Introducing the Checklist Framework
Today we are launching something we have been working on quietly for a long time: the Checklist Framework. It is our SOP framework for turning checklists into a full loop of training, testing, and execution
It is not a new template or a one-off feature. It is the way we think SOPs should work inside Checklist from now on.
One process. One checklist. One loop:
Define → Train → Test → Do → Manage
The new framework is where we lay out this model in detail.
The problem we kept seeing with SOPs
Most teams we speak with recognize some version of this:
- SOPs live in PDFs or Google Docs.
- Training lives in slide decks or an LMS.
- Quizzes (if they exist at all) are in a separate tool.
- Checklists live in yet another app.
- None of it stays in sync.
- We have lost count of how many times we have seen beautiful SOP binders that nobody opens.
Someone updates a document. The training slides stay old. The checklist people actually use never changes. A year later nobody is sure which version is "the real one".
We built the Checklist Framework to solve this problem in a simple way:
- Each process gets one canonical checklist that acts as the single source of truth.
- Everything else is a different view on that checklist.
That is what the new framework page explains.
One source of truth for each SOP
At the center of the framework is Define.
Define is where the official checklist for a process lives. It acts as a simple SOP framework for your operation. It holds:
- Purpose and scope.
- Roles and responsibilities.
- SLAs and prerequisites.
- Step by step actions.
- Required data fields.
You can import an existing SOP, clean it up, and turn it into a checklist. Or you can start from one of our templates and adapt it.
Once a process lives in Define, that checklist powers everything else. You do not copy and paste it into slide decks and forms. You reuse it.
We describe this in more detail on the page under "What is the Checklist Framework?" but that is the core idea.
The loop: Define, Train, Test, Do, Manage
The rest of the framework is just a loop that keeps coming back to that one checklist.
Define
You capture how the process should run today. Not the ideal from three years ago. The actual steps, data, and owners you want right now.
Train
Staff learn from the same checklist they will use on the floor.
In Train mode they see explanations and extra context. It works for onboarding, refreshers, and cross training. They are not reading a separate manual that will get outdated. They are looking at the real SOP.
Test
Before someone takes on a process live, you want to know they actually understood it.
Quizzes are linked to the steps in the checklist. You can auto generate questions from the content or write your own scenario based ones. Scores and attempts are tracked per person so you know who is ready.
Do
This is execution mode.
The same checklist runs on desktop, tablet, or phone. Staff tick off steps, fill in required fields, add photos, and sign off. Each run leaves a record with who did what and when.
Manage
Manage closes the loop.
You see how often checklists are started and finished. You see late or skipped steps. You compare quiz results with real runs. You collect comments and photos from the front line.
When you decide to improve a process, you change it in Define. Train, Test, and Do all follow. No extra copies to chase.
How the hotel workspace shows the framework in real life
Right now the most complete public example of the framework is our hotel workspace.
If you want to see the loop end to end, you can follow this path:
- Start at Hotel SOPs and Checklists to explore how multiple departments in one property share the same structure.
- Then go to the Hotel Front Office pack to zoom in on one team.
- Open the Guest Check In checklist to look at a single SOP in Define and Do.
- Finally, walk through the Guest Check In quiz to experience how tests stay tied to the SOP.
This is not a demo environment we made up for marketing. It is a real example of the framework in action for a real type of operation.
Even if you are not in hospitality, it gives you a clear picture of how Define, Train, Test, Do, and Manage work together.
Not just for hotels
The framework page talks a lot about hotels because that is where we have the most complete public setup right now.
The model itself is not hotel specific.
You can apply the same loop to:
- Restaurants and cafes.
- Clinics and care facilities.
- Field service and maintenance teams.
- Contact centers and support teams.
- Agencies and professional services.
- Any multi location business that needs to prove work was done properly.
Any process that repeats is a good candidate. Client onboarding, shift handovers, inspections, campaign launches, opening and closing routines, audits, you name it.
How to start with one process
You do not need to move your whole company into the Checklist Framework on day one. In fact, you probably should not.
A simple way to start:
- Pick one process that matters. Something high impact or high risk. For example guest check in, month end close, or incident response.
- Model it in Define. Capture the steps, roles, and required data. Import your current SOP and clean it up.
- Turn on Train. Let a small group go through the checklist with explanations visible. Fix unclear steps.
- Add a simple quiz. A handful of questions is enough to see where people struggle.
- Run it live in Do. Ask your team to use the checklist on actual work for a week or two.
- Review Manage. Look at completions, comments, and quiz results. Adjust the checklist and repeat.
If that feels good, you repeat the same pattern for the next process. Over time more of your operation runs on the same framework.
The new framework page has a "How to use the framework in your own business" section that walks through this rollout in more detail.
What is coming next
Launching the framework page is the first step. It gives us a clear place to point people when we talk about how Checklist handles SOPs.
Next up:
- Deeper content and examples for hotels: front office, housekeeping, engineering, F&B, and more.
- Focused posts on hotel SOPs, front office flows, and maintenance checklists.
- More public examples in other industries as we roll them out.
We will use the blog to announce those and to link everything back to the framework so the story stays consistent.
Where to go from here
If you want the full deep dive, read the new Checklist Framework page.
If you prefer to click around in a live workspace, start with Hotel SOPs and Checklists and follow the path into Front Office and Guest Check In.
And if there is a process or industry you think would be a good fit for this model, we would love to hear from you.