Owner mindset

Writing Your First SOP - Address a Key or Frequently Used Process

· Business Coach · 5 minute read

Two people in a workshop reviewing a checklist in a binder

You know that question your crew asks you every single job? Or the detail that gets missed until somebody's standing around waiting for an answer?

That's a pretty good clue about where to start documenting how work gets done in your remodeling business.

You don't need a giant operations manual. You need one clear process that keeps the same problem from landing on your desk again and again.

An SOP (standard operating procedure) is simply a written explanation of how a task gets done, who's responsible, and what a finished job looks like. Done well, it saves questions, rework, and time.

Find a Repeat Problem Worth Solving

Think back over your last few jobs. Where did the same confusion or delay show up more than once?

Maybe the tile installer arrived and could not find the tile for the bathroom. Maybe a client asked for a change, but nobody wrote it down, but your guys went ahead and completed the work. Or maybe the project manager gets an earful from a client who is caught by surprise when something a client requested during the sales walkthrough but never got relayed or communicated and they don’t have it planned - or worse yet, did something else already.

Those are the kinds of [costly] repeat problems worth solving.

But don't rush to write down the steps just the way they are. Firstly, ask whether the way you're doing the work makes sense. Documenting a bad handoff doesn't make it a good one.

Write Down the Five Things Your Team Needs to Know

Keep the first standard operating procedure (SOP) simple. One page may be plenty.

Make sure it answers these questions:

  • What starts or triggers this task?
  • Who's responsible for getting it done? In multiple steps it may be a few people.
  • What information or materials do they need?
  • Is there a specific place things are stored, documented, take place or relayed? For example, in your CRM or project software, in the office, on your drive, in email vs text.
  • What steps do you want them to follow? Are there any exceptions (when an alternative process happens)?
  • Are there sub-steps or mini processes that are encompassed inside of this process and does that need it’s own process? If so, make that one and include in in this one.
  • How do they know it's finished?

Let's use material selections as an example. Before a job moves into production, someone needs to check which selections are approved, what's still missing, and whether the project manager has the latest information.

Your SOP should say who checks, where the approved selections live, who follows up on missing decisions, and who needs to know before work is scheduled.

“Check with the office” isn't a process if three people have three different lists.

And make room for the exceptions. If the homeowner hasn't picked the tile, who flags it? Who decides whether the install gets rescheduled? Your crew shouldn't have to guess.

Also include mandatory steps or critical information that you determine MUST happen before something else. Such as work-stop. I know a builder who doesn’t put a client’s project on their schedule until every single item the client has selected is received.

Test Your Documented Process

Here's where you find out whether your instructions are useful or just look good on paper.

Give the draft to the person who'll use it. Have them walk through a real task and tell you where they get stuck, what is confusing or doesn’t follow how you’re doing things currently.

Maybe you forgot to mention where a file lives. Maybe they don't have access to the software. Or maybe a step that seems obvious to you isn't obvious to someone else.

That's good information. Revise the instructions until everyone agrees it’s complete.

A photo or short screen recording for computer work is often very helpful (sometimes it can get out of date, but I’d still recommend doing it while you’re making the process anyway). Just make sure the important instructions are easy to find without hunting through a video.

Make Sure the Process Stays Useful

An SOP isn't finished just because you saved it in a folder.

Decide who keeps it up to date and where the current version lives. Otherwise, six months from now, your team may be following three different versions of the same process.

After the next few uses, check in.

  • Are people still asking the same questions?
  • Is the right information reaching the next person?
  • Did your team find an easier way to get the job done?

If the repeat problem is getting smaller, you're on the right track. If not, adjust the process.

Start with one problem. Get that process working. Then move to the next one.

Not Sure What to Fix First in Your Remodeling Business?

If the writing process seems daunting given everything you’re trying to juggle…I totally get it. If everything feels like it needs attention, my Business Health Check can help you look at the bigger picture and decide where to focus.

Or let's talk it through. I offer a free, 60-minute discovery call with no obligation. We can look at what's creating extra work for you and where a clearer process might give you some time back.