A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is a documented set of step-by-step instructions designed to ensure tasks are performed consistently, efficiently, and in compliance with standards or regulations. It serves as a reliable reference for teams, helping maintain quality, streamline training, enhance safety, and preserve organizational knowledge. An effective SOP not only reduces errors and miscommunication but also provides a clear framework that supports productivity and continuous improvement across any industry.
An SOP template is a pre-formatted document that provides a structured layout for creating Standard Operating Procedures. It includes the key sections—such as purpose, scope, responsibilities, step-by-step instructions, and revision history—so you can focus on documenting the process rather than designing the format from scratch. Using an SOP template ensures consistency across all procedures, saves time in drafting, and makes it easier for teams to follow, update, and standardise workflows across the organisation.
Ready-to-use documents, such as an SOP template, make employee onboarding and training faster and more efficient. Not only do they save time by eliminating the need to recreate work instruction templates and guides for each process, but they also ensure reliable knowledge sharing by keeping information consistent and accessible across the organisation.
Here’s a quick step-by-step guide to creating a standard operating procedure:
Example: “Customer Onboarding Process”
State why this SOP exists and what it aims to achieve.
Example:
“This SOP outlines the steps required to onboard new customers efficiently and consistently, ensuring compliance with internal standards and regulatory requirements.”
What the SOP covers and what it does not.
Example: “This procedure applies to all new customer onboarding processes conducted by the Sales and Customer Success teams in North America. It does not cover technical onboarding handled by the Engineering team.”
List the personnel or teams involved and their specific duties.
Example:
Clarify any jargon, abbreviations, or industry-specific terms used in the SOP.
Example:
Provide a detailed and clear breakdown of each action, written in numbered or bulleted steps.
Tips:
Example:
Outline regulatory, legal, or internal compliance requirements related to the process.
Example:
Include any related policies, forms, templates, or SOPs.
Example:
Track changes made to the SOP over time.
Knowby provides a Version History and Change Log feature that allows you to track all edits, view past versions, and roll back to a prior version if needed.
The Change Log captures who made what change and when, supporting auditability and clear revision tracking.
Crucial for compliance-heavy environments (e.g. manufacturing, healthcare) where procedural traceability is vital.
Here’s a template you can adapt to start building your own SOPs in Knowby, helping you visualise exactly how to get started.
Knowby is designed to simplify the creation, sharing, and execution of SOPs and "how-to" knowledge—especially in frontline and operational environments. Here are the key features in Knowby that support organisation and best practices:
✅ Best practice: Ensures SOPs are easy to follow and minimise errors due to long or dense text.
✅ Best practice: Keeps knowledge structured and easy to access—especially important as SOP volume grows.
✅ Best practice: Aligns with ISO and quality control standards for SOP management.
✅ Best practice: Empowers a culture of Kaizen (continuous improvement) and democratises knowledge enhancement.
✅ Best practice: Reduces time to find procedures, especially critical in fast-paced environments.
✅ Best practice: Helps managers identify training gaps and optimise documentation efforts.
✅ Best practice: Supports knowledge access at the point of need, not just in the office.
✅ Best practice: Maintains knowledge integrity and prevents unauthorised edits.
Here's a summary of the best features to look for in an SOP tool and what Knowby has to offer:
|
Best Practice |
What Knowby Offers |
|
Clear, structured SOPs |
Step-by-step builder with multimedia |
|
Centralised knowledge repository |
Organised folders, search, mobile access |
|
SOP revision tracking |
Version history and change logs |
|
Continuous improvement |
Built-in feedback tools |
|
Data-driven optimisation |
Usage analytics and reporting |
|
Access control for compliance |
Role-based permissions |
Knowby transforms traditional SOPs from static documents into interactive, dynamic guides that are easier to create, update, and follow. Its step-by-step format allows you to break down complex processes into concise, multimedia-supported instructions—complete with images, videos, audio, and decision points. Instead of long, text-heavy manuals, teams can access clear, visual procedures from any device, ensuring consistency and reducing the likelihood of errors. Built-in categories, filters, and search functions make it simple for employees to find the right SOP in seconds, whether they’re in the office, on the shop floor, or out in the field.
Beyond making SOPs more accessible, Knowby streamlines their maintenance and governance. Version control and change logs provide full visibility over edits, helping you meet audit and compliance requirements with ease. Feedback tools empower frontline teams to suggest improvements directly within the SOP, creating a culture of continuous improvement. Usage analytics track how often procedures are viewed and completed, giving managers insight into training needs and identifying underused or outdated content.
With Knowby, SOPs become living documents—always up to date, always accessible, and always aligned with your organisation’s best practices.
Creating the perfect SOP with Knowby isn’t about writing paragraphs—it’s about guiding action. When each instruction is simple, visual, and safe, your team will work more confidently, reduce errors, and improve productivity.
Use this guide as a standard when creating your work instructions, and continually refine them as tasks evolve. Your work instructions and SOPs should work for the user, so keep this in mind.