Last Chance to Join the Webinar on Writing SOPs

Register Now for: Writing SOPs people can actually follow: plain language and AI in practice

A standard operating procedure can be technically correct, approved through the appropriate quality process and based on sound scientific information, yet still be difficult to follow.

That distinction matters.

An SOP exists to communicate how a controlled activity is to be performed. If the person carrying out the work has to interpret long sentences, search through dense paragraphs, resolve inconsistent terminology or reconstruct a sequence of actions from narrative text, the procedure is creating unnecessary cognitive work.

Clearer writing can reduce that burden.

At the same time, artificial intelligence is changing the practical process of producing controlled documentation. AI can help turn structured information into a first draft, reorganize content and improve consistency. But it can also introduce errors that are difficult to detect precisely because the resulting text sounds convincing.

These two subjects come together in the upcoming Quality Systems Now webinar, Writing SOPs people can actually follow: plain language and AI in practice.

The session takes place on 25 August 2026 at 7:00 PM Brisbane time, making this an opportunity to explore the subject before the webinar rather than simply considering AI as a theoretical future technology.

Why good SOPs can still be difficult to follow

The quality of an SOP is often judged primarily by whether its content is correct.

That is essential, but it is not the whole problem.

A procedure can accurately describe a process while communicating it inefficiently. Excessive sentence length, unnecessary passive constructions, inconsistent terminology and poorly organized information can make the document harder to use.

This is particularly relevant when procedures are consulted during real work.

The user may not be sitting down to read the SOP from beginning to end. They may be performing a task and checking the next step. They may need to confirm an acceptance criterion, determine what happens when a result falls outside a specified range or identify what needs to be recorded.

The document therefore needs to support navigation as well as provide accurate information.

A clear SOP makes the required action easier to locate and reduces unnecessary interpretation.

Plain language does not mean less technical language

Plain language is sometimes misunderstood as an attempt to make technical documents simplistic.

That is not the objective.

A regulated procedure may require exact technical terminology, defined parameters, acceptance criteria, calculations and other information that cannot be simplified without changing its meaning.

Plain language concerns how that information is communicated.

For example, a procedural instruction can be precise without being unnecessarily complicated. An author can use direct sentences, logical sequencing and descriptive headings while retaining all technically necessary information.

The goal is to remove linguistic complexity that does not contribute to scientific or procedural precision.

This can make a significant difference to usability.

Chunking helps users process information

One of the practical techniques explored in the webinar is chunking.

Instead of presenting a complex procedure as a continuous block of text, related information is grouped into manageable sections.

A laboratory SOP, for example, might separate preparation, equipment checks, sample preparation, analysis, result evaluation and documentation. The exact structure will depend on the procedure, but the principle is consistent: information should be organized according to how the user needs to access it.

Chunking can also make complex instructions easier to review.

When actions are separated into logical units, it becomes easier to identify omissions, duplicated requirements or unexpected transitions between stages of a process.

The result is not necessarily a shorter SOP. It is a more usable one.

Signposting makes important information easier to find

Signposting is closely related to document structure.

Clear headings and meaningful section titles tell the reader where they are within the procedure and what information can be found in each section.

Compare a generic heading such as "Procedure" with headings that describe the actual workflow, such as "Prepare the Equipment", "Prepare the Sample", "Perform the Test" and "Record the Result".

The latter structure gives the user useful information before they begin reading the section.

This becomes particularly important for SOPs that are used repeatedly over long periods. Experienced users may already know the process but still need to confirm a specific requirement. Good signposting allows them to find that requirement efficiently.

The 7±2 rule and cognitive load

The webinar will also consider the 7±2 rule as a practical way of thinking about information load.

The simple formulation should not be treated as a rigid measurement of human working memory. Modern research presents a more nuanced picture of working-memory capacity.

The practical lesson remains useful, however.

People should not be expected to retain a large number of unrelated instructions while simultaneously performing a complex task.

Information can instead be grouped into logical units and presented at the point where it is needed.

For SOP authors, this means considering not only whether information is present, but how much information the user must mentally hold at one time.

Good procedure design reduces unnecessary cognitive demands.

Process mapping should come before drafting

One of the most useful approaches to SOP development is to map the process before writing the procedure.

