What is SOP Software?
Finding the right Standard Operating Procedures software for your business can be tough. This unmissable guide will help you find a tool to fit your unique needs.
For growing businesses looking to simplify their processes, the answer’s simple: you need Standard Operating Procedures software.
There’s a ton of Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) software to choose from but not knowing where to start makes it harder than ever to choose a tool that works for your unique business. Plus, as an in-demand business leader, you only have limited time to choose the right provider.
It’s a challenge — but get it right, and your business will be more productive and streamlined. And you’ll be better able to support and train employees.
So, how do you choose the right SOP software for your business without taking months to choose?
That’s where this unmissable guide comes in. From what to look for in an SOP software provider, to finding the perfect fit for your business, we’ll cover everything you need to choose a tool that’s right for you, fast.
And yep, we are an SOP software provider, but we promise to check our bias at the door. Our aim is to give you only the information you need to make the best choice for you. 😉
Standard Operating Procedures software: The lowdown
If you’re reading this article you probably already know you need SOP software.
But for those of you finding it difficult to choose the right tool, let’s drill down on why this process is SO worth your time.
Traditional SOP management sucks
If you’ve been in the business game for long, you’ll know that Google Docs is where documentation goes to die (yep, we said it).
Because using a tool that’s made for document creation to manage your docs will never work. (The same goes for outdated paper handbooks and any tool that doesn’t focus on leveraging your content.)
That’s where Standard Operating Procedures software comes in.
By choosing a tool to digitize, centralize and leverage your processes, you can make sure your employees get the right information at the right time, and actually use it.
What are the Benefits of SOP software?
Here’s why SOP software is worth the investment:
Increased clarity. Creates a single source of truth, reducing erros and creating consistency in the business.
Boost employee engagement: With 51% of employees feeling unengaged at work, it’s more important than ever to make sure your processes are easy and enjoyable to follow.
Never lose knowledge: 42% of role knowledge is lost when an employee jumps ship, meaning new hires have to relearn it all from scratch. Smart SOP software will make it easy for you to get that knowledge out of heads and into your system before your employees move on.
- Continuous improvement: The best SOP software will give you a full view of your processes so you can spot bottlenecks and areas for improvement. And once you’ve updated your SOPs? You can send updates straight to your employees’ computers in one click.
Ready to bring your SOPs into the 21st century? Get in touch for a free Whale trial today!
Having centralized SOPs and processes in your business will solve a range of problems, including chaos, competition and inconsistency. Sharing them with your teams will make you unbeatable.
But what SOP Software options are there?
What are the Top SOP Software Choices on the market?
Whale is the easiest documentation and training tool out there.
Whale allows you to centralize all your processes, SOPs, playbooks, and more — so you can quickly onboard, train, and set your team up for success.
Most business owners and their teams know that it’s important to have company processes documented and shared in order to train and align their teams. BUT they don’t do it.
Because it simply takes too much time.
Whale utilizes AI and templates to make SOP and process documentation easy and automated workflows to share them with your team. It’s is the fastest way 🚀 to get your team aligned.
Whale Pros
G2 and our customers have awarded us with the badges of;
- Best customer support which allows customers to resolve their queries almost immediately meaning faster onboarding
- Best ROI meaning that customers estimated return on investment meets expectations. This is typically depicted in terms on onboarding time.
- The easiest to use means that customers on Whale can get started almost immediately and with features like AI Assist can have processes done in seconds!
Whale Cons
Here’s what some of the reviews on G2 had to say;
- My only feedback would be to make the quizes more detailed… but I still like their current format as it is useful as is!
- Nothing inparticular that I dislike about Whale but starting from scratch with all of our SOP’s was sort of overwhelming.
- It’s very manual to install the suggestions. Once everything is installed, it’s ep-ic but it can take some time so don’t wait long to do it. Start while you’re creating your documentation in Whale.
Whale Price
Whale has a free trial and three different pricing tiers to suit every size of organization, whether they’re just starting out or at an enterprise level.
- Free trial for those who want to see if Whale is the right SOP software for their business
- $5 user/month for small teams who want a central knowledge base for their processes
- $10 user/month for growing teams investing in employee onboarding and training.
- Enterprise-tailored pricing for larger teams looking for ultimate control and flexibility
Whale Ratings
4.7 out of 5 on G2
2. Process Street
Process Street is a versatile workflow and process management platform that helps organizations create, optimize, and automate their operational procedures. It allows businesses to document their workflows as checklist-based templates, making it easy to follow, track progress, and collaborate on tasks.
Process Street Pros
- Simple to use and clean UI.
- Availability of pre-made templates covering every imaginable process.
- Processes can be scheduled to execute at a specified time or on a recurring basis.
- Form fields can be added anywhere inside a job description.
Process Street Cons
The process street-free version is limited, and paid plans can get expensive.
Process Street Price
The Startup plan starts at $100/mo
The Pro plan starts at $415/mo
The Enterprize plan starts at $1660/mo
Process Street Ratings
4.6 out of 5 on G2
3. Document 360
Document 360 is a knowledge base and documentation management platform tailored for businesses and software developers. It provides tools to create, organize, and publish comprehensive documentation, FAQs, and help guides. Document 360 offers customizable templates and robust search capabilities, making it a valuable resource for companies looking to enhance customer support and self-service options.
Document 360 Pros
- The advanced editorial portal makes it easy to produce and review content.
- The document difference viewer lets you quickly see changes made to a page and the ability to roll back to previous versions.
Document 360 Cons
- The lack of a template library for new content makes it difficult to stick to a specific format and adds time to SOP and document creation.
