Standard Operating Procedures

Definition

Much of Six Sigma improvement efforts involve teams working to reduce or eliminate variation in key processes. One way to do this is make sure that everyone doing the work does it in the same way all the time. A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is a document that prescribes the procedure to be followed routinely by all those doing the work.

SOPs are helpful in:

• Identifying who is responsible for making sure a task is completed.
• Setting what criteria for quality must be met and When.
• Defining what resources are needed to accomplish the task(s).
• Defining what other documentation or records must be kept.
• Describing what to do if something doesn’t work.

SOPs should be kept short and simple, otherwise, people are not apt to refer to them and follow the prescribed procedure routinely.

NOTE: An important part of the SOP process is to update procedures to reflect the a planned process change. Otherwise, a team’s improvement efforts will not be sustained!