Create Visual SOP Documents

Create Visual SOP Documents that Drive Process Optimization, Not Just Peace of Mind. PRIORITY PRICAITY PRIORITY SOPS are out of date and SOPS are incomplete. The full process lives only in the process Organizations don't have time to devote to SOPS are text heavy ineffective. Many organi- manuals. People don't want to read 100-page documents, owner's head, making it so they don't. the process. The SOP to-do list is so large that impossible to review and organizations simply don't know where or zations take an ad hoc approach or create SOPS just to meet compliance requirements. optimize, or train others. how to get started. The result? Processes are poorly defined, leading to miscommunication, conflict and inefficiency. Info-Tech Insights and Recommendations Content Guidelines Have SOP "parties" ITIL process ISO COBIT SOP documentation Meet and define current SOPS and Don't expect ITIL, COBIT, or ISO to do your work for you. Having a framework in place doesn't guarantee a usable and complete SOP library. They emphasize process requirements rather than document development. collaborate to identify optimization opportunities. Get the steps out of process owners' heads. Establish content guidelines for the document information block, balancing consistency with simplicity. Disaster Recovery / Failover Back-up and Mission-Critical Service Pre-fill documents with standard terms and examples. Recovery Procedure Operations Management Procedures Restore When documenting SOPS, start with mission-critical operations: maintenance for critical systems, client-facing services, and change management. Then, move on to service management: service desk procedures, escalation procedures, and system monitoring. Then move on to disaster recovery procedures, recovery / failover procedures, and backup and restore procedures. Three goals for simple CMS Keep your CMS simple with these three goals: V Focus on searchability so documents are easy to find. V Clearly indicate document version and approval Visual presentations are more effective than walls of text. status. V Minimize document management effort for staff to ensure buy-in and consistency. X Practices to avoid: Users maintaining their own local copies of commonly used docu- ments to avoid searching for them. • Use flowcharts for a high-level view of more detailed procedures. • Use checklists to streamline step-by-step procedures. • Use topology diagrams to capture network layout. • Use screen captures and tutorials to facilitate training for applications and SOPS. • Provide a link to the full manual as an additional reference. Impact of undocumented/ undefined SOPS Benefits of documented SOPS Separate teams implementing their own document management system, leading to duplication of effort and resources, version control issues, and no centralized management of sensitive documents. X Delegation becomes more difficult Improved training and knowledge transfer X Automation becomes challenging IT automation, process optimization and consistent operations Documenting SOPS for an audit is more time-intensive Compliance Other areas of the organization may not understand how IT operates Transparancy Users ignoring documented SOPS or asking a colleague who might be following poor practices. Costs savings X Work is inefficiently allocated Documentation has its X Think visuals, not text. own value. Documenting SOPS: • Improves consistency • Facilitates process improvements • Contributes to efficient IT operations A visual format is typically quicker to scan and therefore it is more likely to be used by employees. A wall of text is difficult to consume, so it's less likely to be used and is more time-consuming to update. Simplicity is key. Collaboration is key. Organizing, managing, and accessing the files must be simple if the files are to be used. If your employees can't find the SOP, they won't use it. Collaboration when creating and documenting SOPS draws out unwritten steps, uncovers inefficiencies, and facilitates process improvement by getting input from others who are affected by the process, can provide an outside perspective, or who have the authority to address process obstacles. SOPS are critical to improved IT operations and need to be prioritized. Understand the benefits PRIORITY PRIORITY of optimizing SOPS and the risks of neglecting them. SOPS need to be integrated as a mandatory piece of project planning to ensure that the SOPS are created and maintained. RIORITY Prioritize, optimize, PRIORITY PRIORITY 2 and document critical SOPS. Start this project today Establish a sustainable 3 SOP documentation INFO~TECH process. RESE ARCH GROU P Determine an appropriate 4 content management CMS www.infotech.com solution for your SOPS. 1-888-670-8889