Standard Operating Procedure

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This template is a simple way to get what’s currently “in people’s heads” into a clear, repeatable Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) you can actually run the business on.

You’re not writing a novel here—you’re defining who does what, when, and how so work stops being tribal knowledge and starts being a system.

What this SOP does for you

This one page forces you to answer a few core questions for any process:

  • What is this process and why does it exist?
  • Where does it start and end?
  • Who owns it and what are they accountable for?
  • What exactly happens, step by step?
  • How do we know it was done right?
  • What skills, tools, and references are required?

Fill those in honestly and you’ve got a usable SOP—not a dusty document.

Quick tour of the sections

1. Process Description & Purpose
This is the plain-English “what and why”:

  • What process are we describing? (e.g., Client Onboarding, Monthly Billing, Hiring a New Employee.)
  • Why does this process exist? What outcome is it supposed to create?

If someone can’t read this and instantly know what the process is for, it’s too vague.

2. Scope
This sets the boundaries:

  • Where does the process begin?
  • Where does it end?
  • What’s included and what’s explicitly not included?

Example:

  • Starts when a signed agreement is received; ends when the client has had their kickoff meeting and access to all systems.
  • Does not include pre-sales demos or post-project support.

Scope stops people from arguing about “who owns what.”

3. Responsibilities / Accountabilities
This is the “who” section:

  • Which roles are involved (not names—roles)?
  • What tasks are they accountable for?
  • What results are they on the hook to deliver?

Example:

  • Account Manager: collects all client assets, schedules kickoff, confirms expectations.
  • Project Lead: reviews scope, sets up internal project plan, confirms resourcing.

If everyone is “kind of responsible,” then no one is. This section fixes that.

4. Work Instruction

This gets into the execution.

4.1 Process Flow – the “What”
Describe the sequence:

  • Inputs (what you need to start)
  • Key activity steps and decisions
  • Documents/forms used
  • Outputs (what should exist when it’s done)
  • Timelines or deadlines if relevant

This can be text or a simple flowchart. The point: a new, competent person should be able to follow it without guessing the order.

4.2 Work Instruction Detail – the “How”
Here’s where you spell out:

  • How each step is done
  • Which tools/software/forms to use
  • Any tips, standards, or quirks that matter

Example:

  • Use Template X for proposals; save them in Folder Y; naming convention = ClientName_Project_Proposal_v1.

This is where you cut down on rework and “I didn’t know we did it that way.”

5. Applicable References
List anything this process depends on:

  • Policies
  • Regulations
  • Other SOPs
  • External standards or client requirements

This keeps you from duplicating detail and helps people find the deeper material if they need it.

6. Quality Standards
This is how you define “done right”:

  • What quality checks are required?
  • What KPIs or process measures matter?
  • How often are they measured? What’s the unit?

Example:

  • 100% of new clients receive a kickoff call within 5 business days of contract signing.
  • Invoice error rate < 1% per month.

Without this, you just have activity, not standards.

7. Equipment and Skills
Final piece: what’s required to actually do the work?

  • Tools, equipment, or software
  • Skills, qualifications, or certifications

This helps with onboarding and capacity planning—you can see quickly whether you have the right people and tools to run the process.

When and how you’d use this as an Empower user

You’d pull out this SOP template when:

  • A process is mission-critical (billing, onboarding, safety, service delivery).
  • You’re seeing inconsistency—the outcome depends on who’s working that day.
  • You’re hiring or scaling and can’t afford “shadowing for six months” as your training plan.
  • You’re trying to improve quality or profitability and need to lock in a better way of doing things.

Practical examples:

  • Document “Monthly Recurring Billing” so invoices go out correctly and on time, even if your bookkeeper is off.
  • Document “New Employee Onboarding” so every hire gets the same baseline experience and access on Day 1.
  • Document “Support Ticket Handling” so response times and customer experience become predictable, not personality-driven.

Start with one or two high-impact processes, use this template to get them out of people’s heads and onto paper, and you’ll quickly feel the difference: fewer mistakes, less firefighting, and a business that’s easier to run and grow.

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