Several of Aiki-Karate’s clients from large and small organizations have used these terms interchangeably. Aiki-Karate Leadership Consultants assist clients with improving their Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and the professional work etiquette for employees by teaching them the distinct differences in these terms.

Policy

• Policies are simply the laws or rules of an organization.

• Policies can be applied to an organization as a whole and by specific departments.

Clarifying Business Terms

Commonly Used Interchangeably

(Part 1)

Do you know the difference between policies and procedures?

What is the difference between a process and a procedure?

By: Dr. David Jackson

April 9, 2022

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By clarifying these terms, business professionals are more capable of improving and developing Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that can collect operational knowledge instead of file cabinet dust.

If the SOPs in your organization need to be revised, improved, or purged, submit a Standard Operating Procedure inquiry by clicking on this inquiry button, and one of our consultants will respond back to you within 24 hours:

Process

• A process describes the general steps required to achieve a specific outcome.

• A process describes the “What”

Procedure

• A procedure describes the detailed instructions on how to complete a specific task.

• A procedure describes the “How.”

• Remember: The Recipe is the SOP.