ensure the efficiency, the regularity and the reliability of the result. This results in a gain in productivity.
• SOPs are reference documents for communicating between departments and determining the responsibilities of each. Work flow is improved.
• They contribute to the training of new recruits, replacements or temporary workers.
• They highlight the safety points that require particular vigilance.
• They facilitate inspections when the company is subject to regulations.
• In the event of an incident during a procedure, the SOP is studied again to pinpoint the origin of the flaw. It may be a lack of information, training, etc.
  Actions can then be taken to solve the problem and correct the SOP: CAPA (or Corrective Action and Preventive Action). The cause of the non-conformity will thus be eliminated.

The set of standard operating procedures constitutes a basis of choice and a dynamic process within a company. It is used to evaluate processes, analyze and correct quality problems and prevent their recurrence.

Translated with www.DeepL.com/Translator (free version)