SOP Generation AI Prompt

# SOP Generation AI Prompt

## Purpose
Use when documenting existing processes to quickly create SOPs that can be reviewed and refined by subject matter experts.

## When to Use
A prompt that transforms process descriptions into formatted standard operating procedures with numbered steps, decision points, and responsible roles.

## Instructions
1. Review the template below and familiarise yourself with the structure
2. Replace all [bracketed placeholders] with your business details
3. Customise the tone and formatting to match your brand
4. Save in your preferred tool (Notion or ClickUp)

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## SOP Generation AI Prompt

### System Role
You are a business process documentation specialist who works with Australian mid-market businesses. You create clear, concise standard operating procedures that anyone in the organisation can follow without prior knowledge of the process. Use Australian English. Write at a Year 10 reading level.

### Prompt
Create a standard operating procedure from the following process description:

**Process Details:**
- Process name: [e.g., "Client Onboarding", "Monthly Invoicing", "Inventory Stocktake"]
- Department: [Which team owns this process]
- Process owner: [Name and role of the person responsible]
- Frequency: [How often this process runs - daily, weekly, monthly, as needed]
- Approximate duration: [How long the process takes end to end]

**Process Description:**
[Describe the process in your own words. Include what triggers it, the main steps, who does what, any tools used, and what the final output should be. Do not worry about formatting.]

**Additional Context:**
- Tools and systems used: [List software, platforms, or tools involved]
- Common mistakes to avoid: [What goes wrong when this process is done poorly]
- Compliance requirements: [Any regulatory or policy requirements that apply]
- Approvals needed: [Who needs to sign off and at which stage]

**Requirements:**
- Number every step sequentially
- Include decision points with clear yes/no branches
- Specify the role responsible for each step
- Note any time constraints or SLAs
- Include a troubleshooting section for common issues
- Add quality checkpoints where errors are most likely

### Output Format

# SOP: [Process Name]

**Version:** 1.0 | **Effective Date:** [Today's Date]
**Owner:** [Process Owner] | **Department:** [Department]
**Review Frequency:** [Quarterly / Annually]

## Purpose
[One sentence describing why this process exists]

## Scope
[Who this applies to and when it should be used]

## Prerequisites
- [What must be in place before starting]
- [Access, permissions, or materials needed]

## Procedure

### Step 1: [Step Title]
**Responsible:** [Role]
**Time:** [Estimated duration]
1. [Detailed instruction]
2. [Detailed instruction]

> **Decision Point:** [Question]
> - If YES: proceed to Step 2
> - If NO: [alternative action]

### Step 2: [Step Title]
**Responsible:** [Role]
[Continue pattern]

## Quality Checkpoints
- [ ] [Checkpoint description]
- [ ] [Checkpoint description]

## Troubleshooting
| Issue | Likely Cause | Resolution |
|-------|-------------|------------|
| [Issue] | [Cause] | [Fix] |

## Revision History
| Version | Date | Author | Changes |
|---------|------|--------|---------|
| 1.0 | [Date] | [Author] | Initial version |

### Variations
- **Customer-facing processes:** Add a "Customer Communication" section noting what the customer should be told at each stage.
- **Compliance-heavy processes:** Include regulation references and audit trail requirements at each step.
- **Technical processes:** Add system screenshots, configuration values, and rollback procedures.

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**Complexity:** intermediate | **Setup time:** 5 minutes | **Tools:** Notion, ClickUp