Procedures say how; a staff handbook says what the rules are and who to speak to. The two read best when they share a voice and a layout, and the Mrala Enterprise profile shows how a numbered method looks when it is designed to be followed. Everything else we write is on the copywriting page.
Standard operating procedures
Written so the new starter gets it right.
Standard operating procedures tell staff how a task is done here, every time. We write and design SOPs from the way your best people work.
Why bother
What are standard operating procedures for?
So the job is done the same way whoever is on shift. A standard operating procedure captures the method your most experienced person uses and makes it the method everyone uses. New staff learn faster, mistakes repeat less and the knowledge stays when someone leaves.
They are also what an auditor asks to see. Quality systems built on ISO 9001 expect documented procedures, and so do many tender evaluators and insurers. Our SOP writing and template design gives you a set that reads well and holds up under inspection.
Anatomy
What goes into an SOP?
The same sections in the same order, so a reader who has used one can use them all.
| Section | What it says |
|---|---|
| Title and reference | The task, a reference number, the version, the owner and the date |
| Purpose and scope | Why the procedure exists, where it applies and where it stops |
| Steps | Numbered actions in order, one action per step, with photos or screens where they help |
| Checks and records | How the person knows each step worked and what is recorded where |
| Revision history | What changed, when and who approved it |
Formats
Which format suits the task?
Steps
Step-by-step document
For tasks with many stages or exceptions: opening a new account, closing the month, handling a complaint.
Checklist
One-page checklist
For daily and weekly routines, with a box to tick and a line to sign.
Flowchart
Decision flowchart
For procedures that branch, such as triage or approvals, so the reader follows the arrows rather than a wall of “if”.
Card
Work card at the station
A laminated A4 or Letter sheet with photos, fixed where the task happens.
Template
What does the SOP template include?
Every set comes with a template, so the next procedure your team writes matches the last one we wrote.
- A Word master with stylesHeadings, numbered steps, caution boxes and tables set up as styles, so formatting cannot drift.
- A controlled headerReference, version, owner, date and page count on every page, with a sign-off block on the last.
- A register of proceduresOne spreadsheet listing every SOP, its owner, its version and its next review date.
Questions
Questions about standard operating procedures
Question not here? Send it to us and we will answer it directly.
Ask a questionHow do we start?
Email hello@redfoxbranding.com or fill in the project form with a list of the tasks you want documented and anything you already have, however rough. We send a fixed quote in GBP, USD or ZAR with a suggested format for each procedure. Writing begins once you have approved the list.
Do you need to visit us?
Usually not. We interview the people who do the task on a video call and ask them to walk through it while we watch, or to film it on a phone. For physical work we ask for photographs of each stage.
Who signs off a procedure that touches safety or employment law?
Your safety officer, HR adviser or lawyer, as the subject demands. We write the steps from what your experts tell us and lay them out clearly; they confirm that the method meets the law and your insurer’s conditions. The sign-off block on the last page records who approved it and when.
Can our own staff write the next ones?
That is the point of the template. Anyone who can use Word can open the master, follow the section order and produce a procedure that matches the set. The register keeps track of versions and review dates, and we are here if a tricky one needs an outside hand.
Do you need the handbook as well?
Get a quote for standard operating procedures
Send us the list of tasks, who does them and what you already have written down. You get a fixed quote in GBP, USD or ZAR, a suggested format for each procedure and the questions we will ask your team. From there we write and design standard operating procedures your staff will actually follow.