Are your SOP’s working for you?
Most organisations have Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). But fewer have SOPs that are actually used — or useful.
Whether it’s for quality, compliance, or operational consistency, SOPs are essential. But all too often, they’re:
- Overly detailed
- Confused with Work Instructions
- Outdated or misaligned with how teams work
- Rarely referenced once written
So the real question is: Are your SOPs working for you — or are you working around them?
🔄 SOPs vs. Work Instructions: What’s the Difference?
A well-structured system should separate high-level processes (SOPs) from task-level instructions (Work Instructions).
- SOP (Standard Operating Procedure): Describes the what, why, and who of a business function. It defines the scope, responsibility, and key controls of the process.
- Work Instruction (WI): Explains the how. It’s the step-by-step guidance your team uses to complete specific tasks within the SOP framework.
Keeping these documents separate makes your quality system:
- Easier to train
- Easier to review
- Easier to update when minor activities change
📄 How Detailed Should an SOP Be?
There’s no set page count — but clarity is key. A good SOP should:
- Fit on 2–5 pages for most processes
- Include a purpose, scope, responsibilities, and process overview
- Reference (not repeat) any associated Work Instructions
- Be readable, actionable, and aligned with your actual practices
If your SOP reads more like a technical manual or is longer than a policy document, it’s probably trying to do too much.
🧠 Are You Training Your SOPs or Just Filing Them?
Writing SOPs is only half the job. The real value comes from:
- Training staff on the intent and framework, not just the steps
- Auditing adherence to the process, not just file storage
- Refreshing understanding regularly, especially after changes
A strong SOP defines how you do things around here — and that starts with embedding it into the culture, not just compliance.
✅ The Framework Approach
We recommend the "Function-First" method:
- Create an SOP that defines the overall function (e.g. Goods-In, Recall Handling, Supplier Approval).
- Break out activities into WIs, where tasks change frequently or require step-level detail.
- Review WIs regularly without needing to rewrite the SOP every time something minor changes.
- Use the SOP as the audit trail, and the WI as the day-to-day user guide.
This modular approach supports agile compliance: stable governance at the SOP level, flexible activity control at the WI level.
🔍 Ask Yourself:
- Are your SOPs clearly differentiated from Work Instructions?
- Can your staff explain what the process is — not just the steps?
- When was the last time you updated a WI without rewriting an SOP?
- Are your documents designed for auditors, or for the people using them every day?
If your procedures are confusing, bloated, or ignored, they’re not serving your team — or your compliance goals.
📢 Final Thoughts
SOPs are more than a checkbox for inspections. They’re a living framework for running your business safely, consistently, and compliantly.
So make them work for you — not just your regulator.
📞 Need Help Reviewing or Writing SOPs?
Whether you're starting from scratch or improving what you already have, we can help you build an SOP framework that’s practical, compliant, and easy to maintain.
Contact us today to schedule an SOP health check or a Work Instruction workshop.
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