Standard Operating Procedures, or SOPs, have a bad rap – not because they aren’t useful (they absolutely are!) but because they have a reputation for being a pain to write and maintain.
But, we’re here to put an end to any negative stigma SOPs carry and explain just how important they are and how easy it is to create an SOP for your law firm, especially when you use a tool like Notion.
Why Write SOPs?
SOPs are invaluable resources that enable your law firm to implement repeatable processes with consistency and success.
This in turn makes your entire business operation more efficient, which means you can spend more time focusing on billable projects and less time figuring out the best way to onboard a new client each and every time you do it.
How to Make an SOP for Your Law Firm’s Operations
An SOP writes down the details of any given process from start to finish. By being explicit with which steps to take and when, the entire process becomes easily repeatable, sustainable, and therefore helps your law firm remain profitable.
There are three basic steps to make creating an SOP easier:
- Start with a template – Notion offers a free standard operating procedure template for you to download, duplicate and do whatever you’d like with it. The template may not have everything you need to document your process, but it will be a good place to start as you think about an organized and cohesive way to write down the steps of whatever operational process you choose to start with. As a bonus, Notion enables you to link to other relevant Notebooks within Notion so you can quickly and easily find any supplementary information.
- Include the following elements – Your SOP will be customized for your law firm’s workflow, but there are a few components that make any SOP a good one.
- They unify employees/users – The SOP becomes the single guiding light for whatever process it describes. It should be the one and only source users follow when undertaking a particular process.
- They are heavy on the details – Your SOP should be able to function on its own without any additional hand-holding from another employee. Any user should be able to read through the document (and/or watch accompanying videos or illustrations) and know exactly what to do. No questions asked.
- They are all consistently formatted – Follow the same naming convention for each SOP and format them consistently and logically.
- Store it in a shared location – For an SOP to be useful, it has to be accessible. By storing it in a collaborative platform like Notion, all users can easily find it as well as access any relevant accompanying resources.
We can’t deny that creating SOPs takes upfront time and effort, and we fully understand that it’s not everyone’s idea of a good time.
On the other hand, the payoff is huge, and it comes back in the form of improved productivity, reduced confusion and seamless consistency across your entire law firm’s operation. If you have questions about using Notion for your law firm or need help with any of your Apple technology, please get in touch with us at Honeycrisp.
