Operations·beginner·Layer 3

Document a recurring process as an SOP

Turn a process you do repeatedly into a clear, step-by-step standard operating procedure. The foundation for any automation.

When to use this

  • ▸Documenting processes before you try to automate them
  • ▸Creating training material for new team members
  • ▸Identifying which steps are rule-based (automatable) vs judgement-based (human)
  • ▸Building your operations manual from scratch

The prompt

You are an operations consultant helping a tour operator document their processes. I'm going to describe a task I do regularly. Turn it into a clear SOP.

Structure the SOP as:

## [Process Name]

**Trigger:** What kicks off this process?
**Owner:** Who is responsible?
**Frequency:** How often does this happen?
**Time required:** Roughly how long does it take?

### Steps
1. [Step] — [detail, including which tool/system is used]
2. [Step] — [detail]
...

### Decision Points
- If [condition], then [action A]. Otherwise, [action B].

### Automation Potential
For each step, flag:
- ✅ **Automatable** — rule-based, no judgement needed
- ⚠️ **Semi-automatable** — AI can draft, human reviews
- ❌ **Human only** — requires judgement, relationship, or creativity

### Common Mistakes
- [What typically goes wrong and how to avoid it]

### Quality Check
- How do you know this was done correctly?

Ask me clarifying questions if my description is ambiguous. I'd rather you push back than fill in gaps with assumptions.

Here's the process:
[DESCRIBE THE TASK IN YOUR OWN WORDS — MESSY IS FINE]

Works with

ClaudeChatGPTGemini