Version Control for SOPs
Every SOP in BFF keeps a complete version history. Each publish creates a new version with its own change summary, and every previous version is preserved exactly as it was.
How Versioning Works
- Create an SOP — it starts at version 1 in Draft
- Submit for Review, then Approve & Publish — version 1 becomes the in-force version
- Edit the published SOP — it returns to Draft; you provide a Change Summary and the revision goes back through review. The published version stays in force until the new one is published
- Publish the revision — the version number bumps, and the content is snapshotted in Version History
| Status | Meaning |
|---|---|
| Draft | Being written or revised |
| In Review | Submitted and awaiting approval |
| Published | The current, in-force version |
| Archived | Retired; history preserved |
Viewing and Comparing Versions
The Version History card on the SOP detail page lists every published version with its date and change summary. Click “Compare” to see a line-by-line diff between any two versions — additions in green, removals in red. Click “Audit” for the full audit trail (created, updated, locked, rolled back — with who, when, and field-level changes). Restoring from the audit trail creates a new version with the old content, so nothing is ever lost.
This matters for:
- Audit trails — know exactly what changed and when
- Compliance — prove that processes were documented and approved correctly
- Team communication — the change summary explains what’s different
What Happens When You Publish
Publishing an SOP triggers Change Impact Analysis: BFF walks the document link graph in both directions from the SOP and alerts the Owner of every linked document (the Policy it implements, the Work Instructions that depend on it). Assignees of tasks linked to the SOP get a document changed notification, readers with now-stale acknowledgements get a re-acknowledgement request, and AI agents receive webhooks. See Linking Documents in the Document Control section.
Task changes do not trigger cascades — change control is driven entirely by document publishing.
Archiving and Restoring
When an SOP is no longer needed, click “Archive”. The SOP is removed from active use but its full history is preserved, and an archived SOP can be restored to draft for revision and republishing.
Tip: Never delete an SOP that other documents link to — archive it instead. Archiving preserves the audit trail; deleting leaves the owners of linked documents with a hole in their governance graph.