Why You Need Work Instructions (And How To Create Them Like A Pro)
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Work instructions: most of us have used them but probably without realizing that they are called work instructions. For the end-user, it is usually called a “user manual” or “instruction manual.” To install your desktop’s motherboard. To troubleshoot the soup maker. To piece together your new couch or recliner. It is the “how- to” thing we are all familiar with. And yet, there’s so much we don’t know about it.
For example, we don’t normally think about how new recruits learn to operate machinery in a manufacturing plant—machinery that could cause serious damage unless properly handled. Even if a business could afford an extended period of hands-on training by human instructors, carefully written instructions readily available to the new worker always add an extra layer of safety and efficiency to the production process.
This article addresses everything you need to know about work instructions: their place in the production process, what they are frequently confused with, how to write work instructions that work, the best software and platforms for creating a work instructions manual, and what shape and form you can give to your manual with today’s technology.
The long-ish write-up is divided into self-explanatory sections. As a reader, your current work instructions are:
1. Scroll down using the center-button of your mouse or the down arrow in your keyboard
To understand work instructions, it is necessary first to get to know the concept of lean production (or lean manufacturing). Here’s a definition from Techopedia:
Lean production is a systematic manufacturing method used for eliminating waste within the manufacturing system. It takes into account the waste generated from uneven workloads and overburden and then reduces them in order to increase value and reduce costs. The word “lean” in the term simply means no excess, so lean production can be translated simply into minimal waste manufacturing.
While everything we talked about in the introductory section (teaching new recruits how to handle a job, user manual for consumers, etc.) holds true, the real purpose of work instructions is to minimize waste and maximize efficiency.
Let’s look at the kind of waste we’re talking about.
1. Transport
Time and effort lost in transit (usually of raw materials but could also apply to workers) because work process and priority of movement is not streamlined.
2. Inventory
Excess inventory could include unsold products, unused raw materials, customers/prospects waiting for service or response, broken down machines, and even files and documents not yet worked on.
3. Motion
This refers to waste due to unnecessary movement within a less than perfectly organized workspace. If you have to stand up, walk around the table and then reach up to a shelf for things you need all the time, that would be motion-related waste.
4. Waiting
Waiting for a response to queries, excess buffer time between various stages of the work process, and time wasted because of a lack of clarity regarding what is to be done generally constitute this kind of waste.
5. Overproduction
This is when production is too efficient and out of proportion to customer demand. This leads to excess inventory, and waste both in terms of actual products and effort invested in production.
6. Over-Processing
This is often a waste generated by trying to reinvent the wheel or fix what isn’t broken. Refining a product or process unnecessarily and putting in too many extra details in a report also fall into this category of waste.
7. Defects
This refers to defects in products and is self-explanatory.
8. Skills
Waste of human resource is one of the most important reasons a business fails to achieve optimum growth. (Our article on Robotic Process Automation shows, among other things, how RPA can eliminate this kind of waste by reassigning workers to what they do best instead of forcing them to work on boring and repetitive tasks).
Wastes on waiting, defects, over-processing and, to some extent, skills can be minimized or eliminated by using standardized work or standard work instructions (among other measures).
But wait—where’d all that standard and standardized come from? Weren’t we talking about work instructions, plain and simple? We’ll clear the air on that next, but if you’re already well-versed in production terminology, feel free to jump right to the part where we explain how work instructions eliminate waste.
1.2. Work Instructions and Related Terminology
1. Standard/Standardized Work
Standard work is what Toyota uses to maximize work efficiency geared toward achieving zero defects in production (and that takes care of waste in defects). It is a documentation of the best correlation between worker and machine in the context of space, inventory, equipment, and labor that leads to the maximum level of error-free production with minimum investment.
It also eliminates variations in methods of operating machinery which, in addition to increasing efficiency, reduces the chances of error and hazard as well.
Standard work forms the baseline that leads to kaizen, or the state of continuous improvement—in all areas of the company. Kaizen is one of the most important and functional concepts of lean manufacturing. Use this resource to learn more.
“Standard work” is the exact term Toyota uses. When others refer to “standardized” work, they are referring to the same concept.
