Standard operating procedures (SOPs) are woven into almost every facet of the manufacturing world to help employees and subcontractors complete their tasks safely and in compliance with regulations and standards. It sounds simple enough: Describe the processes in SOPs and verify that they are understood and adhered to.

In reality, SOP management requires many tasks:
• Authoring SOP documents and any subsequent revisions
• Routing the new or revised SOPs for review and incorporating feedback
• Getting approvals of final versions
• Distributing new and updated SOPs to employees, and maintaining the archives of previous versions if necessary
• Setting up and ensuring completion of training
• Generating reports for management and compliance teams
• Making necessary adjustments for workforce changes (e.g., employees leaving or joining the department)
• Linking deviations to these processes to ensure continuous improvement of the quality system

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