What this is
A fill-in-the-blank SOP outline, purpose, stakeholders, numbered milestones, SLAs, and a sign-off table, for documenting a process that currently lives in one person's head.
When to use it
Use it the next time someone on your team says "I'm the only one who knows how to do this."
Common mistake
Writing the process the way the expert does it from memory instead of testing whether a brand-new hire could actually follow the written steps without stopping to ask a question.
How to use this
- Download the Word doc, or copy the template above.
- Fill in each milestone with the actual steps, tools, and links for your process.
- Hand it to a new team member and watch where they get stuck before you call it done.
A process that only lives in one person's head isn't documented, it's a risk. This gives a new team member enough to follow the process without pulling you into it.
[Insert subject here]
Last updated: [date] · By: [name]
Purpose
[One sentence description of what this SOP is for.]
Overview
[Summary of the SOP or description of the setup.]
Key resources
[Outline of links to anything referenced within the process.]
Definitions
[Define any relevant terms within the process.]
Stakeholders involved
[Outline of internal and external teams involved in the process and a brief description of their role. Avoid using specific team member names, use the team they're on instead.]
| Stakeholder name / team | Description of role in the process |
|---|---|
| [team name] | [description] |
| [team name] | [description] |
Process
Provide a clear, step-by-step description of the workflow from start to finish. Break it into logical stages, numbered, so a new team member could follow it without additional explanation. For each stage, include: the stage name and a brief summary of the objective; detailed steps in order, written as action statements starting with a verb; systems or tools used in that step; links to sample tickets that illustrate standard work and common edge cases; screenshots of admin or other systems where configuration or updates are required; links to additional supporting documentation. Replace the placeholder milestones below with the actual stage names.
Milestone 1: [name]
[Detailed steps for this stage.]
Milestone 2: [name]
[Detailed steps for this stage.]
Milestone 3: [name]
[Same structure. Use as many milestones as the process actually needs, don't force it into three if it's really five.]
Service level agreements
[Any timelines, turnaround expectations, or performance targets tied to this process.]
Quality control
[How success is measured, what should be checked, and who checks it, to maintain consistency and support audit.]
Additional notes
[Anything else relevant not captured above.]
Contributors: [names of those who supported initial SOP creation]
Track additional change history and editors in whatever doc tool your team already uses (Google Docs, Notion, etc.).
Contributors: [names of those who supported initial SOP creation]
Track additional change history and editors in whatever doc tool your team already uses (Google Docs, Notion, etc.).
| Reviewer / approver | Title | Date |
|---|---|---|
| [name] | [title] | [date] |
| [name] | [title] | [date] |