According to Business Dictionary, standard operating procedures are “written procedures prescribed for repetitive use as a practice, in accordance with agreed-upon specifications aimed at obtaining a desired outcome.” In other words, they are step-by-step instructions that describe how to perform a routine activity; they should be revised continuously and must be revised continuously to manage the same quality. Standard operation procedures are a form of a policy and have an important role in the process of implementation. As a rule, their formulation requires time and human force as well as extensive financial support. Standard operating procedures are intended to minimize miscommunication, provide consistency, and guarantee compliance with the regulatory norms. Moreover, they place limitations on the discretion of an individual in terms of interpreting a policy, which might be treated as either advantage or disadvantage. Regardless of all the pros, standard operating procedures often stonewall the cycle of policy.
The most apparent downside is the expansion of bureaucracy that is caused by excessive paperwork. Though necessary, it slows the implementation process by increasing costs, editing problems, inefficient document transportation, and so forth. Another disadvantage of the use of standard operating procedures is a reduction of individuality and a range of responsibilities, which might lead to objections from target groups of people. As a rule, people complain about being becoming machine-like and being unable to make decisions on their part. A significant obstacle in policy implementation caused by standard operating procedures is conditioned by the human-factor aspect. To be fully implemented, any set of standard operating procedures requires time for apprehension, memorizing, and retention by different people with diverse abilities. Therefore, this form of policy is characterized by significant dependence on time.