Standard Operating Procedure

A procedure instruction is a document from quality management that lists the individual activities or processes that make up a procedure in an orderly sequence. Procedure instructions are required by standards. The scope and depth of documentation, as well as the format (paper or electronic), depend on the size and structure of the organization. Procedure instructions are, like the QM manual, an important element of QM documentation.They clearly present all the sub-activities necessary for carrying out a procedure. They detail who is responsible for the tasks or what skills are required, but exclude details such as key figures. Additionally, they are designed for cross-departmental and cross-location application. In contrast, work instructions provide all the necessary information for executing a single task, such as timing, location, and procedure. Therefore, these documents should be differentiated from one another. Possible contents of procedure instructions may include descriptions such as purpose, scope, responsibilities, definitions, procedures, and related documents.