Open your SOP in edit mode.
Click Advanced Options. The settings are grouped into several sections – PDF formatting, task cards, tracked tasks, functional options, display settings, languages, and document control.
The layout is the same whether you’re on mobile or the web app.
PDF Formatting Settings
These settings control how your SOP looks when printed or exported as a PDF.
- Switch between landscape and portrait orientation
- Choose whether to include a cover sheet
- Set colors for borders and headers
Color coding is a practical tool here. Many teams use red for safety documents and yellow for work instructions. It’s a fast visual cue for operators picking up a printed SOP.
Green and Red PDF Task Card Settings
These settings connect to the task feature in GembaDocs and let you generate QR coded task cards.
The cards are designed for use on physical task boards – sometimes called Kanban boards or committee boards.
You can customize:
- The text on the card
- Background color
- QR code styling
The way most teams use them is straightforward. Cards start red. When a task is completed, the card gets flipped to green. At the end of a cycle, cards are grouped or reset.
It’s a low-tech, high-visibility way to manage accountability without any screens on the shop floor.
Tracked Tasks
Tracked tasks add a digital layer on top of the physical card system.
You can enable tracking for an SOP and set tasks as daily, weekly, or monthly. You can also define a due time and set up reminders or notifications for anything missed or failed.
The physical cards give you immediate visual control. Tracked tasks give you the audit trail behind it – recording completions, flagging gaps, and keeping everything accountable in the system.
Quick Markers Done
This option lets experienced operators mark a task complete without stepping through every individual step.
Useful when someone knows the process well and the step-by-step confirmation adds no value for them. It keeps the workflow moving without removing compliance logging.
Operator Feedback
Enabling feedback adds a QR code to the final step of the SOP.
Operators can scan it to report issues, suggest improvements, or flag content that’s out of date.
It’s a direct line from the shop floor back into the document – which is how your SOPs stay accurate and useful over time rather than becoming outdated paperwork.
Password Protecting PDFs
You can password protect exported PDFs for documents that need added security.
Useful for anything containing sensitive process detail or proprietary information you don’t want circulating freely.
SOP Tagging
Tagging helps you categorize documents and control who can access them.
This is covered in detail in a separate GembaDocs Academy video.
Display Options
Under additional display settings you can:
- Show total task time directly on the SOP (if enabled globally)
- Manage the SOP thumbnail – auto-generate it or select a specific step image
Multi-Language Settings
You can enable up to three languages per SOP.
When you add a new language, GembaDocs will prompt you to auto-translate on save.
Always review the translation before publishing. Auto-translate gets you most of the way there, but manufacturing terminology can drift in translation – a quick check by someone with floor knowledge is worth it.
Document Control
The document control section covers:
- Reference number
- Revision history
- Dates
What you can manage here depends on your global settings in GembaDocs. If your organization requires formal document control for compliance, make sure your global settings are configured correctly before working at the individual SOP level.
