We have reviewed all export features for SOPs. We've added Word export and redesigned the standard PDF to resemble paper forms. The Export format feature released on August 21 (which exports SOPs in your company's own format) now supports Word and PowerPoint formats in addition to Excel.

1. Export format now supports Word and PowerPoint formats

The Export format released on August 21 could only register Excel formats (.xlsx / .xlsm). In this release, you can now also register Word (.docx / .docm) and PowerPoint (.pptx / .pptm) formats. The merge tag syntax is common across all formats.

Registered formats appear as names under "Export" → "Excel", "Word", and "PowerPoint" on the SOP details screen. When you register a format, your custom format and "Standard" appear at the same level.

● How the step rows expand depends on the format

• Word … Place only one step frame. Rows increase by the number of steps. You do not need to write numbering.
• PowerPoint … If one step fits on one slide, placing one frame on that slide will create as many slides as there are steps. If one step spans two or more slides, place the start tag on the first slide and the end tag on the last slide, and the frames expand together. If you use one slide for a summary table, placing one frame in a table row expands by row count.
• Excel … As before, arrange frames in the number you need. Unlike the other two formats, this method preserves formula references, print settings, and macros by not changing row counts.

● Notes when creating PowerPoint formats

• Place step and revision history tags on the slide itself, not on the slide master or layout.
• Tags written inside "Click to add text" placeholders will not be reflected. Draw a text box and write the tags inside it.
• Place photo tags alone in a text box sized to fit the photo. Writing in the same shape as the body text will overlap the characters.

● We've prepared sample formats for Excel, Word, and PowerPoint

From the "How to create a template" on the settings screen, you can download samples for each of the three formats. You can also use them by simply adding merge tags to your existing format without starting from scratch.

● Terms of use

• Available with the Enterprise Plan
• Supported file formats are .xlsx / .xlsm / .docx / .docm / .pptx / .pptm, up to 50MB per file
• Format registration and deletion are performed by Team Administrator or above; Export is performed by those with permission to export SOPs
• Settings location: Sidebar "Dictionaries / Templates" → "Templates" → "Export format"

For how-to guides, registration methods, and tag lists, see Export SOP in your company's own format (Export format).

2. Standard PDF redesigned as a form-like sheet

The previous standard PDF had a cover page on the first page, and one step per page after that. This meant pages increased by the number of steps, so a 20-step SOP would become 21 pages, which was too thick to distribute in the field and difficult to view as a list. We've redesigned it to resemble an actual work standard sheet with a list format.

● No cover page; content starts from page one

An overview appears at the top of page one (description on the left, cover image on the right), and the step list starts immediately below. We've eliminated the need to flip through a cover page before work begins.

● Document name, Rev, and page numbers appear in a bordered box at the top of all pages

Any page pulled out will show which SOP and which version it is. We've removed the footer that was previously displayed at the bottom and the "Confidential" marking in red. Handling classification is determined by each customer, and it would not match reality if Dive printed "Confidential" uniformly on all SOPs. If you need a "Confidential" marking, include it in the Export format (your company's own format) and use it.

● Steps appear in a three-column table with one step per row

• From left: "Thumbnail", "Work step", and "Important safety information/Notes" — three columns
• Jump URLs and QR codes for each step are stacked vertically in the thumbnail column (or in the work step column if thumbnails are not displayed)
• Column headings repeat at the top of each page
• Row height adjusts to step content, and a horizontal line separates steps
• Photo size is calibrated to fit approximately four steps per page

● Revision history is consolidated on the last page

● You can now choose which items to export

Previously only Excel allowed you to choose export items, but now PDF and Word do too. You can select which items to include: Thumbnail, Step heading, Step details, Work tips/Quality warnings/Important safety information, Questions, Audio (subtitles), and Revision history (last page). When you uncheck an item, that column disappears from the page.

● Text uses embedded Noto Sans JP font

Because the PDF embeds fonts, it displays the same way even on devices that don't have that font installed.

3. Word export added

Previously, the only export formats available from Dive were PDF, Excel, PowerPoint, and MP4 — Word was not available. Customers managing work standards in Word had no choice but to manually transfer content from PDF or Excel.

In this release, "Word" has been added to the "Export" menu on the SOP details screen. Select it and it exports as .docx directly. Because you can edit the exported file in Word afterward, you can adjust it to match your company's format or paste it into other documents.

● Formatting is the same as standard PDF

Layout is identical: overview on page one, step list next, and revision history on the last page. PDF and Word have the same appearance, so they can be distributed interchangeably.

● Terms of use

• Available with Core, Pro, and Enterprise Plans (same conditions as PDF export and Excel export)
• Run from SOP details screen "Export" → "Word"
• You can choose which items to export and whether to include jump URLs and QR codes for each step at export time

Impact on existing use

We have not changed the contents of existing SOPs. Previously exported files are unaffected.

The standard PDF formatting will change with this export. It will no longer be one step per page, and will not have a cover page or "Confidential" and page number display at the bottom. If you need the previous formatting, register your company's format in Export format (Enterprise Plan) and use it. Standard Excel and PowerPoint formatting have not changed.

Related articles

• Export SOP in your company's own format (Export format)
• PDF, Excel, Word, PowerPoint export / Add a jump URL to each step
• Approval workflow

Thank you for continuing to use Dive.