How to audit an SOP

How to audit an SOP without rewriting it from scratch.

Auditing an SOP is not about style. It is about checking whether the procedure still matches reality: the people, numbers, places, and steps an officer would actually rely on.

People moveOwners and contacts transfer or leave
Sites changeDoors, posts, and systems are reconfigured
No ownerWith no owner and no date, drift is invisible
The essentials

What how to audit an sop requires.

01

Check the owner

Confirm a named, current owner and a review date.

02

Check the contacts

Verify every named person and number still reaches the right place.

03

Check the steps

Confirm each step still matches the site and systems.

04

Check the trigger

Make sure the starting condition is unambiguous.

05

Check for gaps

Look for missing escalation, roles, or evidence steps.

06

Record the result

Capture what was checked, by whom, and when.

Why it matters

Most audits find the same handful of failures.

Stale contacts, dead numbers, vague steps, missing owners, and steps that assume an old layout account for the majority of what an SOP audit surfaces.

Statusexample
!
Named contact no longer here
STALE
!
Step assumes a moved door
DRIFT
!
No owner, no review date
GAP
Audited, recorded, owner set
DONE
Common questions

Frequently asked questions.

How do you audit an SOP?

Check the owner and review date, verify every contact and number, confirm the steps match the site and systems, test the trigger, look for gaps, and record the result.

What does an SOP audit usually find?

Stale contacts, dead numbers, vague steps, missing owners, and steps that assume an old layout.

Can SOP Live audit an SOP automatically?

Yes. SOP Live audits one SOP for free and flags stale contacts, dead numbers, vague steps, and missing owners.

See it on one of your own SOPs.

Run a single SOP through the free audit and see owners, contacts, and review status surfaced automatically.

Run a free SOP audit