Why SOPs don't get written
Every owner knows they should write down how things are done. It rarely happens, because writing procedures is slow, the knowledge sits in someone's head, and that person is busy doing the work. AI removes the slow part. You can explain a job out loud in ten minutes, and AI is good at turning a messy spoken explanation into a structured document.
It's the same idea behind My AI Plan: a spoken interview captures how your business really runs faster than any form.
The method
- Pick one task that's done often, done inconsistently, or that only one person knows. Opening or closing, a standard service visit, onboarding a client and month-end invoicing are common first picks.
- Record it. Use your phone's voice memo or a video. Talk through each step as you do it, including the why: "we check this first because..."
- Transcribe. Most phones transcribe voice memos, and ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini accept audio or transcripts.
- Run the SOP prompt below.
- Review with the expert. The person who does the job marks what's wrong or missing.
- Test it. Have someone who has never done the task follow it while you watch quietly. Fix every point where they hesitated.
- Store and date it somewhere the team actually looks, with an owner and a review date.
The SOP prompt
Here's a transcript of [name] explaining how we [task] at our [type of business]: [paste]. Turn it into a standard operating procedure with: 1) purpose in one sentence, 2) when it's done and how long it takes, 3) tools and materials needed, 4) numbered steps in plain language, one action per step, 5) a short checklist version for the wall or phone, 6) common mistakes and how to avoid them, 7) when to stop and ask a manager. Only use what's in the transcript. Mark gaps with [ASK].
The [ASK] markers matter. They show you where the expert skipped something they do without thinking, and that's usually the step new people get wrong.
From this SOP, write five short questions a new employee should be able to answer after reading it, with answers.
Translate this checklist into [language] in simple, everyday wording for staff on the floor. Keep the step numbers the same.
If you translate, have a fluent speaker check the result before it goes on the wall.
Which SOPs to write first
- Tasks that cause customer complaints when done wrong.
- Tasks only one person knows: your risk if they're out sick or leave.
- Tasks new hires do in their first two weeks. These SOPs double as training (see AI for hiring).
- Safety-related steps, which should also be checked against the rules that apply to your trade.
Cautions
- AI fills gaps confidently. Never publish an SOP the expert hasn't reviewed.
- Safety and compliance steps (chemicals, food handling, equipment lockout, health records) must match the regulations and manufacturer instructions for your work, not AI wording.
- Keep customer details out of recordings and transcripts you paste into AI tools.
- SOPs go stale. Give each one an owner and a review date.
Where SOPs fit in your business's AI plan
Written procedures make every other AI step easier: you can't automate a task nobody has written down. Your AI plan identifies which of your processes to document first and which tools can help your team follow them.