SOPs: What Are They and Why Do They Matter?
Standard Operating Procedures, more commonly referred to as SOPs, are an integral part of any business. SOPs are the foundation for any decision, protocol, production, or product formulation made within a business. They allow for safe, high-quality, and consistent decision making and production.
But, what exactly are SOPs, and why are they so important?
What are SOPs?
SOPs are a set of processes that a company puts in place in order to ensure that their product or service is delivered in a consistent way. These rules are formally written as step-by-step instructions in order to describe exactly how a process or activity should be performed. This allows a business to maintain safe and efficient protocols that can be easily followed by all employees.
Why Are SOPs Important?
While most businesses incorporate SOPs into their business models, many still do not fully understand their benefits and necessities. There are a number of reasons why SOPs are a crucial component in any business.
SOPs allow for a system that promotes quality, speed, and consistency. Anything undertaken by a business will follow the specific SOPs written for that particular task. SOPs allow processes to remain consistent and be performed to the highest level, as outlined by the company.
SOPs also allow businesses to reduce the number of errors in their procedures. By sticking to an easy-to-follow set of rules, the capacity for error is minimized as each task, and each person undertaking the task follows these specific rules. This means SOPs promote efficacy as well as quality.
In particular, SOPs are important for CBD products for a number of reasons, including product formulation, product quality, and consistency.
1. Consistency
One key goal of SOPs is to provide consistency. The detailed yet simple nature of SOPs means that no matter who the employee, producer, or company is, they will all follow the same procedures and produce a consistent product.
Consistency is crucial in the development of a product in order to ensure every item is identical. More importantly, it is vital that SOPs are followed in order to create consistently safe products that function as they are intended. Regardless of who or what is forming the product, they will be developed in the correct way, as outlined by the manufacturer.
In the case of CBD products, strict SOPs are in place in order to ensure that every batch is identical. This ensures the optimal function and safety of CBD supplements. This can reassure customers that every single batch of CBD is processed in the exact same way, meaning that they are always receiving exactly what they expect. This allows businesses to develop the exact potency and yield required.
Following the SOPs allows for consistent development of not only the formulation of the product but also the quality of the product.
2. Product Formulation
SOPs are vital for the way products are formulated. In order to ensure consistent, high-quality products, any company involved in developing a product will have SOPs in place for manufacturing that product. This is important to ensure that every product has the purpose, quality, purity, and strength for which it was developed. Any changes to the product development must also be written into the SOPs.
The development of clear and simple SOPs is crucial in the formulation of products. During the development of a product, each step is documented and written into official SOPs. This means that all future production of a product will exactly mimic that of the original, which has been tested to be safe and fulfills its purpose. SOPs must remain up-to-date and accurate with relevant information and evidence within the field of the product in order to ensure optimal product quality and efficacy.
In the case of CBD development, growing methods, processing, and laboratory tests are kept consistent across all orders and processes. This ensures that every product formulated follows the protocols that produce high-quality, safe, and effective CBD products.
SOPs are an important step in the formulation of a product as they develop the foundations for all future production of that product.
3. Product Quality
SOPs allow for quality assurance of a product or procedure. The development of SOPs means that every product produced by a company will meet certain quality regulations and standards. If the same guidelines are followed in the development of a product, then every product developed will meet the quality standards of that company.
In terms of drugs or supplements, the quality includes the percentage of an active ingredient as well as the removal of byproducts. This is known as the purity of a product. Consequently, this also ensures the safety of the product. In following a set of rules that promotes a minimum standard of quality, the safety of that product will also be upheld.
For CBD development, Sunny Skies SOPs include liaising with both the customer and third-party laboratories in order to consistently develop pure, effective products. This allows the highest quality standard to be applied to every single CBD product manufactured and sold.
Product quality is consistently ensured through the development of detailed SOPs.
Example of Sunny Skies CBD’s Standard Operating Procedure Regarding THC Remediation
- Customers send Sunny Skies CBD a CoA for cannabinoid potency of the full-spectrum distillate to be processed to a broad-spectrum/THC-free distillate.
- Sunny Skies CBD estimates % cannabinoid loss necessary to remove 100% of THC.
- The customer agrees to the estimated yield and schedules date for processing and delivery.
- Sunny Skies invoices customer.
- Customer pays invoice, ships distillate to Sunny Skies CBD, and emails sales@sunnyskiescbd.com with the tracking number.
- Sunny Skies CBD remediates THC and sends a 2g sample of broad-spectrum distillate for testing.
- Sunny Skies CBD shares lab results with customer and ships broad-spectrum distillate to customer.
Using a process called reverse-phase flash chromatography, THC is separated from CBD and other cannabinoids. CBD differs from THC only in the number of -OH functional groups, CBD has two while THC contains only one. These different hydrophobicities allow the THC compound to be separated and removed.
We send all products out for 3rd party lab testing and full panel Certificate of Analysis (COA) verification. With Sunny Skies CBD’s professional THC remediation services, you can be confident that your CBD products are both compliant and deliver the purity and potency you expect.
The Bottom Line
SOPs are an integral part of any business. They are a formal, written document that provides step-by-step instructions on how to carry out a protocol within a business. They are vital in both the development and production of products as well as the processes surrounding how a company conducts its business.
SOPs allow for consistent, safe, and high-quality procedures to take place since they clearly outline how something must be undertaken. They are at the heart of any business.
**Standard Disclaimer: CBD is not FDA-approved. We make no such claims that using our products will guarantee relief. Moreover, research regarding CBD is still ongoing and in the early stages.**
Why Choose Sunny Skies For Your CBD Needs?
At Sunny Skies CBD, we are committed to:
1) making high-quality products
2) operating in an open and transparent manner
3) building an independently-owned and operated family business
