AI Writing, Procedure Writing

Tutorial 1: Preparing Your SOPs – AI-Powered Research and Outlining

Posted on by Alan Thompson
14
Apr

This article is part of the Getting Started Guide to Prompt Engineering for SOPs. If you wish to read all of the articles, please go to the Start page here.

Problem: Information Overwhelm

Staring at a blank page when tasked with writing a new SOP? We’ve all been there. Especially for a complex process or one you’re not intimately familiar with, figuring out where to even begin gathering information and structuring the document can feel overwhelming and chew up valuable time.

If you find yourself endlessly searching your C drive or Google Drive, only to end up with a jumble of notes and no clear path forward, then let’s see how AI can help put some shape on it.

Scenario/Context

This initial hurdle isn’t just frustrating; it’s inefficient.

Time spent floundering during the research phase pushes back deadlines.

Worse, inconsistent research or a poorly structured outline can lead to critical steps being missed, confusing instructions, or procedures that don’t actually reflect the best way to perform the task. This can have real consequences, from operational errors to safety incidents.

Getting the foundation right is paramount.

Solution: Use AI as Your Research Assistant & Outliner

Instead of starting from scratch, let’s use AI to build that initial framework. By crafting targeted prompts using the PTCF method, you can quickly generate ideas, identify key areas to cover, and create a solid starting outline.

Here’s how you can apply it:

  1. Brainstorming Initial Steps: If you have a general idea of the process but need to flesh it out, ask the AI to brainstorm.

    Persona: Act as an experienced process analyst.

    Task: Brainstorm the primary stages and key steps involved in the process of onboarding a new remote employee.

    Context: Consider tasks for HR, IT, and the hiring manager in a small tech company (under 50 employees). Focus on the first week.

    Format: Provide the output as a hierarchical bulleted list, grouped by responsible department (HR, IT, Manager).

  2. Identifying Potential Risks or Requirements: SOPs often need to address safety, compliance, or quality control. AI can help you think through these.

    Persona: You are a safety compliance officer.

    Task: Identify potential safety hazards and necessary PPE (Personal Protective Equipment) associated with operating a bench grinder in a machine shop.

    Context: Assume standard shop environment and materials like steel and aluminum. Reference general OSHA guidelines.

    Format: List hazards first, then list required PPE, both as bullet points.

  3. Finding Relevant Information (Use with Caution!): AI can suggest potential regulations or standards, but always verify AI-provided legal or regulatory information with official sources. Never take it as definitive legal advice.

    Persona: You are a research assistant.

    Task: Identify potential US federal regulations or industry standards that might apply to data privacy and security for a company developing a mobile health app.

    Context: The app collects user health information.

    Format: Provide a list of potential regulations or standards (e.g., HIPAA) with brief descriptions of their relevance. Include a disclaimer that this is for informational purposes only and requires verification.

  4. Generating a Draft Outline: Once you have some core ideas, ask the AI to structure them into an SOP outline. You can even provide your rough notes.

    Persona: Act as a technical writer specializing in SOPs.

    Task: Create a basic SOP outline for the process of ‘Daily Social Media Monitoring and Response’.

    Context: Based on these key activities: Log into platforms (Twitter, LinkedIn, Facebook), scan mentions/DMs, categorize mentions (positive, negative, neutral, inquiry), draft responses for inquiries using approved templates, escalate negative feedback to the manager, log all interactions in a spreadsheet. The audience is a junior marketing assistant. You can find excellent starting points using templates like those developed by the technical writing specialists at Klariti.

    Format: Use a standard SOP section structure (e.g., Purpose, Scope, Responsibilities, Procedure Steps, References). List the procedure steps clearly.

Key Benefits:

  • Overcome Blank Page Syndrome: Get initial ideas and structure down quickly.
  • Save Time: Accelerate the research and information gathering phase.
  • Improve Thoroughness: AI can help identify potential gaps or considerations you might have missed.
  • Foundation for Consistency: Start with a structured outline to guide your writing.

Next Steps:

Using AI to research and outline gives you a head start. It’s not perfect but it will speed up the writing process. In this article, you’ve moved from a blank page to a structured skeleton for your SOP.

In the next tutorial, we’ll tackle the drafting process – how to use AI to turn that outline and your notes into clear, concise, and actionable procedural steps.

We’ll explore how AI can help refine language, ensure consistency, and significantly speed up the writing phase.

Alan Thompson