Standard Operating Procedures for Dairy Farms

(logo thuds)

(mouse clicks)

- Standard operating procedures, commonly called SOPs, are a useful tailored set of procedures specific to your dairy.

Well-written SOPs will help you provide direction for all employees, improve communication between management and staff, reduce training time, and improve work consistency and accuracy.

An SOP has three main components, systems, procedures, and steps.

Systems are the big overall activity, such as feeding, milking, health, reproduction, waste, and manure management.

Procedures are the smaller subparts that make up systems.

For example, milking could include sanitizing, milking preparation, milking procedures and cleanup.

Steps are the directions for completing the procedure.

They should be precise and easy to follow.

Your goal in writing SOPs is to create a document that is easy to understand and helpful for the work at hand.

To determine the type of format you should use, ask yourself the following questions.

How many decisions will users need to make during the procedure?

How many steps and substeps are in the procedure?

If you have a routine procedure that is short, requires few decisions and has few substeps, you can use the Simple Steps format.

If you have a longer procedure with fewer decisions, but more than 10 steps, you should use Ordered Steps or a graphic.

If you have procedures that require many decisions, regardless of the number of steps or substeps, you should use a Flowchart.

Regardless of which format you use, a few standard items of information should be included in the SOP, a clear, descriptive title, name of the author, date when the SOP or revision becomes effective, lists of materials or tools needed, safety precautions for SOPs that involve hazardous working conditions and a logical numbering scheme for filing and keeping track of revisions, especially if you have a large dairy farm with many SOPs.

There are seven steps for successful SOP planning and implementation.

First, planning for the specific results you'd like to achieve.

Cows thrive in a consistent environment, so the goal of a milking SOP is to ensure everyone milks the same way.

Next, create a first draft by selecting the best format for the SOP and making a detailed list of the steps in the order in which they are done.

An easy way to do this is to watch someone perform the process and write down everything they do.

As you write the steps of your procedure, keep the following effective writing tips in mind.

Write steps as short sentences in the form of a command.

Communicate in as few words as possible.

Use acronyms and abbreviations sparingly.

Include enough detail to eliminate significant variation among workers, but don't try to answer all possible questions a worker may have.

Once your first draft is complete, give everyone who performs that procedure a copy of the draft SOP.

Ask them to review and suggest changes that make it easier to understand, more accurate, or improve performance.

Next, provide a copy of the draft to your advisors, such as your veterinarian, nutritionist, or extension educator.

They can share information that draws on their scientific knowledge and experience with other dairy businesses.

This can also help improve overall communication with these advisors.

After being reviewed internally and externally, it is time to test your procedure by performing each step.

If the procedure tester is hesitant or confused about any of the steps, you should consider revisions.

You could also replicate a new employee's experience by having someone unfamiliar with the work try to follow the procedure.

After testing, make a final draft of the procedure and place it in an appropriate location, such as in the workplace or an employee handbook.

The workplace copy should be printed in large enough text for workers to review while completing their work.

Laminating this copy will help it withstand the conditions of the farm.

Keep a master SOP file in a known central location for workers to review when necessary.

SOPs should be kept up to date and reviewed regularly for changes.

The last step in the SOP development procedure is often the most neglected.

Even with very detailed steps, it is necessary to train all workers.

Training should include explanations and demonstrations of why and how each step in the SOP is performed.

Allow each worker to practice the steps, provide positive feedback when they have mastered certain steps.

Even though the SOP development process can be time consuming, if you have a functional and accurate set of SOPs, you can experience significant performance improvements on your farm.

The development process itself can bring workers, managers, and advisors together in a collaborative way.

This collaboration can result in a mutually beneficial and productive relationship for everyone and increase the health of the farm.