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name: sop-writer description: "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.

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

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[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 |

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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

1. [Immediate action]
2. [Who to notify]
3. [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"