How to maintain currency of SOPs

SOP (Standard Operating Procedures) Optimization

• Conduct a workshop to assess your SOP documentation and derive an action plan
• Develop a risk management plan and associated procedures covering your IT-related operations
• Implement risk-based methods in key processes and procedures, like validation planning, testing, change control
• Streamline SOP’s pre-checks, implementation steps and post-checks. Automate wherever applicable to reduce the manual efforts and, importantly, to avoid human errors; whilst adhering to process resulting in improved turnaround time
• Optimize selected processes using proven methods and techniques, deploy fully developed pre-filled templates, e.g. for testing or change tickets
• Identify processes where automated tool support is highly beneficial and define business requirements for software tools. Remember to follow the approach    People >> Process >> Tools and avoid the reverse approach
• Evaluate whether vendor support required for the chosen tools based on your business requirements. Support increases maintainence cost but there is always experts to help you out in burning situations
• Manage the implementation and validation of selected software tools
• Maintain the SOPs and knowledge objects in a repository which should be ease of use for end users with no frills and fancies.
• Train your employees in applying the revised SOPs and seek feedback to make continuous improvement
• Setup a quarterly review meeting with all stake holders including end users to make timely amendments and release SOPs by following standard approval process