What is the difference between a procedure and a standard operating procedure?

Procedure and standard operating procedure are two terms commonly used in organizing activities and tasks within a company. These approaches originate from the requirements of implementing a quality management system. They ensure the safety, efficiency, and consistency of business processes while optimizing the company’s expertise. What are the main differences between a procedure and a standard operating procedure? As a leading French provider of digital adoption solutions, Lemon Learning provides further insights.

What is a procedure?

A procedure describes the ordered sequence of activities to be implemented to achieve a specific important goal in the short or medium term. It ensures compliance with predefined standards governing the company’s activity. It details a business process by explaining how each step should be performed.

A procedure helps formalize and standardize quality processes within the company to achieve consistent and excellent results regarding productivity. It is a technical document written by a team of management experts. Reading this guide allows new employees to quickly gain a good understanding of the company’s culture and internal knowledge preservation practices.

Content and structure of a work procedure

There is no fixed structure for writing a work procedure. However, it should include the following elements:

• The main steps of the process in the appropriate order (including the financial, material, and human resources needed to achieve each specific objective),
• The individuals responsible for each activity in the work procedure,
• The assignment of a duration and a deadline for each step.
  A brief description of the steps can be provided without delving into too much detail.

Example of a procedure

For a recruitment process, the procedure might include the following steps:

• Identifying the need to hire
• Defining the job position and candidate profile
• Writing and posting the job offer
• Screening applications
• Conducting the job interview
• Selecting the ideal candidate
• Integrating the new employee into the team

Some work procedures include an introduction that briefly presents the relevant business process and its significance to the company.

What is a standard operating procedure?

A standard operating procedure (SOP) is a document that provides detailed work instructions associated with one or more steps of a work procedure. It can be presented through a video, interactive guide, infographic, mobile application, screenshot, or PDF. It focuses on the logical sequence of technical actions to be performed in the very short term to achieve the procedure’s objectives.

SOPs are very useful for new employees, as they help optimize financial and time resources related to task execution. They minimize the risk of errors and omissions in performing routine tasks associated with a job role.

Content and structure of a standard operating procedure

It includes an introduction that briefly refers to the relevant work procedure. The context of the SOP’s use for the specific role should also be described. The document then clearly and succinctly presents all the small technical tasks to be performed.

Example of a standard operating procedure

For the recruitment process procedure, the SOP might explain how to conduct a job interview. The guide will detail the steps involved in inviting the candidate to the company premises, welcoming them, and developing the interview questions. It will also cover the skills testing process and the interview conclusion.

Comparison between procedure and standard operating procedure

Here is a summary table presenting the advantages of work procedures and standard operating procedures for business processes:

Both procedures and SOPs are inflexible because their evolution must comply with industry standards, which rarely change over the years. They are highly dependent on technological advancements. Both approaches to quality management contribute to improving business processes within the company. Another common point between work procedures and SOPs is that the guide can be presented in various formats: infographic, video, bullet-point text, table, flowchart, etc.

You can also manage all aspects of your approach using specialized software like Lemon Learning. While creating a procedure involves the expertise of multiple departments, the SOP is generally intended for a single individual.

When to use a procedure and when to use a standard operating procedure?

It depends on the company’s specific needs regarding business process optimization. The budget and the level of expertise of the guide’s recipients are also factors to consider. SOPs are more effective for facilitating the work of field or office staff. More streamlined, they go straight to the point to quickly help with specific tasks. Procedures are used to assign responsibility to department heads or senior managers for executing key business development activities.

A procedure identifies action responsibilities and timelines for major process steps. The SOP provides detailed technical work instructions for operational staff. Both are tools for implementing a quality management system within a company.