SOP

noun

1.

a thing given or done as a concession of no great value to appease someone whose main concerns or demands are not being met.

"my agent telephones as a sop but never finds me work"

2.

a piece of bread dipped in gravy, soup, or sauce.

verb

1.

soak up liquid using an absorbent substance.

"he used some bread to sop up the sauce"

2.

wet thoroughly; soak.

SOP (Abbrev.)

standard operating procedure 

An SOP is a procedure specific to your operation that describes the activities necessary to complete tasks in accordance with industry regulations, provincial laws or even just your own standards for running your business. Any document that is a “how to” falls into the category of procedures.

A standard operating procedure (SOP) is a set of step-by-step instructions compiled by an organization to help workers carry out routine operations. SOPs aim to achieve efficiency, quality output, and uniformity of performance, while reducing miscommunication and failure to comply with industry regulations.

Some military services (e.g., in the U.S. and the UK) use the term standing (rather than standard) operating procedure, since a military SOP refers to a unit's unique procedures, which are not necessarily standard to another unit. The word "standard" could suggest that only one (standard) procedure is to be used across all units.

The term is sometimes used facetiously to refer to practices that are unconstructive, yet the norm. In the Philippines, for instance, "SOP" is the term for pervasive corruption within the government and its institutions.

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