FS-DOC-03Operations
Process Runbook / SOP
Standard Operating Procedure Management
[YourCompany.com] · Operations Department · Prepared by FullSpec · [Today's Date]
This runbook is the day-to-day operational reference for the person responsible for SOP management at [YourCompany.com]. It describes exactly what the automation does on its own, where your attention is needed, how to handle anything unexpected, and who to contact when something goes wrong. FullSpec has built and tested the automation end to end. Your role is to manage the human review gate, keep the role mapping table current, and act on any exception alerts the system sends you.
01Process overview
This automation manages the full lifecycle of an SOP update: from the moment a document changes in Google Drive through to a timestamped, complete acknowledgement log. The SOP Version and Register Agent detects the file change, increments the version, and writes to the master register. The Distribution and Acknowledgement Agent then identifies affected staff, sends Slack notifications with one-click acknowledgement buttons, routes compliance-critical SOPs through DocuSign, tracks every response, sends timed reminders, escalates persistent non-responders, and posts a completion summary when the cycle closes. One human checkpoint is preserved: an approver must confirm before any SOP flagged as compliance-critical is released to the team. Everything else runs without manual input, removing the five hours per week your operations manager previously spent chasing read receipts.
Process name
Standard Operating Procedure Management
Trigger
A file in the approved SOPs folder is created or modified in Google Drive
Final output
Complete, timestamped acknowledgement log in Google Sheets plus a Slack completion summary posted to the operations channel
Agents running
SOP Version and Register Agent; Distribution and Acknowledgement Agent
Tools involved
Google Drive, Google Sheets, Slack, DocuSign, Notion
Weekly volume
Approximately 12 SOP updates per month (roughly 3 per week)
Human checkpoint
Approver confirms a compliance-critical SOP is ready for release before distribution begins
Process owner
[Your name], Operations Manager
Process Runbook / SOPPage 1 of 4
FS-DOC-03Operations
02Step-by-step: what happens and who acts
What you actually need to do: There is one human step in this process. When a compliance-critical SOP is updated, you will receive a Slack notification asking you to confirm the change is ready for release. Review the document, then click the approval button in Slack. That single action releases distribution. If you do not act within 24 hours, the system sends you a reminder. Everything else in this process happens automatically.
Step
What happens
Who acts
Type
1
Google Drive detects that a file in the approved SOPs folder has been created or modified. The automation platform captures the file name, editor identity, and timestamp and passes them to the SOP Version and Register Agent.
Automation
Automated
2
The SOP Version and Register Agent reads the current version number from the document, increments it by one minor version, writes the new version number back to the file header, and adds a new row to the master SOP register in Google Sheets recording the revision date and a short change summary.
Automation
Automated
3
The agent checks the compliance-critical flag on the updated SOP in the register. If the flag is set, a Slack notification is sent to the designated approver asking them to review the change and confirm it is ready to release. Distribution is held until that confirmation is received.
You
Human
4
Once release is confirmed (or immediately for non-critical SOPs), the Distribution and Acknowledgement Agent queries the role-to-SOP mapping table in Google Sheets and returns the list of staff members required to acknowledge this specific procedure.
Automation
Automated
5
A direct Slack message is sent to each affected staff member containing a link to the updated document, a plain-English summary of what changed, and a one-click acknowledgement button. For any SOP flagged as compliance-critical, a DocuSign envelope is also sent to the required signatories in parallel.
Automation
Automated
6
Each time a staff member clicks the acknowledgement button in Slack or completes a DocuSign envelope, the acknowledgement tracker in Google Sheets is updated automatically with the staff member's name, the timestamp, and the method of confirmation used.
Automation
Automated
7
Every 48 hours, the agent checks for anyone still pending in the tracker and sends them a personalised Slack reminder. After two reminders without a response, an escalation message is automatically posted to that staff member's line manager in Slack.
Automation
Automated
8
Once every required staff member has acknowledged the SOP, the agent posts a completion summary to the designated operations Slack channel. The summary confirms the SOP name, the new version number, and the date and time full compliance was reached. The cycle is closed and the register row is marked complete.
Automation
Automated
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03Handling exceptions
Situation
What the system does
What you do
A file is moved into the approved SOPs folder but is missing a role mapping entry in Google Sheets
The SOP Version and Register Agent logs the version increment successfully, but the Distribution and Acknowledgement Agent cannot identify affected staff. It posts an alert to the operations Slack channel naming the SOP and stating that no role mapping was found.
Open the role-to-SOP mapping table in Google Sheets and add the correct roles for that procedure. Once saved, re-trigger distribution by editing and saving the SOP file, or contact FullSpec support to manually re-run the distribution step.
The same SOP file is saved twice in quick succession, creating two trigger events
The automation platform detects the duplicate trigger and applies a deduplication check based on file ID and a 60-second cooldown window. Only the first event proceeds. The second is discarded and logged silently.
