Ron C Johnson Communications

One of the most contentious and polarized issues I have come across regarding developing procedures is that of minimalist versus comprehensive content in standard operating procedures. Sit down with a group of plant operators and maintenance personnel and ask them what they would like to see in an SOP and then watch what happens. One camp wants a single sheet of paper with less than a dozen basic procedural steps. The other pushes for a comprehensive set of instructions suitable for standardizing the procedure and training new recruits.

I fall into that second camp–probably because of my training background. I see the value to making sure the document targets the lowest common denominator, and can be used to train (or retrain) anyone at any level of competence. That said, I like to include a simple checklist that the more experienced personnel can take with them into the field and use as necessary to make sure everything is covered.