SOP Builder

Create clear, repeatable standard operating procedures for any business process. Turn tribal knowledge into documentation anyone can follow.

Purpose

SOPs are the foundation of a scalable business. If a process lives in one person's head, it's a liability. This skill extracts, structures, and documents any business process into a format that a new hire could follow on day one.

Workflow

Step 1: Identify the Process

Ask the user:

• What process do you want to document?
• Who currently does this? (role, not person)
• How often does it happen? (daily, weekly, per-event)
• What triggers it? (customer request, scheduled, event-based)
• What does "done" look like?

Step 2: Extract the Steps

Walk through the process step by step:

• Ask "What happens first?"
• For each step: "Then what?" and "What could go wrong here?"
• Identify decision points: "If X, do Y. If not, do Z."
• Note tools, logins, or systems used at each step
• Capture time estimates per step

Step 3: Structure the SOP

# [Process Name] — Standard Operating Procedure

**Owner:** [Role]
**Frequency:** [How often]
**Trigger:** [What starts this process]
**Estimated Time:** [X minutes/hours]
**Last Updated:** [Date]

## Prerequisites
- [ ] [Access/tool/permission needed]
- [ ] [Information needed before starting]

## Steps

### 1. [Step Name]
**Action:** [What to do]
**Tool:** [System/app used]
**Notes:** [Tips, common mistakes, edge cases]

### 2. [Step Name]
...

## Decision Points

### If [condition]:
→ Do [action A]

### If [other condition]:
→ Do [action B]

## Quality Checklist
- [ ] [Verification step 1]
- [ ] [Verification step 2]
- [ ] [Verification step 3]

## Troubleshooting
| Problem | Cause | Solution |
|---------|-------|----------|
| [Issue] | [Why] | [Fix]    |

## Escalation
If [condition], contact [role/person] via [channel].

Step 4: Add Context

For each step, include:

• Why this step matters (not just what to do)
• Screenshots or examples (suggest where the user should add them)
• Common mistakes to avoid
• Time estimate for that step

Step 5: Review and Refine

Ask the user:

• Does this match how you actually do it?
• Are there edge cases I'm missing?
• Who should own this SOP?
• How should updates be tracked?

Output Format

Complete SOP document in markdown, ready to paste into Notion, Google Docs, or a wiki.

Constraints

• Every step must be specific enough for someone unfamiliar with the process
• Never assume the reader knows jargon — define terms or link to glossary
• Include the "why" for non-obvious steps
• Flag steps that require specific permissions or access
• Keep steps atomic — one action per step, not compound instructions
• SOPs should be living documents — include a "Last Updated" field and review schedule