Standard Operating Procedure Case Study

Introduction
A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is a set of written instructions that provide individuals with the information to perform a task or job properly, and provides guidelines to maintain the quality and to acquire the results of the product. This essay would be covering the evaluation of the SOP in regard to its functions, and the aspects that specify whether the SOP is good or bad. Furthermore, the SOP of making a cup of tea would be considered and completely [presented in eth form of written steps that when practically adopted would be producing an excellent cup of tea without any flaws (Lendrum, Perkins & Davies 2014).
Functions of SOP
There are certain many functions that are drawn by the SOP. Some of the important functions
These are used as a checklist to deliver proper performance and help employees to coach others on the job (Wilkinson, Donaghey & Dundon 2014). Most of the organisations, which follow different quality standards they are supposed to develop SOPs for different tasks and duties (Gschwend et al. 2012). Working according to SOPs also protects environment and these are used almost in every profession like in engineering, military, hospitals, food industries and in many other institutions (Schmidt et al. 2013).
What makes a Good and Bad SOP
While making a contrast between the good and bad SOPs, it is kept in mind that by whom the SOP has to be used and the proper use of these SOPs for achieving the required output level of products or services.
Good
Keeping in view their culture, age, and education can be very important while writing good SOPs. If the people are not comfortable with the detailed instructions then these can be made more concise. The language should be easy so that everyone can easily understand. Pictures or diagrams can be included to make them understand how to perform a particular task (Mallett & Wapshott 2014). Good SOPs incorporate the culture of safety and tend to protect the environment and health. It makes an employee effective and more productive and gives him a clear picture of his duties and responsibilities regarding his work (Karakatsani et al. 2012).
Bad SOPs or Mistakes with the SOPs
The bad SOPs are mostly in difficult language and are not updated. Sometimes the irrelevant persons write the SOPs, which may contain lots of text, and boring format too will make it ineffective (Schmidt et al. 2013). Educationists have found that 83% learning occurs visually so diagrams and pictures showing the proper action of a work will make an SOP more effective (Wu et al. 2011). Negative and unfriendly words like “do not” or “cannot” should be avoided because these are considered mistakes (Osman 2012).
SOP to Make a Cup of