Standard Operating Procedure

What is a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)?

It is a set of instructions compiled together by the organization to help the workers carry out their routine job operations efficiently.

Why Procedure?

A procedure is designed to describe who, what, when, where and why by means of establishing corporate accountability in support of the implementation of a "policy".

The purpose of developing a procedure is to establish a uniform and consistent method for the control and handling of essential documentation and all specifications held by the company.

The procedure should have the following contents:

Purpose

Responsibilities

Scope of Application

Amendment Sheet

Description/ Principles

Reference and /or relevant documents

Verification

Approval

Purpose – Defines the intent and objective of the procedures.

Responsibilities – Defines the responsibilities of the issuance, approval, implementation and maintaining of the procedures.

Scope of Application – This section outlines the area, the department or the personnel to which the procedure is applicable as well as the extent of the application.

Amendment Sheet - Defines any changes (addition/deletion/inclusion) of any new points done to the procedure.

Reference documents/ records – This section lists the forms and documents that are referred to or generated as a result of a procedure.

Description/ Principles – This section specifies in detail what should be done, by whom, when, where and how it should be done , what material, equipment and documentation should be used and how it should be controlled to achieve the desired objectives as defined under purpose.

Verification – this section identifies the means by which the procedures implementation is verified

Approval – This section specifies the approval authority and approval confirmation for the procedure.

This is how the SOPs are developed in an organization.