How should we manage and control our company's Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) documents?

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are the foundation of a Quality Management System, ensuring operational consistency and compliance. SOP management must be strict and systematic. This includes: 1. Drafting and review: SOPs should be drafted by personnel familiar with the operation, reviewed by the relevant departments (such as the user department and quality department), and ultimately approved by the head of the quality department. 2. Version control: Every SOP must have a unique number, version number and effective date. Any amendment must follow the change control procedure and result in a new version number. Superseded SOPs must be withdrawn immediately from all points of use to prevent misuse. 3. Distribution and training: Controlled copies of SOPs should be distributed to all roles that need to carry out the relevant operations. Relevant employees must be trained before an SOP takes effect, and the training must be documented. 4. Periodic review: All SOPs should be reviewed periodically (for example, every two years) to ensure that their content remains accurate and applicable. If regulations or processes change, they should be revised immediately. 5. Archiving: The master copy of every SOP and all historical versions should be properly archived.