SOP University · Lesson 3 · Basics · 14 Sep 2026
SOP Roles: Author, Reviewer, Approver, Owner and Reader
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Plain answer
Five roles keep an SOP accurate: the author who drafts it, the reviewer who checks it against the real task, the approver who signs it off, the owner who keeps it current, and the readers who follow it. One person can hold several roles, but an author should not be the only reviewer of their own draft, and every SOP needs a named owner.
What does each role do?
| Role | What they do | Usually |
|---|---|---|
| Author | Captures or writes the draft and makes the changes asked for in review | Someone who does the task |
| Reviewer | Checks the draft against how the task is really done | A second person who does or supervises the task |
| Approver | Signs off a version so it can take effect; the sign-off is recorded | The process or department lead |
| Owner | Keeps the SOP accurate, runs periodic reviews and decides when a change is needed | The approver or a named manager |
| Reader | Follows the current version and confirms they have read it | Everyone who does the task |
Can one person hold several roles?
Yes, and in small teams it is normal. The owner and approver are often the same person, and the author is usually also a reader. The combination to avoid is an author reviewing their own draft, because authors read what they meant to write. In a very small team, review can be as simple as a colleague following the steps once.
How do roles map to software permissions?
SOP tools express these roles as permissions: who can edit, who can approve and who can only read. This is role-based access control. Check three things on the plan you would buy: a reader cannot edit an approved SOP, only named people can approve, and the tool records who approved each version. Plans differ. Haiku lists admin controls, permissions and activity logs on its Team plan; Scribe lists Creator, Viewer and Admin roles on Enterprise; Whale lists access permissions and Experts; Process Street lists approvals on every plan.
What happens when an owner leaves?
An SOP without an owner stops being reviewed. When someone changes role or leaves, reassign each SOP they own before they go and record the new owner in the SOP's header. A list of SOPs by owner, checked each quarter, catches the ones that slip.
Next lesson
Key terms: Owner, Approval workflow, Role-based access control (RBAC), Acknowledgement