ChatGPT Prompts for Operations Managers

<context> You are an operations excellence specialist documenting repeatable processes. The process to document is: [PROCESS]. It is owned by [TEAM] and currently lives only in people's heads. </context> <task> 1. Write a complete SOP with these sections: Purpose, Scope, Roles & Responsibilities, Prerequisites, Step-by-Step Procedure, Quality Checks, Escalation Path, and Revision History. 2. Number every procedural step and write each as an imperative action verb (e.g. 'Verify', 'Submit', 'Approve'). 3. Flag any step where a hand-off between people occurs and name the responsible role. 4. Add a 'Common Mistakes' callout listing 3 errors new staff make and how to avoid them. 5. Keep language plain enough for a new hire on day one to follow without help. </task>

<context> You are a Lean/Six Sigma analyst reviewing a workflow for inefficiency. The process is: [PROCESS]. Below this prompt I will paste the current step list. </context> <task> 1. Map each step to one of the 8 wastes (defects, overproduction, waiting, non-utilized talent, transportation, inventory, motion, extra-processing). 2. Identify the 3 steps that add the most delay or rework and explain why. 3. Propose a streamlined version of the process with redundant or low-value steps removed or merged. 4. Estimate the time saved per cycle and per week, stating your assumptions. 5. List the risks of each change and a safeguard for each. </task>

<context> You are a documentation lead capturing undocumented expertise before a key person on [TEAM] leaves. The recurring task is: [PROCESS]. </context> <task> 1. Generate 12 interview questions I can ask the subject-matter expert to extract every decision point, exception, and edge case. 2. Group the questions by phase: setup, normal flow, exception handling, and recovery. 3. After I paste the expert's answers, assemble them into a runbook with triggers, decision trees, and 'if X then Y' rules. 4. Mark any answer that is ambiguous or incomplete and list the follow-up question needed. </task>

<context> You are an operations manager standardizing how new members join [TEAM]. The role being onboarded is responsible for [PROCESS]. </context> <task> 1. Build a 30-60-90 day onboarding checklist split into Access & Tools, Training, Shadowing, and First Independent Tasks. 2. For each item, assign an owner (manager, buddy, IT, or new hire) and a due day. 3. Add a competency self-assessment the new hire completes at day 30 and day 90. 4. Include three 'red flag' signals that the onboarding is off track and what to do about each. </task>

<context> You are rolling out a change to how [PROCESS] is done and need to communicate it to [TEAM] and stakeholders. I will describe the old way and the new way below. </context> <task> 1. Write a clear change announcement covering: what is changing, why, what stays the same, the cut-over date, and who to contact with questions. 2. Produce a short FAQ of the 5 questions people are most likely to ask. 3. Draft a one-line summary suitable for a Slack header and a longer version for email. 4. Keep the tone reassuring and emphasize the benefit to the reader, not just the org. </task>

<context> You are an operations analyst defining a measurement framework. The function to measure is [PROCESS], owned by [TEAM]. The business goal is to improve throughput and quality without raising cost. </context> <task> 1. Propose 6-8 KPIs spanning efficiency, quality, cost, and customer-experience dimensions. 2. For each KPI give: a one-line definition, the exact formula, the data source, the reporting cadence, and a sensible starting target. 3. Distinguish leading indicators from lagging indicators. 4. Warn me about any KPI that is easy to game and suggest a counter-metric to balance it. </task>

<context> You are designing a weekly operations dashboard for [TEAM]. The KPIs we already track are listed below this prompt. </context> <task> 1. Recommend a dashboard layout that surfaces status at a glance: which metrics go top-row, which go in detail panels, and why. 2. For each metric, recommend the best visualization (trend line, gauge, bar, table) and a red/amber/green threshold. 3. Specify the time comparisons to show (week-over-week, vs target, rolling 4-week average). 4. List the data refresh schedule and who owns keeping each source current. </task>

<context> You are an operations analyst investigating why a metric moved. The KPI is [PROCESS] and it changed materially this period for [TEAM]. I will paste the recent numbers below. </context> <task> 1. List the most likely root causes for the movement, ranked by probability. 2. For each cause, state the additional data I should pull to confirm or rule it out. 3. Identify whether the change is signal or noise given the volatility in the numbers. 4. Recommend the single next diagnostic step and the question it answers. </task>

<context> You are an ops leader translating a quarterly goal into measurable objectives for [TEAM]. The high-level goal is to make [PROCESS] faster and more reliable. </context> <task> 1. Write 1 clear Objective and 3-4 Key Results that are quantified, time-bound, and outcome-based (not task lists). 2. For each Key Result, state the current baseline, the target, and the metric source. 3. Flag any Key Result that depends on another team and name the dependency. 4. Suggest a mid-quarter checkpoint metric that predicts whether each KR will land. </task>

<context> You are standardizing how [TEAM] talks about performance so everyone counts [PROCESS] the same way. I will paste the metrics currently in use below. </context> <task> 1. For each metric write a single canonical definition, the precise formula, included and excluded cases, and the unit. 2. Highlight any two metrics that are commonly confused and write a sentence distinguishing them. 3. Note where the same metric currently has conflicting definitions across teams and propose the one to adopt. 4. Output the result as a glossary table sorted alphabetically. </task>

<context> You are an operations planner forecasting whether [TEAM] can absorb upcoming demand for [PROCESS]. I will paste current headcount, throughput rates, and the demand forecast below. </context> <task> 1. Calculate current capacity, projected demand, and the gap for each of the next 3 months. 2. State your assumptions explicitly (utilization rate, ramp time, shrinkage for leave and meetings). 3. Recommend whether to hire, redistribute work, or improve process, with the trade-offs of each. 4. Identify the month where the gap first becomes critical and the lead time needed to act. </task>

<context> You are scheduling [TEAM] to cover [PROCESS] across operating hours. I will paste the demand-by-hour or demand-by-day pattern and the available staff below. </context> <task> 1. Propose a shift schedule that matches staffing to the demand curve while honoring break and rest rules. 2. Highlight any hours that are over- or under-staffed and the cost of each. 3. Build in coverage for one unplanned absence without breaking SLAs. 4. Present the schedule as a grid of people by time slot. </task>

<context> You are an ops manager with more work than capacity for [PROCESS]. [TEAM] can complete a limited number of items this sprint. I will paste the backlog with effort and impact estimates below. </context> <task> 1. Score each item using a weighted model (impact, urgency, effort, risk of delay) and show the scores. 2. Recommend what to do now, what to defer, and what to drop entirely. 3. Flag any low-effort high-impact 'quick wins' to pull forward. 4. Note any dependencies that force a particular sequence. </task>

<context> You are resourcing a project that touches [PROCESS] and requires people from [TEAM]. I will describe the deliverables, timeline, and available skills below. </context> <task> 1. Break the project into workstreams and estimate the effort (person-days) for each. 2. Map required skills to available people and flag any skill gap. 3. Build a week-by-week resource allocation showing who works on what and at what percentage. 4. Identify the over-allocated weeks and propose how to smooth the load. </task>

<context> You are stress-testing capacity for [PROCESS] under a change. The baseline numbers for [TEAM] are below. The scenario to model is described after them. </context> <task> 1. Recalculate throughput, utilization, and SLA attainment under the scenario. 2. Compare baseline vs scenario side by side and quantify the delta. 3. Identify the breaking point: at what demand or staffing level does the operation fail its SLA. 4. Recommend the cheapest mitigation that keeps the SLA intact. </task>