Checklist with expandable
sections
Checklists with expandable sections are good for balancing out a
procedure for employees who have been around for 10 years and
employees who are brand new and don’t know anything.
Expandable sections allow you to create short checklists but add details in a
dropdown text box. These descriptions add more information for new
employees that might need some extra support. If an employee needs it, they
can expand it. If they don’t, they leave it be and check off the item on the list.
Below is an updated example of requesting reimbursement from your
employer with the expandable sections added.
Related: 4 Steps to Writing a Policy Document For Your Bank and
Credit Union
5. Job aid or graphic
Sometimes all an employee needs to complete a task is an image to
reference. A job aid or graphic can be as simple as a graphic to compare to
what they are doing in real-life.
For example, this poster of a check helps bank employees know where to look
on the check for the routing, account, and check number.
Source: [Link]
6. Reference (informational)
Another SOP type is simply providing reference information. These are
informational articles. Technically, these are not a procedure. However, it is a
resource that your employees will need to reference while performing a
procedure.
Reference information can be displayed as a table or bulleted lists. Some
examples of reference information are:
Bank hours
Locations (addresses)
Map
Types of accounts
Here is a reference list for the fictional Mooresville office.
7. Flowchart
A flowchart is a visual way to represent the different paths during a
procedure. They help with complex procedures where the employee needs to
make decisions.
The concept of a flowchart is great for troubleshooting because there are
multiple possible outcomes when troubleshooting.
From my experience talking to employees at different businesses, they are not
fans of flowcharts. While flowcharts show the path, employees tend to not find
them very helpful to look at.
Here is a basic flowchart that shows you how to process a refund.
8. Interactive decision tree
An interactive decision tree is the written-out version of a flowchart. Like a
flowchart, a decision tree helps employees with complex procedures that
include decisions. They are great for troubleshooting.
Instead of a flowchart with arrows, it will have buttons to click. It’s more of a
choose-your-own-adventure tool.
An interactive decision tree is a series of questions that your employees
answer while doing a procedure. Based on the buttons you click, the
procedure will change. This requires software that has this functionality, like a
knowledge base.
Below, is an interactive decision tree SOP example from ScreenSteps of how
to reactivate an account.
9. Standard procedure
This is often what people think of when they think of a “procedure.” Let me
start by saying that even though this is the default for most companies, it’s not
great for your end-users.
A standard procedure is a formal document with lots of information. The
SOP is written out like an essay. (Think technical manuals.) Often, they have
corporate jargon and stuff procedures with information in order to adhere to
compliance regulations.
Unfortunately, these are difficult for bank employees to follow while they are
working. They can’t skim them quickly and they are overwhelmed by the
amount of information in front of them.
Below is an example from [Link] of the introduction page
on a standard SOP.
Source: [Link]
🔍 Related: Compliance Policies and Procedures: One Mistake to Avoid
[VIDEO]
10. Script
As opposed to your other SOPs, a script is a procedure that focuses on
what people are going to be saying. It can focus on actions, but it gives you
the language to communicate.
Scripts are a great option when you are dealing with compliance at your
bank. Do you have information that needs to be shared verbatim? Use a
script.
Scripts are often interwoven with other procedures. A script can include
decision trees to help the reader know what to do based on the response they
receive.
Here is an example of a bank call center using a script (incorporated into a
decision tree) to help update an account owner.
Ready to write an SOP for your
bank?
There are many different options available for structuring your SOPs. Each
SOP article type has different strengths in supporting your employees on the
job.
A ScreenSteps knowledge base has a variety of templates and content
creation tools — like integrated screen capture and decision trees — that
make it fast and easy to piece together your SOPs.
Then it is easy for your employees to access your SOPs, follow your
procedures, and maintain compliance for your bank in the process.
Now that you know what your options are for writing SOPs for your bank, it’s
time to write a procedure. To write an SOP, you’ll need to know what
information to include in it.
Follow these five steps to write procedures for your bank that enable
your employees to work more efficiently. And download these free digital
guide templates to get started on digital guides for your bank today.
About Jonathan DeVore
Customer Success
