Consistent work.
Everyday tasks are done the same way every time, so quality doesn't depend on who's in today.
THE OPERATIONS MANUAL · STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES FOR YOUR WHOLE BUSINESSOne manual.
One manual.
Every situation.
Your way of working.
Your Operations Manual brings all your approved standard operating procedures together in one place: how the work gets done on an ordinary day, what to do when something isn't right, who leads when it goes seriously wrong, and how to decide when no procedure applies. Your people help write it. You approve it. Your team uses it every shift.
Mark Barclay · Former 737 Airline Captain · 16,000+ flying hours · SOP Consultant
YOUR BUSINESS / YOUR PLAYBOOK01—04
THE CAPTAIN'S PLAYBOOK
Operations
ManualYour approved way of working.
ManualYour approved way of working.
- 01Normal
- 02Abnormal
- 03Emergency
- 04D.O.D.A.R
ONE MANUALEVERY SHIFT. ALL FOUR LEVELS.
WHAT CHANGES
A business that runs the same way, whoever is on shift
Faster onboarding.
New hires learn from approved procedures, not from whoever has time to explain.
Calm under pressure.
When something goes wrong, your team already knows the first actions and who's in charge.
WHAT'S INSIDE
Four levels. One manual.
- 01
Normal.
Everyday operations, written with the people who do the work best.
- 02
Abnormal.
When something isn't right: agreed first actions, a clear owner, and who to tell.
- 03
Emergency.
When something has gone seriously wrong: approved first actions, a named person in charge, and the escalation route.
- 04
D.O.D.A.R.
When no procedure covers it: a shared way to decide (often searched as DODAR). Diagnose, Options, Decide, Act & Assign, Review.
Most manuals stop at level one. Yours covers all four.
YOUR STRATEGY. YOUR STRUCTURE.
You set the direction. The manual helps everyone get there.
Your strategy, mission and vision belong to you. The Operations Manual doesn't rewrite them. It gives your people the structure to deliver them, on an ordinary day and on the worst one.
- Your people capture how the work is really done
- You approve every procedure
- Nothing goes in unapproved
Where does your business stand across the four levels?
Book a free 30-minute callWHAT YOU GET
Everything in your Operations Manual
- Approved procedures across all four levels
- An owner, approver, version number and review date on every procedure
- Procedures written with your own people, in your language
- Delivered in your Company Operations Hub with employee access
- An AI SOP Captain your staff can ask, answering from your approved procedures
- Six-monthly training, refreshers and updates so the manual stays current
From scattered know-how to one trusted manual
Before
- Procedures in old documents, inboxes and people's heads
- Everyone does it slightly differently
- Nobody's sure which version is current
- Problems handled however feels right at the time
After
- One approved manual everyone can find
- The same standard, whoever is on shift
- Clear version control and review dates
- Agreed first actions and a named person in charge
How it's built
- 01
Discovery call.
Free, 30 minutes.
- 02
Capture.
I work with your people to write procedures at every level.
- 03
Approve.
You sign off every procedure.
- 04
Deliver & support.
Your manual goes live in your Company Operations Hub, with six-monthly reviews.
Airlines run on approved operations manuals, and I worked by one throughout my flying career as a British Airways 737 captain. The same structure works for startups and established businesses.
About Mark →QUESTIONS
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between an operations manual and SOPs?
SOPs are individual procedures. Your Operations Manual is the complete, organized and approved set, covering normal, abnormal and emergency situations, plus D.O.D.A.R. for decisions no procedure covers.
Do you write it for us?
Your people supply the content, because they know how the work is really done. I bring the structure, method and document control, and you approve every procedure.
Will it change our strategy?
No. You set your strategy, mission and vision. The manual gives your team the structure to achieve them.
Is it right for a startup?
Yes. Startups and established businesses both run better with procedures at every level. A startup's manual is simply smaller to begin with and grows with the business.
Where does the manual live?
In your Company Operations Hub, with employee access and the AI SOP Captain.
How much does it cost?
Every engagement is scoped and quoted individually in US dollars after a free discovery call.
YOUR BUSINESS. YOUR MANUAL.
Build the manual your business runs on.
Book a free 30-minute call and see where your business stands across the four levels.
Book a Discovery Call