SOP Starter Kit: Andrew Wilkinson & Tiny’s Simple Process Template
SOP Starter Kit: Andrew Wilkinson & Tiny’s Simple Process Template
SOP Starter Kit: Andrew Wilkinson & Tiny’s Simple Process Template is the no-fluff way I turn chaos into calm.
I’ll give you a one-page SOP you can copy.
I’ll show you how to name, version, and assign owners.
I’ll add example SOPs you can ship today.
Every sentence is short and on its own line.
Why SOPs matter (and why short wins)
SOPs make outcomes consistent when the calendar gets loud.
They protect margins, speed, and sanity.
Short, clear SOPs get used.
Long ones collect dust.
For writing with ruthless brevity, see our blog post: I Don’t Respond to Long Emails.
What “good” looks like
One page.
One owner.
One definition of done.
One checklist you can run on a phone.
For weekly execution rhythm, see: 02: Journaling With AI.
Naming, versioning, and ownership
Name SOPs like Function – Process – vX.Y – YYYY-MM-DD.
Add Owner, Backup, and Reviewer at the top.
Update versions when steps change, not when typos change.
Archive old versions in a folder called _deprecated.
The 1-page SOP template (copy/paste)
TITLE: {Function – Process} — v{X.Y} — {YYYY-MM-DD}
OWNER: {Name, Role} BACKUP: {Name} REVIEWER: {Name}
CADENCE: {When this runs} NEXT REVIEW: {YYYY-MM-DD}
PURPOSE
One sentence on the outcome this SOP guarantees.
TRIGGERS
• When this starts.
• Who starts it.
PREP
• Links, tools, permissions, data needed.
STEPS (CHECKLIST)
[ ] Step 1 — Action + who + tool/link.
[ ] Step 2 — Action + who + tool/link.
[ ] Step 3 — Action + who + tool/link.
[ ] Step 4 — Action + who + tool/link.
DEFINITION OF DONE (DoD)
• What must be true when this is finished.
• Where proof lives (link/screenshot/record).
QUALITY BARS
• Max time allowed: {hh:mm or days}.
• Error threshold: {<X% returns / <Y% reopens}.
• Escalation rule: {When and to whom}.
RACI
R — Responsible: {Name/Role}
A — Accountable: {Name/Role}
C — Consulted: {Teams/Roles}
I — Informed: {Teams/Roles}
EXCEPTIONS & EDGE CASES
• Case → Action → Owner.
LOGGING
• Where to record completion and exceptions.
CHANGE LOG
• {YYYY-MM-DD} — {What changed} — {Editor}
SOP index template (copy/paste)
SOP INDEX — v1.0 — {YYYY-MM-DD}
| ID | Process | Team | Owner | Backup | Cadence | Last Review | Next Review | Link |
|----|---------|------|-------|--------|---------|-------------|-------------|------|
| 001 | Order-to-Cash | Finance | A. Patel | L. Ng | Daily | 2025-06-01 | 2025-09-01 | [doc] |
| 002 | Incident Response | Eng | R. Khan | J. Lee | 24/7 | 2025-05-20 | 2025-08-20 | [doc] |
| 003 | New Hire Onboarding | People Ops | S. Ray | K. Moss | Weekly | 2025-06-15 | 2025-09-15 | [doc] |
| 004 | Quarterly Price Update | RevOps | D. Kim | T. Fox | Quarterly | 2025-07-01 | 2025-10-01 | [doc] |
Writing rules that keep SOPs used
Start each step with a verb.
Put the owner in the step.
Link the actual tool.
Cut adjectives.
One screen per SOP on mobile.
For clear, memorable messaging, see: Never Tell, Always Storytell.
Review cadence and audits
Review critical SOPs quarterly.
Review the rest semi-annually.
Add a spot check each Friday: pick one SOP and run it cold.
Track cycle time, error rate, and reopen rate.
