These guides are written for owners, office managers, and the people who actually do the work. Most of them apply whether you write SOPs by hand or use a tool.
Which guides are here?
- What is an SOP? An SOP is a written, repeatable way to do one task the same way every time, and it is usable only if it covers the decisions and exceptions, not just the steps.
- How to write an SOP Pick the task, capture a real run, write down the decisions, test it with someone new, and keep it current.
- SOP best practices SOPs get followed when they cover one task, name an owner, explain the why behind each choice, and get reviewed when something real changes.
- SOP vs process vs work instruction A process is what happens, an SOP is how your team does it, and a work instruction is how to do one step, shown through one worked example.
- SOP glossary Plain definitions of the terms that come up when you document work, from trigger and decision point to click log and redaction.
- How to document insurance agency workflows Start with certificates of insurance and endorsements, capture real runs in your AMS, and write down how carrier and account differences change each step.
- How to onboard a new back-office hire faster Give new hires a first-week task list, SOPs for the most common tasks, and a way to get answers without interrupting the one person who knows.
- The real cost of undocumented processes Undocumented work costs you in interruptions, errors, slow onboarding, and risk when someone leaves, and a worksheet lets you estimate it with your own numbers.
- How to migrate an insurance agency to a new AMS Document how the agency works before the switch, map each workflow to the new system, and rewrite the SOPs after cutover.
Where should you start reading?
Pick the path that matches why you are here.
If you are new to SOPs:
- What is an SOP?
- SOP vs process vs work instruction
- How to write an SOP
- SOP best practices
Keep the glossary open in another tab for any term that is unfamiliar.
If you run or manage an insurance agency:
- How to document insurance agency workflows
- The real cost of undocumented processes
- How to migrate an insurance agency to a new AMS (if a system change is coming)
Then look at the workflow catalog, which covers certificates, endorsements, renewals, claims intake, new business, and cancellations in detail.
If you are about to onboard a new hire:
- How to onboard a new back-office hire faster
- What is an SOP?
- How to write an SOP
Write SOPs for the tasks the new hire will do in their first week, before their first day.
What if you would rather not start from a blank page?
Two options. Copy the free SOP template, which has sections for the trigger, steps, decision points, exceptions, and a completion check. Or record the task once in your browser and let SopWow write the draft, then review and approve it.
Either way, the rule is the same: the person who does the task should be the source, and someone else should be able to follow the result.
Ready to write your first SOP?
Record one real task and see the procedure SopWow writes from it. Your first 3 SOPs are free, with no card required.