Standard Operating Procedures Benefits

Standard Operating Procedures Benefits

The development and use of SOPs minimizes variation and promotes quality through consistent implementation of a process or procedure within the organization, even if there are temporary or permanent personnel changes. SOPs can indicate compliance with organizational and governmental requirements and can be used as a part of a personnel training program, since they should provide detailed work instructions.

It minimizes opportunities for miscommunication and can address safety concerns. When historical data are being evaluated for current use, SOPs can also be valuable for reconstructing project activities when no other references are available. In addition, SOPs are frequently used as checklists by inspectors when auditing procedures. Ultimately, the benefits of a valid SOP are reduced work effort, along with improved comparability, credibility, and legal defensibility.

SOPs are needed even when published methods are being utilized. For example, if an SOP is written for a standard analytical method, the SOP should specify the procedures to be followed in greater detail than appear in the published method. It also should detail how, if at all, the SOP differs from the standard method and any options that this organization follows. As noted in ASTM D5172-91 (2004), Standard Guide for Documenting the Standard Operating Procedures Used for the Analysis of Water, “a significant part of the variability of results generated by different laboratories analyzing the same samples and citing the same general reference is due to differences in the way the analytical test methods and procedures are actually performed in each laboratory. These differences are often caused by the slight changes or adjustments allowed by the general reference, but that can affect the final results." Using a correct well-written SOP can minimize such differences.