A process map identifies activities, decisions, inputs and outputs. It can expose the actual structure of a workflow before that structure is translated into paragraphs.

This is particularly valuable for complex processes containing multiple decision points.

Without a process map, an author may attempt to describe a workflow as a sequence of paragraphs. Conditional branches can become buried within the text, and important relationships between activities may become difficult to see.

A process map provides a structured representation of the workflow.

That representation can then be used to create a more logical SOP structure.

It also provides a valuable input for AI-assisted drafting.

What AI can do well

Generative AI can be useful when the underlying process and source information are already defined.

Rather than asking an AI system to invent an SOP, an author can provide structured information such as a process map together with authoritative technical material.

The AI can then assist in producing a first draft.

This can reduce the time spent on repetitive drafting tasks. AI can organize information into sections, propose clearer wording and help identify inconsistencies in terminology or structure.

For organisations that produce and maintain significant amounts of controlled documentation, this capability may offer substantial efficiency benefits.

The important point is that AI is most useful when it is operating on controlled inputs.

The quality of the resulting draft depends heavily on the quality and completeness of the information provided.

Where AI falls short

AI-generated text can sound authoritative even when it contains an error.

This is one of the most important issues for regulated documentation.

AI may misunderstand an instruction, omit a qualification, introduce an unsupported assumption or combine requirements in a way that changes their meaning. It can also reproduce ambiguity from its source material while expressing that ambiguity in polished language.

Fluency is therefore not evidence of correctness.

An AI-generated SOP must be reviewed by people with appropriate process and technical knowledge.

The reviewer needs to determine whether the document accurately reflects the intended process, whether technical requirements have been preserved and whether the procedure can actually be followed by the intended users.

This is why AI-assisted drafting should not be confused with automated approval.

AI changes where authors can spend their time

The most useful benefit of AI may not be simply producing a first draft faster.

It may be the opportunity to redirect human effort.

If AI handles some of the mechanical work involved in structuring and drafting text, authors can devote more time to reviewing the procedure against the actual process.

That review can examine questions that require expertise.

Does the procedure accurately describe the work?

Are responsibilities clear?

Are decision points visible?

Are exceptions adequately addressed?

Are acceptance criteria unambiguous?

Can a competent user find the required instruction without unnecessary searching?

Does the language create an interpretation that was not intended?

These questions are more important than whether the document sounds polished.

The webinar will demonstrate the approach in practice

The upcoming session is designed to bring these concepts together rather than treating plain language and AI as separate subjects.

Participants will explore practical techniques for improving SOP clarity, including chunking, signposting and consideration of cognitive load.

The session will also demonstrate how process mapping can organize a complex workflow before writing begins.

Most importantly, the webinar will show AI being used to turn a process map and a compendial test method into a first-draft procedure.

This provides a practical illustration of both the opportunity and the limitation.

AI can accelerate the transformation of structured information into readable documentation. Human expertise remains necessary to determine whether that documentation is technically correct, operationally appropriate and suitable for use within the quality system.

What participants should take away

The objective is not to encourage organisations to generate SOPs automatically.

It is to provide a more realistic model for using AI as part of controlled documentation work.

Participants will leave with practical techniques that can be applied to existing procedures, including methods for improving readability without removing necessary technical content.

They will also gain a clearer understanding of how process mapping can improve the drafting process and how AI can contribute to first-draft development.

Equally important, the session addresses where AI should not be trusted without expert intervention.

That distinction is essential as AI becomes increasingly accessible to people involved in technical documentation.

Join us on 25 August

The webinar, Writing SOPs people can actually follow: plain language and AI in practice, takes place on 25 August 2026 at 7:00 PM Brisbane time.

For anyone responsible for writing, reviewing, maintaining or implementing SOPs, this is a timely opportunity to examine how established principles of clear technical communication can be combined with emerging AI capabilities.

Better SOPs do not necessarily require more words.

They require information to be structured so that the right information can be found, understood and applied when it is needed.

AI can help with the drafting.

Process mapping can help establish the structure.

Plain language can make the result easier to use.

Expert review remains essential to ensure that the final procedure is accurate and appropriate.

With the webinar approaching, now is the time to join Writing SOPs people can actually follow: plain language and AI in practice and explore how these techniques can be applied to the procedures your organisation relies on every day.