Example SOP #1 — Order-to-Cash (finance)
TITLE: Finance – Order-to-Cash — v1.2 — 2025-08-21
OWNER: A. Patel (Controller) BACKUP: L. Ng REVIEWER: CFO
CADENCE: Daily on business days NEXT REVIEW: 2025-11-21
PURPOSE
Invoice fast, collect faster, keep DSO ≤ 38 days.
TRIGGERS
• New booking in CRM marked “Closed-Won”.
PREP
• Access to CRM, Invoicing, Bank, AR Aging dashboard.
STEPS
[ ] Create invoice from booking within 24h — Owner: Billing — Link: {Invoicing URL}
[ ] Send invoice + payment options — Owner: Billing — Template: {Email link}
[ ] Post receipt same day as deposit hits — Owner: AR — Link: {Bank}
[ ] Flag >30d overdue for dunning — Owner: AR — Link: {Dunning tool}
[ ] Weekly AR standup — Owner: Controller — Note: update DSO metric
DEFINITION OF DONE
• Invoice sent ≤24h.
• Cash applied same day.
• DSO on track per dashboard.
QUALITY BARS
• DSO ≤ 38.
• >95% invoices accurate first pass.
• Escalate any single invoice >60d to CFO.
RACI
R: Billing, AR A: Controller C: Sales Ops I: CFO
EXCEPTIONS
• Dispute opened → Pause dunning → Notify Sales Ops → Create ticket.
LOGGING
• Close checklist in AR dashboard and tag #otc.
Example SOP #2 — Incident Response (engineering)
TITLE: Eng – Incident Response — v2.0 — 2025-08-21
OWNER: R. Khan (SRE Lead) BACKUP: J. Lee REVIEWER: VP Eng
CADENCE: 24/7 on-call NEXT REVIEW: 2025-10-21
PURPOSE
Restore service fast and prevent repeats.
TRIGGERS
• PagerDuty alert P1/P2.
PREP
• Access to runbooks, dashboards, rollback, status page.
STEPS
[ ] Acknowledge alert ≤2 min — On-call — {PagerDuty}
[ ] Create incident room + roles — On-call — {Slack template}
[ ] Status page update ≤10 min — Comms — {Statuspage}
[ ] Mitigate: rollback/scale/feature flag — On-call — {Runbook}
[ ] Postmortem within 48h — Owner assigned — {Doc template}
DEFINITION OF DONE
• MTTR ≤ target by severity.
• Postmortem with actions logged.
QUALITY BARS
• P1 comms every 15 min until stable.
• Escalate to VP Eng at 30 min if not stable.
RACI
R: On-call SRE A: SRE Lead C: Product, CS I: Exec
EXCEPTIONS
• Security event → Switch to SecIR SOP.
LOGGING
• Link incident ID to changelog and backlog items.
Example SOP #3 — New Hire Onboarding (people ops)
TITLE: People – New Hire Onboarding — v1.4 — 2025-08-21
OWNER: S. Ray (People Ops) BACKUP: K. Moss REVIEWER: COO
CADENCE: Weekly cohorts NEXT REVIEW: 2025-11-21
PURPOSE
Get new hires productive by Day 5 and confident by Day 30.
TRIGGERS
• Offer accepted.
PREP
• Equipment order, accounts list, manager 30-60-90 plan.
STEPS
[ ] Send welcome + Day-1 agenda — People Ops — {Email template}
[ ] Ship laptop + accessories — IT — {Procurement portal}
[ ] Provision accounts — IT — {Access checklist}
[ ] Manager kickoff — Manager — {30-60-90 template}
[ ] Culture + Security session — People + IT — {Deck}
DEFINITION OF DONE
• All tools accessible by end of Day 1.
• First task shipped by Day 5.
• 30-day check passes scorecard.
QUALITY BARS
• <2% access issues Day 1.
• NPS ≥ 60 on 30-day survey.
RACI
R: People Ops A: COO C: IT, Manager I: Finance
EXCEPTIONS
• Visa delays → shift start date → preboard access to async learning.
LOGGING
• HRIS task list and onboarding dashboard.
Example SOP #4 — Quarterly price update (RevOps)
Use this with value-based pricing and a churn-safe email.
