| Cover Story “SOPs can take many forms – from handwritten Post-it notes, to checklists hanging on the wall, to long, detailed operating manuals, to multimedia websites – but the purpose of any SOP is always to capture and communicate the steps for doing a task.” Comprose (www.comprose.com) is a singlepoint resource for any organization that wants to streamline and standardize operating procedures and best practices. “Ideally, an SOP represents a best practice – the steps to consistently achieve a desired result,” she adds. “Formal SOPs and policy manuals present the correct, or ‘officially approved,’ steps for carrying out work for the organization in keeping with the laws, goals, policies, regulations and requirements of the organization.” WHY BOTHER? Many organizations create SOPs because their customers or their regulators tell them to, Lillian Erickson, global quality manager for MasterControl, observes. “This is a start, but it doesn’t leverage the power of an SOP. The intent of creating an SOP is to standardize work where such standardization creates controls, which lessen risk to the product or process.” MasterControl (www.mastercontrol.com) provides quality and compliance software solutions and services to regulated companies worldwide. “A large company without SOPs runs the risk of having ‘too many cooks in the kitchen’ and not having critical processes performed consistently,” she says. “A small organization without SOPs runs the risk of having very little oversight, and therefore, making decisions based on best guesses. “Without controls in place, any organization, whether large or small, will run into issues which could have been solved by standardizing work.” “Good SOPs help any organization cut costs, work faster, cut waste, better utilize staff and supervisors, navigate change and uncertainty and prepare for growth,” Comprose’s Tarwater adds. “SOPs are incredibly beneficial tools, which is why they exist in the first place.” She points out that the “first ever written SOPs were created by the railroad industry in the 1890s – literally to prevent train wrecks. By creating and distributing SOPs to their employees and standardizing how work was done, the railroads could better coordinate operations (and) prevent major problems, a.k.a., train wrecks. That’s a primary function in every organization: smoother operations, fewer problems.” POSSIBLE DRAWBACKS Both Tarwater of Comprose and Erickson of MasterControl note that there are potential disadvantages of using SOPs. “I often run into procedures which were created with no room for flexibility at all, however, many processes have more than one good way of Once an SOP (standard operating procedure) is written, it needs to be reviewed before implementation by both management and technicians in order to ensure accuracy and consistency of procedures. Photo courtesy of Mack Trucks achieving the required end,” says Erickson. “SOPs should only include controls where risk necessitates it. Unnecessary controls lead to waste and ultimately loss of adherence by end users, who will eventually find their own workarounds.” Tarwater warns that if SOPs “do not represent best practices, are confusing, out of date or unusable, they could lead employees astray and cause problems instead of prevent them. Also, organizations can throw time and money down the drain by using outdated or ineffective methods for creating and managing SOPs.” A GOOD SOP MasterControl’s Erickson says a good SOP needs to be written so it can be followed, not so it can sound like a re-reading of an ISO standard. “If end users cannot tell what they are required to know or do after reading an SOP, than the SOP has failed. Objectives should be clearly stated. Responsibilities should be clearly defined. Deliverables should be clearly called out.” Comprose’s Tarwater adds that “a good SOP is one that people can and do use. It is clear, easy to follow and contains all the information the employee needs to do that job. What is the job and why do it? Whose job is it? When do you do it? What do you need to have and know before you begin? What do you do if something goes wrong? These are all critical questions that many SOPs leave out.” Good SOPs can help any shop better utilize technicians and supervisors, cut costs, speed work and reduce waste. Photo courtesy of DK Communications 10 FLEET MAINTENANCE ❚ APRIL 2016 ❚ VehicleServicePros.com
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