Which cold-chain steps belong in a warehouse shipping SOP?

Assign an owner, measurement point, record and excursion action at picking, loading and handover.

12 July 2023Updated 23 September 2026

Short answer

In the SOP define order and batch checks, picking sequence by product conditions, clean equipment and carrier checks, pre-loading preparation, logger ID and start, loading and handover measurements, owner and record location. At the relevant step, specify segregation, quality notification and awaiting written disposition if limits are exceeded or records are missing.

A cold-chain shipping SOP adds owners and evidence to the general dispatch sequence. Do not write universal product limits or disposition authority; refer to current product conditions and the organisation’s procedure.

Controls along the workflow

Order and picking: product and batch, date conditions, picking sequence, and staging start and finish. Before loading: clean equipment, carrier condition, any required preconditioning, and logger ID/start check. Loading: door-open duration, load placement and link to the shipment record.

At handover, link sender and receiver, time, product/batch, packaging condition and monitoring record. State who records each step and where the form is retained.

If an excursion, alarm or missing data appears, segregate the product at that step, preserve raw records, notify the quality lead and await an authorised written assessment. Run the procedure on a pilot shipment and correct gaps with staff.