Using ChatGPT to build a standard operating procedure

Q. What else can I use ChatGPT for besides what has been written about in the previous articles about macros and MyGPTs?

A. There is so much going on with artificial intelligence, and we are still scratching the surface and experimenting with these tools.  Here is a great use case that I think most businesses can use: having ChatGPT help them build a standard operating procedure (SOP).  To do this, we are going to use one other tool to help us be efficient, the dictation in Microsoft Word.

A quick reminder: Never share client or confidential information with ChatGPT.

Here is how I built an SOP in ChatGPT.

WORD DICTATION

Before I proceed with a project such as this, I want to check my settings in Dictate.  On the Home screen, I click the Dictate icon to bring up the Dictate menu and open the settings.

These are the settings I like to use.

To start dictating, I clicked the microphone icon and began speaking.  I started with just a couple of test phrases to make sure Word is understanding my speech.

CHATGPT

Moving on to ChatGPT, here is what I used for my initial prompt: 

I own a tax preparation business in the USA.  We do individual and business returns.  My problem is that I do not have a written set of standard operating procedures for my business.  This makes it difficult for me to onboard new staff as well as disseminate new information and processes to my existing staff.  I need an outline of standard operating procedures for a tax preparation business.  Please ask me any questions that you need to know before coming up with an initial template.

I started by telling ChatGPT to ask me questions that can help it craft a better response.  It is important to interact with ChatGPT like it is a dialog.  We have been trained over the last couple of decades with search engines to search for a couple keywords, and if it does not appear on the first page of the results, then try a different set of keywords.  AI is different.  I need to give it a little guidance to build the result I am looking for.

ChatGPT responded with a list of questions on topics such as services offered, preparation process, communication, and billing.  The only problem was that it was 20 questions long.  A couple of questions it asked were, “How many employees do you have, and what are their roles?” and “What are the steps in your tax preparation process, from client engagement to filing?” The employee Count question was easy, but the steps in tax preparation are a long and complex process.  All these questions were overwhelming.  Instead of trying to do it all at once, I wrote to ChatGPT:

This is a lot to try to answer.  Can you break this up so I can work in manageable chunks?

ChatGPT affirmed and started with just a couple questions from the list.  It first asked, “How is your business structured?  (e.g., sole proprietorship, LLC, corporation)” and “How many employees do you have, and what are their roles?” These were easy, and I typed my answers directly into ChatGPT.

After I gave an answer, ChatGPT gave me the next couple questions about specific services and specialized services — and I responded.

The next set of questions was where I switched to Word.  ChatGPT asked “How do you typically interact with clients?  (e.g., in-person, online, phone)” and “Do you have specific procedures for client intake and onboarding?  If so, please describe them.”

Instead of typing a response, I turned on dictation in Word, and I talked through the steps such as the discovery call, reviewing prior documents, sending a proposal for signature, setting up the client in various applications and portals, and assigning staff.  I can speak our procedures much faster than writing them down.

After I finished dictating, I did a quick review.  I did not spend any time trying to be more eloquent. My goal was to get my thoughts on the page and rely on ChatGPT to understand the context.  I copied and pasted my dictation into ChatGPT before moving on to the next set of questions.

I repeated this process for the rest of the questions using Word Dictate to quickly get my thoughts out.

Once I completed the last question, ChatGPT gave me an SOP from my responses. Here is an excerpt from the Tax Preparation Process.

This is just the starting point, and I do need to fill in more details.  I find that getting started is the hardest part, but by using ChatGPT, I was able to get past the empty page with the blinking cursor.

I did experiment with Microsoft Copilot to build the same document, but ChatGPT was better for generating this type of documentation.

About the author

Wesley Hartman is the founder of Automata Practice Development.

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