Author Operational Knowledge
Use this article to choose the right document type and to include the fields that keep knowledge usable over time.
Availability: Core6 min readLast reviewed September 3, 2026
Document Types
- SOP
- Repeatable procedure.
- Policy
- Governing rule or decision boundary.
- Playbook
- Contextual response for a recurring situation.
- Role hat
- Responsibilities, expected outputs, authority, and operating knowledge associated with a role.
Recommended Fields
Each document should include:
- Title
- Owner
- Purpose
- Scope
- Preconditions
- Procedure or policy
- Related statistics
- Review date
- Version
- Approval status
Link Knowledge to Statistics
A playbook is most useful when it is attached to the statistic that triggers it. When a value moves the wrong way, the reviewer should be able to open the expected response without searching.
Conversely, a statistic with no related SOP or playbook usually has no agreed response — see Design a KPI That Supports Action.
Important: Content Warning
Do not publish sensitive personal, financial, health, authentication, or secret material without appropriate controls. Knowledge documents are readable by everyone within their configured scope.
Troubleshooting
- Nobody follows the SOP.
- Check that it has an owner, a current review date, and a linked statistic. Unowned documents drift out of date and lose authority.
- Two documents disagree.
- Policies set boundaries; SOPs describe procedure. If they conflict, the policy owner resolves it and both versions are updated.