Write a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for any operational task. Use when asked to write an SOP, standard operating procedure, work instruction, or operating manual. Produces a formal SOP with purpose, scope, procedure steps, quality checks, and version control.
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Use sop-writer to draft an audit-ready SOP titled [SOP title] for [department and process], covering [standard], roles, required tools, single-action imperative steps, quality checks, deviations, version history, and a review date.
Required inputs
[SOP title]
[department and process]
[standard]
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SKILL.md
name: sop-writerdescription: "Write a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for any operational task. Use when asked to write an SOP, standard operating procedure, work instruction, or operating manual. Produces a formal SOP with purpose, scope, procedure steps, quality checks, and version control."
SOP Writer Skill
Produces formal, audit-ready SOPs suitable for regulated industries, ISO certification, or operational scaling.
Not quite this? Use cn-sop-writer when it is a one-station shop-floor work instruction (作业指导书) for a factory.
Required Inputs
SOP title (e.g. "SOP-001: New Client Onboarding")
Department / function
Process description
Regulatory or quality standard (ISO 9001, GMP, CQC, FCA, etc.)
Roles involved
Tools or equipment used
Output Structure
[COMPANY NAME] — Standard Operating Procedure
Document ID
[SOP-XXX]
Title
[Title]
Department
[Department]
Version
1.0
Effective date
[Date]
Review date
[Date]
Status
Draft / Under review / Approved
1. Purpose
[1-2 sentences. Why does this SOP exist?]
2. Scope
Applies to: [Roles, departments, locations]
Does not apply to: [Explicit exclusions]
3. Definitions
Term
Definition
[Term]
[Plain English definition]
4. Responsibilities
Role
Responsibility
[Role]
[Specific responsibility]
5. Required Materials / Tools / Access
[Item]
6. Procedure
Step
Action
Responsible
Record/Output
6.1.1
[Imperative action: "Open [system] and navigate to [location]"]
[Role]
[What to record]
NOTE: Steps must be written in imperative form. Each step must have one action only.
7. Quality Checks
Check point
What to verify
Pass criteria
If fail
[After step X]
[What to check]
[What good looks like]
[What to do]
8. Non-Conformance
[Immediate action]
[Who to notify]
[How to document deviation]
9. References
[Related SOPs, policies, standards]
10. Document History
Version
Date
Author
Changes
1.0
[Date]
[Name]
Initial release
Quality Checks
All steps written in imperative form ("Open...", "Navigate...", "Confirm...")
Each step has exactly one action
Role specified for every step
Quality checkpoints at critical stages
Non-conformance process defines who to notify and how to document
Document history table and review date are included
Example Trigger Phrases
"Write an SOP for [process]"
"Create a standard operating procedure for [task]"
"Write a work instruction for [process]"
Anti-Patterns
Do not write steps that contain more than one action — each step must be a single, auditable action in imperative form
Do not omit a role from any step — every action must be assigned to a specific role or the SOP cannot be enforced
Do not skip the non-conformance section — an SOP without a deviation process cannot meet audit or regulatory requirements
Do not produce an SOP without a review date and version history — undated documents cannot be relied upon for compliance
Do not use passive voice in procedure steps — write "Open the system" not "The system should be opened"