No action required. If you believe the second save contained important changes that were missed, edit the file again to fire a fresh trigger.
A staff member's name in the role mapping table does not match any active Slack user
The Distribution and Acknowledgement Agent logs the failed delivery in the acknowledgement tracker and posts an alert to the operations Slack channel naming the unmatched user.
Check the role mapping table and correct the Slack display name or email to match the person's current Slack account. Then ask FullSpec support to resend the notification to that individual.
The designated approver does not respond to the compliance-critical review gate within 24 hours
The system sends the approver a Slack reminder. If there is still no response after 48 hours, a second alert is posted to the operations Slack channel flagging the SOP as held pending approval.
Confirm with the approver whether they received the original message. If the approver has changed, update the compliance-critical approver setting in the register and notify FullSpec support so the routing rule can be updated.
A staff member does not acknowledge after two automated Slack reminders
The system automatically posts an escalation message in Slack to the staff member's line manager as recorded in the role mapping table, asking them to ensure the procedure is read and acknowledged.
Monitor the operations Slack channel for escalation alerts. If the line manager is also unresponsive, follow your internal HR or compliance process for non-compliance. Log any manual resolutions in the acknowledgement tracker.
DocuSign is unavailable or the envelope fails to send
The system retries the DocuSign call three times over 15 minutes. If all retries fail, it posts an alert to the operations Slack channel naming the SOP and the affected signatories, and marks the DocuSign step as failed in the acknowledgement tracker.
Check the DocuSign service status page. If the outage is short, the system will retry automatically on the next scheduled check. For a prolonged outage, collect signatures via an alternative method and update the acknowledgement tracker manually. Contact FullSpec support at support@gofullspec.com if the integration does not recover.
04Who to contact and when
Fill in the rows marked with placeholders once your team is confirmed. Keep this table updated whenever roles or contact details change so that exception alerts and escalations reach the right person without delay.
Role
Name
How to reach them
Process owner (Operations Manager)
[Your name]
[Your email or Slack handle]
HR and Compliance Lead
[Rep name]
[Rep email or Slack handle]
Compliance-critical SOP approver
[Approver name]
[Approver email or Slack handle]
Slack workspace admin
[Admin name]
[Admin email]
DocuSign account admin
[Admin name]
[Admin email]
FullSpec builder
FullSpec
support@gofullspec.com
FullSpec support
FullSpec support team
support@gofullspec.com
For any situation where the automation has stopped running, a Google Drive trigger is not firing, or an entire acknowledgement cycle appears to have been skipped, contact FullSpec support at support@gofullspec.com as your first step. Do not attempt to rebuild or reconnect integrations yourself, as this can overwrite live configuration.
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05Ongoing maintenance
Whenever a staff member joins, leaves, or changes role
Update the role-to-SOP mapping table in Google Sheets to reflect the change. Add or remove the person's name and Slack display name from every relevant procedure row. If their role changes which SOPs they must acknowledge, update those rows too. Failure to do this will result in notifications going to the wrong people or being missed entirely.
Operations Manager
Whenever an SOP template or document header format changes
Notify FullSpec support before making structural changes to the document format, such as moving the version field or changing the change log table layout. The SOP Version and Register Agent reads specific fields by position. A format change without a corresponding update to the agent will break version incrementing.
Operations Manager notifies FullSpec
Monthly spot-check (first week of each month)
Open the master SOP register in Google Sheets and review the last 10 to 15 completed cycle rows. Confirm that version numbers are sequential, acknowledgement dates are present for all required staff, and no cycles are showing as open for more than five business days. Flag any anomalies to FullSpec support.
Operations Manager
Monthly error-log review (first week of each month)
Check the automation platform error log or the dedicated error-alert Slack channel for any failed steps logged in the previous month. Common items include failed DocuSign deliveries, unmatched Slack usernames, and skipped duplicate triggers. Resolve outstanding items or escalate to FullSpec support.
Operations Manager
Whenever the compliance-critical approver changes
Update the approver name and Slack handle in the SOP register and notify FullSpec support so the routing rule in the Distribution and Acknowledgement Agent can be updated to match. Do not change this field without contacting FullSpec, as the approval gate logic references it directly.
Operations Manager notifies FullSpec
Quarterly volume review (every three months)
Review the number of SOP updates processed in the quarter against the expected volume of approximately 12 per month. If volume has grown significantly, confirm that the current automation platform tier and DocuSign plan can handle the additional load without throttling. Contact FullSpec support if you expect sustained volume above 25 updates per month.
Operations Manager with FullSpec support
The most common maintenance issue for this process is an out-of-date role-to-SOP mapping table. When staff roles change and the table is not updated, the automation sends notifications to people who no longer need to acknowledge a procedure, or misses those who do. Set a standing reminder to review the mapping table whenever HR confirms a role change, and do not wait for the monthly spot-check if you know a change has happened.
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