What is a standard operating procedure (SOP)?
Also called: SOP, standard operating procedures
Last updated
A standard operating procedure, or SOP, is a written set of steps for a routine task, so the task is done the same way whoever does it. A good SOP says what the procedure is for, lists the steps in order, puts the detail where it is needed and says who owns it.
In more detail
Teams write SOPs for work that repeats and causes trouble when it goes wrong: opening and closing a site, handling cash, onboarding a new starter, a month-end close, cleaning equipment. In regulated industries an SOP also shows an auditor how the work is meant to be done.
An SOP can be a document, a flowchart or a checklist. A document explains the procedure well but cannot show whether anyone followed it. A checklist version puts each step in front of the person doing it and records that it was done. Many teams keep both: the explanation where people learn, and the checklist where the work happens.
Example
A retail store’s closing SOP might have three sections: customer close, till and records, and premises and exit. The till step asks for the reconciliation result. A step to report a cash discrepancy only applies when the till does not balance, and setting the alarm must be done before the last person leaves.
SOPs in CheckFlow
In CheckFlow an SOP is written once as a template, with its instructions inside each step, and run as a checklist each time the procedure is followed. Every save of the template is a new version, and running checklists stay on the version they started with. Describe a procedure to the free AI SOP generator for a first draft.
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