Standard operating procedure (SOP)
In short. A standard operating procedure is a written, step-by-step description of how a routine task should be done, so that it is performed the same way every time. It records who does what, in what order and to what standard, and lets others carry out the work without relying on one person's memory.
Last checked against its sources on 10 October 2026. How we write these.
An SOP turns knowledge in someone's head into something a team can use. Typical examples are opening and closing a shop, onboarding a new customer, processing a refund or handling a complaint.
A good SOP is short and specific. It states the purpose, who is responsible, the steps in order, what a correct result looks like and what to do when something goes wrong. Screenshots, checklists and examples help. Long documents that nobody reads fail at the main job.
The benefits are consistency, faster training and resilience. If the person who normally prepares the weekly supplier orders is away, a clear SOP lets someone else do it correctly. It also makes improvement easier, because a team can see what the process is before changing it.
Start with the tasks that are done often, cause errors or depend on one person. Test each SOP by asking someone unfamiliar to follow it, and update it when the process changes. An out of date SOP is worse than none.
Questions people ask
How detailed should an SOP be?
Detailed enough that a competent newcomer could follow it without help, and no more. Focus on steps where mistakes or variation are costly.
Who should write it?
Ideally the person who does the task, reviewed by someone who does not. This catches missing steps that the expert takes for granted.
Sources
- Guidance for Preparing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), EPA QA/G-6 checked 10 October 2026