Work instructions are a part of standard (or standardized) work.
2. Standardized Work Job Instruction Sheet
The job instruction sheet is synonymous with work instructions, but there are other methods through which the same information can be transmitted (which we shall explore later).
The job instruction sheet outlines the exact steps required to perform the job safely and with maximum efficiency and is used to train new workers. It also mentions any special skills or propensities that may be required to perform the job optimally.
3. Putting it Together: Standard Work, Standard Work Instructions, Work Instructions
Standard work is the comprehensive approach (or tool, as it is called in lean production) to achieve kaizen, or continuous and sustained growth.
Standard work instructions is a term that refers to one part of the entire process of standard work. As one of the leading providers of standard work software puts it, standard work is the GPS that shows the driver how to reach the destination, and (standard) work instructions would be the minutiae that deals with how to drive the car and make sense of the GPS.
It may have begun with Toyota, but the concepts of standard work have been adopted worldwide by any business entity that does not like the idea of remaining stagnant. Actually, when we create a To-do list to make the most of our day, we are effectively applying the concepts of lean production and standard work, as well.
Different businesses frequently have their own internal terminology. However, if the word “instructions” is preceded by “job” or “work” or something similar in meaning, it is generally safe to assume we are looking at work instructions.
Now you know where all that standard and standardized came from. But let’s look at some of the other concepts of lean production while we’re at it.
4. Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) vs. Work Instructions
Standard operating procedure (SOP) is the document that outlines what is to be achieved. It specifies the resources to be used and states the expected degree of processing required. It also mentions the key personnel to be contacted when necessary during each stage of production.
What it does not provide is—going back to our previous example—the minutiae of how to drive the car and make sense of the GPS. How to achieve what is to be achieved? How to use the resources optimally? How to reach the exact degree of processing? And so on. This how to is the domain of work instructions. It is the specific where the SOP is the (specific) overview.
And now, we’ll wrap everything up and give you the complete picture.
5. From Goal to Work Instructions (and Beyond)
Let’s look at production as a whole, lean or not:
i. Goal
This is where it begins, of course. Without a goal, where would you go, what would you do?
ii. Policies
While it is important to plan how to achieve your goals, you should also bear in mind the ambit within which you will work. For example, whether or not you will employ cheap labor from third world countries to reduce cost could be a policy. Policies also determine the quality you are aiming for and the minimum standards of perfection you want to achieve.
Policies set boundaries and make it easy for you to take the next steps without worrying about whether you should or should not do this or that—and what might happen as a consequence. All those questions are already answered in your policies, and unless there is a serious issue that calls for a policy revision, all you’ll need is to refer to the specific policy that addresses your query.
iii. Process
This is the overview of how you are going to function to achieve your goal. This is the broadest, and the highest-level element of your plan. It states, for example, how many workers will be required and how much raw material, during which time of the year (if relevant) the work will be carried out, which personnel are going to be roped in and how to keep everyone apprised and accountable. It also outlines the sequence in which the work will flow.
iv. Procedure
This is where standard work comes in, although not every single procedure needs to be standard work. Remember also that standard work refers to a very specific tool to achieve zero-defect production and kaizen. You may or may not have the set up or the motivation for standard work for procedure.
However, all procedures, whether or not they measure up to the high level of standard work, will outline the exact manner in which a certain job will be done. Considering there is usually more than one job in a production chain, it is normal to have several procedures in place.
v. Work Instructions
This is the part where the “how” is detailed step by step. We have explained this in theory. We will show you the exact steps in Chapter 2, which covers how to create work instructions.
vi. Record Keeping
This is the final stage of production. Without this, there can be no improvement or quality assessment. Do you need a policy revision? Were the processes well-defined and realistic? Did the procedures prove efficient? How effective were the SOPs? Do you need clearer work instructions?
With this concluding part of the workflow, you end your current operations and equip yourself for future evaluations and references. This is also an essential step for meeting the ISO 9000 quality management criteria, but that is a separate topic altogether.
And finally, we’re in a position to explain how work instructions eliminate waste in waiting, defect, over-processing, and skills.
