Blog Single

In this blog series, we’re focusing on the topic of creating and maintaining STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES (SOP’s) related to facilities management. Each week we will cover a different area that will all come together to help build and create a full operations manual.

Establish Standard Operating Procedures for On-Demand Work Order Requests and communicate the process very clearly to the facility team and all stakeholders. This includes building occupants, facility staff, contractors, and building owners/managers.

Information to include:

1. Define the conditions of an On-Demand Work Order
2. Process Flow – Identify the steps of a work order from request to close out. Have a single system for entering, tracking, and monitoring the completion of work. Read our blog posts on 8 reasons to track work orders.
3. Responsibilities – Identify stakeholders and clearly identify responsibilities within each step.
4. Point of contact– Streamline the communication channel and designate a point of contact for on demand work requests. Establish an internal escalation structure for that point of contact if there are multiple levels of approval.
5. Contact channels  – Whether it be phone, email, or online submission, be sure to communicate all available channels for stakeholders to submit their work request and highlight the preferred method of contact.
6. Work Order Details – Identify the work order request details needed for the point of contact to escalate, triage, and/or dispatch appropriately. Also identify the key metrics to track in your work order system to be sure they’re included in the work order details. This will give you data to make better facility decisions for the future.  
7. Identify Contractor Network vs. In-House – Who handles what? Make a list of your available resources, capabilities, and coverage area. If you have an in-house team completing work requests, be sure their responsibilities are clearly outlined in their job description.

SOP Training Tips:

1. Create clear and concise training materials for all stakeholders so the work order completion process is clear. We suggest having a face-to-face process discussion with stakeholders and leaving behind written collateral for reference.
2. Schedule regular training for new staff and to refresh the current team!
3. Keep it simple! The written collateral should be short, sweet, and targeted to each stakeholder. Try creating visually appealing info-graphics for the process flow. Place the point of contact name, phone, and/or email front and center on any written collateral.

Every building and culture is different, but the key components to the SOP’s are the same. Define the process and responsibilities, then communicate this clearly to stakeholders. This streamlines operations and makes everyone’s day easier.