What are Paperless SOPs?

We all know the advantages of SOPs. As much as SOPs makes our task easier, it is important to ensure that these procedural documents are not left unused or outdated. Technology is ever advancing and organizations need to take a giant leap towards filling the gap in the various outdated procedures that they adapt and follow. One among them is Printed Paper SOPs.

Almost every organization has documented SOPs in a written or a printed format on paper. Developing Paperless SOPs will yield many benefits to an organization. Paperless SOPs are Standard Operational Procedures which are integrated into the IT systems or documented in a digital format. Paperless SOPs have already been integrated into most of the IT organizations in the present years. They have been integrated into different ticketing tools as well as BPM tools (Business Process Management tools).

Standard Operating Procedure within BPM can be used to create comprehensive User manuals for the organization workflows and this can be done within the tool which helps prevent the use of paper and gives accessibility to the employees in a few keystrokes. We can include step by step details, the background of the process, notification details etc. in compressed formats enabling the storage of the documents without the uses of Natural resources. It can also be converted into a full web page where the operating procedures are listed. Since being integrated into the BPM tool, the members who have access privileges to the tool will be able to access the SOPs, regardless of the location. Paperless SOPs are easily saved and retrieved On the Go making the availability of the files, easy. Paperless SOPs are cost-effective as they are easily accessed from any part of the globe via electronic communication such as emails, or shared network drives which can be accessed instantaneously.

Progress Tracking: With the SOP’s being integrated into the BPM tools, the employer will have the option to track the progress of the task without needing to check every step from the beginning. The tool tracks the progress of the task in hand and clearly indicates whether the task is in progress, pending or delayed, as per the timelines. Every employee who follows paperless SOP, will have to mark the current progress of the task to the step present in the workflow in the BPM software. This enables the organization to keep track and adherence to the timelines.

Process Upgradation: If a mistake has been committed within the process, and the team is unable to detect where exactly they are facing the issue, paperless SOP helps provide corrective actions as all the steps are well documented and tracked using the automation tools. If the same mistake is repeating every time then we can easily identify the issue and derive corrective actions which helps change the total turnaround time for the process and helps rectify the workflow. Thus, paperless SOPs are not just a more efficient way to store a workflow but also helps save time and money. This ensures the ease of the employee completing the work & enabling him/her gain more focus and motivation towards the work.

Accessible: One of the well-known advantages of paperless SOPs are the organizational benefits of the documents. The ability of an Organization to quickly locate and disseminate informational documents enhances the company’s efficiency and professional outlook. Hence BPM softwares have the ability to automatically backup and store the documents safely in the databases.

Revision: They also have the ability to store the changes made and view the different version of changes made to the document.

Safety: Storing traditional SOP is a time-consuming process and follows old outdated methods such as filing the documents in cabinets and lockers and shredding the same for disposal. This is followed by a presence of security to ensure there are no leaks or theft to the documents. Paperless SOPs within the BPM tool is equipped with advanced system protocols which use top-notch data security methods for storage of paperless SOPs over the cloud and prevent a data breach. These were among the few advantages of using a Paperless SOP. Thus, Paperless SOPs are the only implementable form of SOPs and should be developed by every organization who wish to organize & grow.