sop-authoring

SOP Authoring (procedures a new hire can execute unaided)

The executable-SOP contract

An SOP is executable when a competent newcomer with the stated access completes it correctly without asking anyone. That needs nine elements:

Title             the outcome as a task ("Refund a duplicate charge")
Trigger           the exact event or condition that starts this procedure
Prerequisites     access, permissions, tools, credentials, inputs, approvals needed BEFORE step 1
Steps             numbered, ONE action each, imperative, with the exact UI path or command
Expected result   per step: what the reader should see if it worked
Decision points   explicit branches — "If X → go to 7. If Y → go to 12."
Definition of done the observable end state, plus what to record and where
Escalation        who to contact, on which channel, within what time, when a step fails
Owner + dates     named owner (role and person), version, last reviewed, next review date

Missing any one turns the document into a reminder for people who already know the process.

SOP vs runbook vs policy

Policy   WHAT must and must not happen, and why — the rule. No steps. Changes rarely.
SOP      HOW a recurring, planned task is performed correctly and repeatably.
Runbook  HOW to respond to a failure or incident — diagnosis-first, branch-heavy, written for
         pressure: symptoms, checks, mitigations, rollback, comms.

Do not blend them: a policy stuffed with clicks goes stale on the next UI change, and an SOP that argues rationale buries its own steps. Cross-reference instead.

Write for the least experienced reader

Assume no tribal knowledge. Expand every acronym on first use. Name the exact menu, button, table, queue or environment — never "the usual dashboard". Give the literal command with placeholders marked and the source of real values named. State what NOT to do wherever a plausible wrong action is destructive. Never write "obviously", "simply" or "just".

Weak:   "Verify the payment went through in the admin panel and update the ticket."
Strong: 4. Open Admin → Payments → search the charge ID from step 2.
           Expected: status reads SETTLED and the amount matches the ticket.
           If PENDING, wait 10 minutes and repeat step 4 once.
           If still PENDING, escalate (see Escalation) — do NOT issue a second refund.