When creating SOPs, we gather everything you need to follow in the "Authoring rules" section of Dictionaries / Templates. This includes three things: regulations, writing style, and export format. Since these three reference each other, we display them on the same screen.
This article explains how these three relate to each other and when to set each one. For instructions on setting each one, see the individual articles.
How the three relate
The beginning of the screen explains this as well.
Follow what the regulations say, align the writing style, and output in the export format.
| Section | Question it answers | Content |
| Regulations (Policy) | What to follow | Company internal regulation files, and from these: SOP types, fields that must be written, prohibitions, and granularity |
| Writing style | How to write it | Phrasing / Writing style, prohibitions, common phrasing |
| Export format | Which form to export in | Template for transcribing to your own format (Excel / Word / PowerPoint) |
Regulations mean "what must be written", writing style means "how to write it", and export format means "what it looks like when output". When regulations specify "work standards must be in this format", that format refers to what is registered in the export format. Because if these three were on separate screens, you would lose sight of the correspondence, we place them in the same location.
How to open it
From the sidebar, select Dictionary / Templates → and click the "Authoring rules" tab. The three sections can be collapsed or expanded, and the state stays the same the next time you open it.
Setting these requires Team Administrator or higher permissions. Do this from a PC browser.
Which one to set up first
You do not need to set all three to use them. Even just one works.
●When you have company internal regulation files
Start with "Regulations". When the file is imported, AI organizes and registers the SOP types, fields that must be written, prohibitions, and granularity. From the extracted results, the "rules about writing" can be added to the writing style section using "Import into How to write it". Only new lines are added; existing lines are not overwritten.
●When you have no regulations but want to align the writing style
Set only "Writing style". When it is difficult to write out in text, you can also register sample SOPs or manual files as references and have AI draft the content.
●When you need to output in your own company format
Register the "Export format". If the regulations specify a format for each type, the match between the extracted type and the registered format is displayed as "Has a form" or "No form linked".
Where the settings take effect
- AI consultation before you build: Used as choices for types, format candidates, and reason for publishing
- AI analysis (Text style): When you select "Follow policy", the steps are organized using the phrasing and granularity defined in the writing style
- Pre-publish check: Regulations, writing style, and export format each become check items. Regulations are verified while reading the source text page by page, with source (regulation name and page) and original text quotations in the report
- SOP output: You can transcribe to and output in the registered format
Scope of application
Both regulations and writing style can be set separately at the company level and the site level. If a site has no unique settings, the company-wide ones are used as-is. Use separate settings when, for example, an overseas site has different rules.
To set up per-site writing, navigate from "Writing style per site" in the writing style section to that site's group settings and edit. You can see what you are inheriting from the upper level while you write.
Update history and reverting to a previous state
Both regulations and writing style have update history. Each line shows when, who, and what changed, and you can review the content at that point and revert if needed.
- Manual save: Saved by a person
- Auto-generate: Daily updates from "Grow it from the records on site". The updater is shown as "System"
- Restore: Reverted to a previous version
- Starting point: The content before history tracking began
When you revert regulations, the regulation files at that time are reverted together. When you revert writing style, the sample SOPs are reverted together.
Available plans
All three Authoring rules are Enterprise plan features. For plans where they are not available, the section heading shows the plan name.
Note that even if you have not configured the Authoring rules, "AI consultation before you build" is available for Core plan and above. The purpose, audience, and scope decided in the consultation are automatically inherited to the "Description" field in AI analysis.
Frequently asked questions
●Which takes priority: regulations or writing style?
They have different roles and do not conflict. Regulations decide "what must be written", writing style decides "how to write it". The pre-publish check also verifies them as separate items.
●If I register regulations, do I need writing style?
If the regulations include rules about writing style, add them to the writing style section using "Import into How to write it". The reason AI reads the regulations as-is is for verification in the pre-publish check; what affects text creation is the writing style.
●Do I need to set all three to use them?
No. Even just one works. Sections that are not configured will show "None" in the pre-publish check.
Related
Read company internal regulations that are the basis for SOP decisions (Regulations)
Define how to write SOPs (reflect your organization's phrasing and standards in AI)
Output SOPs in your own company format (Export format)
Verify SOPs being edited along 7 axes (Pre-publish check)
Decide purpose and format before creating SOPs (AI consultation before you build)