For scripts, read: Pricing Strategy That Works and Price Increase Email Template.
TITLE: RevOps – Quarterly Price Update — v1.1 — 2025-08-21
OWNER: D. Kim (RevOps) BACKUP: T. Fox REVIEWER: CRO
CADENCE: Quarterly NEXT REVIEW: 2025-11-21
PURPOSE
Lift NRR ≥ 100% without spiking churn.
STEPS
[ ] Identify eligible cohort and exclusions — RevOps
[ ] Generate bridge offers — RevOps — {Sheet}
[ ] Send notice + options — CS — {Email template}
[ ] Track churn/downgrades/expansion — Analytics
[ ] Retro + rollback guardrails — CRO
DoD
• NRR ≥ target.
• Churn ≤ threshold.
• Lessons logged.
Example SOP #5 — Release checklist (product/eng)
TITLE: Product – Release Checklist — v1.0 — 2025-08-21
OWNER: PM BACKUP: Eng Lead REVIEWER: VP Product
CADENCE: Per release NEXT REVIEW: 2025-10-21
PURPOSE
Ship safely with zero surprise regressions.
STEPS
[ ] Merge freeze window announced — PM
[ ] Tests green + security checks — Eng
[ ] Rollout plan + guardrails — PM
[ ] Stage validation + signoff — QA + PM
[ ] Gradual rollout + monitor — Eng + SRE
[ ] Changelog + help center — PM + Support
DoD
• Error budget steady.
• Support tickets not elevated.
Attach these three helpers to every SOP
Definition of Done (DoD).
Write the finish line so anyone can judge success in 10 seconds.
Escalation ladder.
Name who to page at T+15, T+30, T+60.
Proof link.
Paste the dashboard, folder, or system where evidence lives.
Where SOPs live (and how to keep them alive)
Put SOPs in one shared space.
Use short links that never change.
Ban attachments.
Review dates live at the top of each SOP.
Pin the index to your team’s home channel.
Common failure modes (and quick fixes)
Too long → Cut to one page.
Too vague → Add DoD and a timer.
Too anonymous → Assign an owner and backup.
Too stale → Add next review date and honor it.
Too hidden → Pin the index and link from tickets.
Add SOPs to your weekly cadence
Pick one SOP to spot-run in the team meeting.
Note any drift and update the doc live.
Celebrate the clean run.
Fix the messy run.
Internal links you’ll likely want
For concise emails that keep work moving, read: I Don’t Respond to Long Emails.
For storytelling your change without jargon, read: Never Tell, Always Storytell.
For a weekly operating loop that compounds, read: 02: Journaling With AI.
For finance hygiene that underwrites your process, read: Quality of Earnings for SMBs.
For the quiet money move at closing, read: Working Capital Peg Explained.
FAQs
How long should an SOP be.
One page with a checklist you can run on a phone.
Who writes SOPs.
The person doing the work, reviewed by the person accountable.
How often should I review SOPs.
Quarterly for critical paths, semi-annually for the rest.
What tools should I use.
Any shared doc tool with stable links and permissions.
Simplicity beats features.
How do I enforce usage.
Link SOPs in tickets and forms.
Make the checklist the path to done.
What metrics prove SOPs work.
Cycle time, error rate, reopen rate, and adherence.
How do I avoid “SOP theater.”
Spot-run one SOP weekly.
Delete steps nobody uses.
Can SOPs be videos.
Use short videos for tricky steps, but keep the written checklist primary.
What if the owner leaves.
The backup becomes owner, and the reviewer assigns a new backup in 24 hours.
How do SOPs help me sell my business.
They prove replaceability and predictability.
That converts complexity into cash at close.
Conclusion
SOP Starter Kit: Andrew Wilkinson & Tiny’s Simple Process Template gives you one page, one owner, one checklist, and one definition of done.
Use the templates, pin the index, and run a weekly spot check so your processes stay alive and your outcomes stay boring and profitable.
Get Your Copy of Never Enough at https://www.neverenough.com/
