Standard operating procedure: documented steps for carrying out a recurring task consistently.
An SOP records the steps for a recurring activity so that staff can carry it out consistently. It gives a shared reference for performing the task and for explaining the method to someone learning it. The procedure needs to remain aligned with the work it describes, which makes maintaining the document part of its usefulness. A procedure sets out how an activity is performed, while a record shows what happened on a particular occasion. Testing documentation, for example, can accompany work carried out under an SOP.
In job listings
Harrods’ Oyster Technician role in London required casing timepieces after servicing in accordance with Standard Operating Procedures. It also required waterproof testing and completed paperwork with the necessary testing documentation attached. The example shows how following a repeatable workshop method sits alongside recording the work and its test results. Search local jobs for “quality control”.
