ESO operates since April 2015 the new planet finder instrument SPHERE1 with three arms supported by a common path coronograph with extreme AO. Observing modes include dual band imaging, long slit spectroscopy, IFS and high contrast polarimetry. We report on the implementation of the SPHERE data flow and quality control system and on operational highlights in the first year of operations: This includes some unconventional parts of the SPHERE calibration plan like special rules for the selection of filters and the measures for an optimized calibration of the two polarimetric channels of the ZIMPOL. arm. Finally we report on the significance of the SPHERE quality control system, its relation to the data, reduction pipeline and which previously undocumented instrumental features have been revealed so far.