SOP-XXX: [Full SOP Title]

Document Control

Field	Value
SOP ID	SOP-XXX
Version	1.0
Effective Date	YYYY-MM-DD
Owner Position	[Position Role]
Review Date	YYYY-MM-DD
Status	Draft
Supersedes	[Previous SOP or "None"]

Purpose

[Clear statement of what this SOP accomplishes and why it exists. Should answer: What business need does this fulfill? What happens if this SOP is not followed?]

Scope

In Scope:

• [What is covered by this SOP]
• [Specific scenarios, situations, or conditions]
• [Geographic or organizational boundaries]

Out of Scope:

• [What is explicitly NOT covered]
• [Related procedures handled elsewhere]
• [Exceptions requiring different procedures]

RABSIC Responsibility Matrix

Role	Position/Department	Responsibility Description
R (Responsible)	[Primary executor]	[What they do]
A (Accountable)	[Final approver - exactly ONE]	[Decision authority and ownership]
B (Backup)	[Stand-in for Responsible]	[When activated and what they do]
S (Support)	[Helper roles]	[How they assist Responsible]
I (Informed)	[Recipients of outcomes]	[What they receive and when]
C (Consulted)	[Input providers]	[What expertise they provide before decision]

Prerequisites

Required Tools/Systems:

• [Tool/system name and access requirements]
• [Software, equipment, or platforms needed]

Required Training:

• [Certifications or training completion required]
• [Skill level or competency requirements]

Required Documents/Data:

• [Input documents or data needed]
• [Reference materials to have on hand]

Access/Permissions:

• [System access requirements]
• [Authorization levels needed]

Step-by-Step Procedure

Step 1: [Step Name]

Objective: [What this step accomplishes]

Actions:

1. [Detailed action with specific instructions]
2. [Include exact system navigation paths, button names, form fields]
3. [Specify exact wording for communications]

Quality Checkpoint:

• [Verification criterion 1]
• [Verification criterion 2]

Estimated Time: [X minutes/hours]

Responsible Role: [From RABSIC matrix]

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Step 2: [Step Name]

Objective: [What this step accomplishes]

Actions:

1. [Detailed action]
2. [Include decision points and criteria]

Decision Point:

• IF [condition], THEN [action/next step]
• ELSE [alternative action]

Quality Checkpoint:

• [Verification criterion]

Estimated Time: [X minutes/hours]

Responsible Role: [From RABSIC matrix]

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Step 3: [Continue pattern for all steps]

[Repeat step structure for each procedural step]

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Quality Standards & Checkpoints

Mandatory Quality Gates:

Checkpoint	Criteria	Responsible	Pass/Fail
[Checkpoint name]	[Specific measurable criterion]	[Role]	[How to determine]
[Checkpoint name]	[Specific measurable criterion]	[Role]	[How to determine]

Final Verification Checklist:

• [Overall completion criterion 1]
• [Overall completion criterion 2]
• [Overall completion criterion 3]
• Accountable party sign-off obtained
• All Informed parties notified

Exceptions & Edge Cases

Exception 1: [Scenario Name]

When This Occurs: [Trigger conditions]

Modified Procedure:

1. [How procedure changes]
2. [Additional steps or approvals needed]

Additional Approvals Required: [Roles that must approve exception]

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Exception 2: [Scenario Name]

[Same structure as Exception 1]

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Escalation & Problem Resolution

Common Issues:

Problem	Likely Cause	Resolution	Escalate To
[Issue description]	[Root cause]	[How to fix]	[Role if unresolved]
[Issue description]	[Root cause]	[How to fix]	[Role if unresolved]

Escalation Path:

1. First Level: [Role/Position]
2. Second Level: [Role/Position]
3. Final Level: [Role/Position]

Related Documents

Referenced SOPs:

• [SOP-XXX: Title with link]
• [SOP-XXX: Title with link]

Templates:

• [Template name and location]
• [Template name and location]

External Standards:

• [Industry standard or regulation]
• [External reference document]

Knowledge Base:

• [Related knowledge graph entities]
• [Related wiki articles]

Definitions & Terminology

Term	Definition
[Term]	[Clear definition in context of this SOP]
[Term]	[Clear definition in context of this SOP]

Metrics & KPIs

Process Performance Indicators:

Metric	Target	Measurement Method	Review Frequency
[Metric name]	[Target value/range]	[How to measure]	[When to review]
[Metric name]	[Target value/range]	[How to measure]	[When to review]

Training Requirements

Initial Training:

• [Required training for first-time execution]
• [Estimated training time]
• [Training sign-off requirement]

Refresher Training:

• [Frequency of refresher training]
• [Trigger events requiring retraining]

Competency Assessment:

• [How competency is verified]
• [Pass criteria]

Revision History

Version	Date	Author Role	Changes	Approved By
1.0	YYYY-MM-DD	[Position]	Initial release	[Accountable position]

Approval Signatures

Role	Position	Name	Signature	Date
Owner	[Position]	[Name]	[Digital signature]	YYYY-MM-DD
Accountable	[Position]	[Name]	[Digital signature]	YYYY-MM-DD
Quality Review	[Position]	[Name]	[Digital signature]	YYYY-MM-DD

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Next Scheduled Review: [Date] Document Location: sops/[category]/[filename].md Master Copy: GitHub repository (source of truth)