SOP

Also called Standard operating procedure, Process documentation, Runbook

Written instructions for how a recurring task is done. Dull, and the foundation of ever being able to delegate anything.

What it means

A standard operating procedure documents how a task is performed, step by step, so it can be done consistently by different people.

In regulated sectors they are often mandatory and inspected.

Why it matters

An owner-managed business is limited by what is in the owner's head. Writing it down is the only way work is genuinely handed over rather than temporarily lent.

It is also a business continuity measure and a real asset in a sale: a business that runs on documented process is worth more than one that runs on one person's memory.

What it looks like in practice

Write them when you next do the task, not as a project. Screenshots and a short video are usually enough.

Keep them where the work happens, not in a folder nobody opens.

Have the next person to do the task update it. A procedure that is wrong is worse than none, and the person following it is the one who finds out.

What to watch out for

Documenting a broken process. Fix it first, or you will scale the problem.

Volume for its own sake. Document the tasks that are frequent, risky or done by more than one person.

Where to get proper advice

In regulated sectors, your regulator will specify what must be documented. Otherwise this is internal work.