SOP Definitions

A procedure owner begins with a named definition, an organization and an execution date. The owner selects the controlled procedure step and records the person responsible for the work. The revision and version identify the text being reviewed. Status shows whether the record is a draft, reviewed version, published version, active execution or completed work. This makes the definition the place to inspect the current operating position rather than relying on a copied checklist.

Consider a site procedure that will be performed next week. The owner checks that the organization and step are correct, then records the intended date and responsible person. A reviewer can now discuss this particular revision. Later, the team can compare its completed and required step counts with the execution detail. If the work needs correction, the state history and revision record explain what changed and when.

• Definition identity. The Procedure Owner keeps the number, name, organization, controlled step and planned execution date on the same definition.
• Version control. Revision identifies the text submitted for a decision; version number identifies the version used when the checklist is performed.
• Operating state. The status and state history show the current position and the dated changes that led there.

Agree how your team assigns definition numbers and when a changed instruction requires a new revision. The Procedure Owner and Independent Reviewer should use the same revision when discussing an approval. Choose the organization and controlled step before a definition is prepared for review; an active step for another organization can make the record misleading. Name the owner and the person responsible for performing the steps. Decide who updates the planned execution date if the work moves. The Operations Lead should agree how to reconcile a status with its state history before anyone relies on a summary list.

Use a planned site inspection as the rehearsal. The Procedure Owner creates a draft with its organization, step, owner, date and revision. The Independent Reviewer opens that exact record and checks the supporting decision before publication. After the Checklist Operator performs the work, compare the required and completed step counts with the individual outcomes. If a correction returns the definition to Reviewed, locate the earlier execution and its revision before approving another publication. A receiving operator should be able to say which version to use without guessing from the name alone.

• Definitions by status — Find the current definition by its status, date and owner.
• My definitions — See the definitions assigned to the signed-in owner.

See the first handoff and the next decision.