SOP Workflows
Every SOP in SOPHIE moves through a defined workflow from creation to publication. The workflow makes sure procedures are reviewed and approved by the right people before the rest of your team sees them.
Workflow states
A SOP can be in one of seven states:
| State | What it means |
|---|---|
| Draft | The SOP is being written. Only the author and workspace admins can see it. This is where every SOP starts. |
| Under Review | The SOP has been submitted for approval. It is now in the hands of one or more reviewers. |
| Approved | A reviewer has approved the SOP. It is ready to be published to the team. |
| Published | The SOP is live. Assigned team members can see it and are asked to acknowledge it. |
| Rejected | A reviewer sent the SOP back with feedback. The author can revise and resubmit. |
| Expired | A published SOP has passed its scheduled review date. It needs to be updated and re-approved before the team should rely on it. |
| Archived | The SOP has been retired. It is no longer active but remains available for historical reference. |
How SOPs move between states
Submitting for review
When you finish writing a SOP and want your manager or department lead to review it, click Submit. This moves the SOP from Draft to Under Review. SOPHIE automatically determines who should review it based on:
- The department the SOP belongs to and who leads that department
- Your position in the role hierarchy (your manager reviews your work)
- Approval priority settings on roles
Reviewers are notified in their Inbox and by email.
Reviewing and approving
If you are a reviewer, you have three options when a SOP lands in your queue:
- Approve -- The SOP moves to Approved and is ready to be published.
- Reject -- The SOP moves to Rejected. Add a comment explaining what needs to change so the author can revise and resubmit.
- Comment -- Leave feedback without changing the status. Useful when you have a question but are not ready to make a decision.
If the assigned reviewer is out of office, SOPHIE automatically escalates the approval up the management chain so reviews do not stall.
Publishing
Once a SOP is approved, a user with publishing permissions can publish it. Publishing makes the SOP visible to everyone assigned to it and triggers acknowledgement requests. Published SOPs appear in team members' My Day view and are included in compliance tracking.
Expiration
If a SOP has a review schedule (monthly, quarterly, yearly), it automatically moves to Expired when the review date passes. The SOP owner is notified to review the content, make any updates, and send it through the approval workflow again.
Archiving
When a procedure is no longer needed -- maybe you switched to a new process or discontinued a service -- you can archive the SOP. Archived SOPs are hidden from the main list but can still be found and restored if you need them later.
Common scenarios
You just wrote a SOP and want it reviewed. Open the SOP, make sure the department and roles are set correctly, then click Submit. SOPHIE routes it to the right reviewer automatically.
A reviewer rejected your SOP. Check the comments for their feedback. Make the requested changes in the editor, then click Submit again to send it back for review.
A published SOP needs updating. Open the SOP, edit the content, and submit the updated version for approval. Once approved and republished, team members who previously acknowledged it will be asked to re-acknowledge the new version.
A SOP expired and needs attention. You will see a notification in your Inbox. Open the SOP, review whether the content is still accurate, make any updates, and submit for approval.
Soft delete
When you delete a SOP, SOPHIE performs a soft delete. The SOP is removed from your active list but retained for 30 days in the Trash. After 30 days it is permanently removed. You can restore a deleted SOP from the Trash at any time during the retention window.