Document 360 Price
Free plan available
Standard: $149 per project/month, billed annually.
Professional: $299 per project/month, billed annually.
Business: $399 per project/month, billed annually.
Enterprise: $599 per project/month, billed annually.
Document 360 Ratings
4.7 out of 5 on G2
4. Scribe
Scribe is a software solution designed to streamline data integration and migration processes. It enables businesses to connect various applications and data sources, allowing for the efficient transfer of data between them. Scribe makes the most of your screen capture with auto-generated step-by-step guides.
Scribe is often used in scenarios where data needs to be synchronized or moved between different systems, such as CRM platforms, databases, and cloud applications.
Scribe Pros
- Automates documentation
- Text, steps, and images can all be easily customised
- Sharing with a single click
- Simple to integrate into any knowledge base
Scribe Cons
- Possibly expensive for smaller businesses
- Only one pricing option for businesses smaller than enterprise
Scribe Price
The pro plan starts at $23/seat per month for individuals and $12/seat per month for a minimum of 5 team members.
Scribe Ratings
4.8 out of 5 on G2
5. Trainual
Trainual is a knowledge transfer and training platform where growing teams build the playbook for how they do what they do. The platform is designed to streamline and simplify the process of creating and managing training materials and documentation within organizations.
Trainual Pros
- Free trial available
- Role assignments manage both ownership of individual SOPs and training responsibilities
It can easily embed external content, such as PDFs, GIFs, and videos
Trainual Cons
Somewhat limited knowledge test options compared to other training software
Trainual Price
Train: $8/month per user
Scale: $12/month per user
Trainual Ratings
4.7 out of 5 on G2
How to choose SOP Software that works for you
It would be easy to type ‘SOP software’ into Google and pay for the first option you find.
But if you take the time to figure out your needs and match them to the right provider, you’ll end up saving a ton of time and money.
Ready to learn how to find Standard Operating Procedures software that’s the perfect match for your company and your people? Let’s dive in.
What not to use
First thing’s first, before you dive into your own wants and needs, you need to know the types of software to avoid.
The list is simple, but the impact of knowing what not to use is HUGE.
- Paper SOPs: These days this one’s obvious, but we’re going to make it official: paper documentation is no longer an option. Your employees won’t use it, your processes will get lost, and you’ll end up with a whole lot of dusty handbooks with no one to love them. 💔
- One-use tools: What’s more useless than having no tools to manage your SOPs? Having too many. Your employees’ time is precious, so asking them to log in and out of multiple tools that only do one task isn’t an option.
- Boring interfaces: Employee experience is everything — and that means boring text-heavy tools should be left at the door.
What to look for in SOP software
Now you know what not to use, let’s dive into the top features of quality SOP software.
From the UX to their integration abilities, there are a few key features that every Standard Operating Procedures software needs to offer:
- Look for an all-in-one tool that offers everything from in-tool messaging to simple SOP editing options.
- Make sure your tool has full integration features and an open API so it can connect with the apps your employees already know and love.
- Focus on finding a tool that offers a quality user experience including a visual interface, simple features, and the ability to connect with colleagues at the click of a button.
6 steps to finding the right SOP software, toolbox checklist 🧰
Finding the best Standard Operating Procedures software for your company takes time — but it’s worth it.
Here’s how to pinpoint your ideal tool in six simple steps:
✔️ Know your needs: First off, you need to know what your requirements are, so you can match them to the perfect tool. Don’t be shy with this one — the more requirements you have, the more likely you are to find a tool that works well for your company long-term. So, grab a pen and start jotting down your needs.
✔️ Conduct in-depth market research: Next, check the market to find out which tools are currently on offer. Remember, new options come on the market all the time — but that doesn’t mean they’re good options. Use your requirements list to make sure they’re a good match for you and check product reviews to see what other users think.
✔️ Narrow down your options: Compare each tools’ features to your set of requirements and narrow it down to 3-5 potential options that are the best fit.
✔️ Ask the best vendors to present: Once you have your top 3-5 options, contact their sales teams for a product demo. This is your opportunity to find out exactly how they will respond to your needs. Make sure to ask questions that will highlight any gaps. If possible, ask some of your colleagues to take part in demos too to help evaluate the tools against your requirements.
✔️ Follow-up with extra questions: After the initial demos, if you need to, check in with vendors to ask for extra detail. They’re there to sell the tool, so no question is too small at this stage.
✔️ Get into the granular: If your best option still isn’t clear, go back to your original requirements and work out the top 5-10 features you can’t live without. Match these against your options and let the best tool win.
3 SOP software features you must have
The best SOP software makes SOP creation process easy and sharing even easier. Make sure that the SOP Software tool that you choose, comes with these features;
✔️ Ready to use templates: So you don’t have to spend hours creating documents.
✔️ AI: So you can adapt your SOPs and processes in seconds!
✔️ A free trial: So you can test before you buy!
Bottom line? Great SOP Software = Great business
There’s a lot of choices out there for companies looking to invest in Standard Operating Procedures software — but there’s only one right choice for you.
From how the software interacts with your existing tech stack, to your employees’ user experience, the features you need from your SOP software will be unique to your business. Take the time to figure out what those requirements are and how the tool matches your needs and you’ll be sure to find quality SOP software that works for you long-term.
When your productivity shoots up and your processes start running like clockwork, you’ll see that it was well worth the effort.
Looking for an all-in-one SOP tool that hits every note? And want to scale your business with killer SOPs employees actually love?
Download our complimentary Ultimate Guide to SOP and Process Documentation
Ultimate Guide to SOP & Process Documentation
The why, what, and how to unlock the next level of growth in your business with SOPS & systems