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SOP & Checklist Pack

Write down how a task is done so anyone can do it the same way. The procedure sets out the steps and the check for each one; the checklist is ticked off every time the task is done. Both come blank and as a completed example for preparing a customer order.

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First page of the example procedure for preparing a customer order for dispatch

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Standard operating procedure

Write it once for a task someone else needs to do the same way.

Purpose and scope, the responsible role, what you need before starting, ordered steps each with an observable check, exceptions and who to tell, and version, approval and review dates.

Blank and an example · Word and PDF

The example checklist for one order, with eight ticked checks and a note about a damaged notebook

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Task checklist

Use one each time the task is done.

The reference, who did it and when, each step with its check and a tick box, and a space for anything not done or not right and who was told.

Blank and an example · Word and PDF

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Choose a document, a version and a format. After the first download, the others need no new form.

Word files open in Microsoft Word, Google Docs, Apple Pages and LibreOffice; we checked them in LibreOffice. US Letter portrait; change the paper size for A4. The example uses an invented shop.

Writing steps people can follow

One action per step, in the order it is done.
A check for every step that says what to look at: a code, a count, a weight, a word-for-word match.
For each thing that can go wrong, what to do and who to tell, and how quickly.

Common questions

What makes a good quality check?

Something another person could see, count or compare. “The code on each item matches the packing slip” or “weight within 50 g of the label” can be checked; “ensure quality” cannot.

Can I use it for safety-critical or regulated work?

No. It is for ordinary business tasks. Work involving chemicals, electricity, food safety, medical care, working at height or other regulated activities needs procedures based on the rules that apply to you.

How often should a procedure be reviewed?

Whenever the task changes, and on the review date you set. The change history records what changed, when and who approved it.