Operations · Intermediate

Write a standard operating procedure from a screen recording transcript

Record someone doing the process while talking it through, then turn the transcript into a numbered SOP.

The task

The person who knows a process rarely has time to write it down. Ask them to do it once while narrating on a recorded call, then give the transcript to the assistant to draft a numbered procedure, with the judgement calls pulled out separately.

A prompt to start from

Paste it into your AI assistant, then fill in the bits in [square brackets].

Below is a transcript of [name/role] doing [process] while explaining it. Turn it into a standard operating procedure:

- Purpose (one sentence) and when to use it
- What you need before you start
- Numbered steps, one action per step, naming the exact systems and screens they mention
- "Judgement calls": anywhere they said "it depends", "usually" or "unless", with what it depends on
- Open questions: anything unclear that I should check with them

Don't add steps they didn't describe.

[paste transcript]

Below is a transcript of [name/role] doing [process] while explaining it. Turn it into a standard operating procedure:

Purpose (one sentence) and when to use it
What you need before you start
Numbered steps, one action per step, naming the exact systems and screens they mention
"Judgement calls": anywhere they said "it depends", "usually" or "unless", with what it depends on
Open questions: anything unclear that I should check with them

Don't add steps they didn't describe.

[paste transcript]

What to check in the output

Have someone who doesn't know the process follow the SOP. Where they get stuck is where it's wrong.
Send the open questions back to the expert before publishing.

Before you paste anything in

Screen recordings can capture customer data on screen; transcripts usually don't, but check before sharing.

Your organisation's AI policy wins over anything here.

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