1.3. Types of Waste That Work Instructions Eliminate
Waiting
When there are clear instructions about how to perform a specific operation, the worker does not have to wait around for answers to any queries they may have. In fact, with proper work instructions, queries are eliminated completely.
There is zero lack of clarity, and buffer time is almost non-existent because each set of work is performed in the exact same (efficient) manner by all members of a work group, and the next group knows precisely when to take over (or join in, whatever their role may be).
Defects
It is important to understand that “zero” in this context invariably means the minimum possible defect (or waste). It does not literally have to be zero.
When you have clearly formulated work instructions, it becomes easy to achieve perfection as a team since everyone is doing the same thing, and everyone is doing it right.
What emerges from this is that work instructions eliminate or minimize defects that may occur through human error. A machine expected to produce a less than perfect item (which is then discarded) after every 1,000 cycles does not constitute a defect-percentage as long as the human operations behind it are perfect.
Over-Processing
Imagine an instruction like, “Shine every finished shoe until it reflects your face.” We are exaggerating but this may not be entirely absurd in case of small companies with limited personnel with no one to spend time on creating strategies for efficient production. A proper set of instructions states the exact steps to achieve the optimal shine.
This serves two purposes: every worker knows exactly what to do, and they also know when to stop. Here’s an article that is almost as good as a set of work instructions on shining shoes.
Only, in our context of preventing waste through over-processing, we would replace “Repeat the ‘spit shine’ stage once or twice to your liking” with the exact number of repetition (either once or twice) and eliminate the “to your liking” part altogether. This we would do on the basis of research conducted beforehand on what works best (and not leave it to an individual’s “liking”).
Skills
This is not the exact domain of work instructions. The management must have in place proper assessment facilities to make the most of every employee’s strengths, but there is one way in which work instructions can help: by specifying the person required for a particular job in addition to how to get the job done. This, again, requires a lot of research but it is entirely doable.
Now that we are done talking about what work instructions are and what purpose they serve, the logical next step might be to find out how to go about creating them. And we have a comprehensive guide about just that coming up next.
Chapter 2: Creating Work Instructions
We are smitten by this video and insist that you watch it sometime. It is only four minutes 38 seconds long and summarizes the entire process of creating work instructions so amazingly well that you can use it as an intro to learning the process or refer back to it from time to time in case you need to confirm something:
And what follows next may not be a transcription, but we are happy to acknowledge our debt to the creators of the video for making things crystal clear. We couldn’t have done it better.
2.1. The Draft Stage
Many things in life require putting yourself in someone else’s shoes. For the writer of work instructions, that is the part they need to bear in mind the most. They must:
anticipate questions the user might want to ask,
asses the problems and confusions they are likely to face and,
resist the urge to provide information irrelevant to the user’s requirements.
Here’s a detailed list of things to consider when drafting out a set of work instructions:
1. The exact purpose of the work instructions
Some of the questions you’ll want to ask could be:
Are the work instructions for new recruits learning to use a piece of machinery or for veterans being taught a more efficient way of doing things?
Is how to do something the main purpose, or are the instructions primarily to ensure safety, as in what not to do, perhaps?
Speaking of safety, how much risk are we even talking about?
Should you also add a section on what to do, who to contact in case something goes wrong?
2. How well the user is likely to understand the language the instructions come in
This is pretty much self-explanatory, and, in any case, instructions must be written in simple, easy-to-follow language.
3. How informed the users already are of the process/machinery/environment
This is very important for two reasons: you need to avoid superfluous introductions, backgrounds, and summaries, and you definitely need to include things that only an experienced user/worker would know.
Regarding the superfluous bit, no one likes to read a long-winded intro when they are looking for instructions to get the job done. If your write-up is annoying, the user will lose focus and possibly make less than optimal use of it.
About what the experienced user knows—let’s say in the case of an installation procedure, an iron rod comes with caps screwed on at either end and those have to be unscrewed before the installation. Perhaps, a known (but uncommon) glitch is that sometimes the caps come screwed on too tight. And the solution is tapping them lightly with a small hammer before unscrewing.
If you’re writing for new recruits and do not include this bit in your work instructions, they could face unnecessary trouble trying to figure things out (and contribute to waste through “waiting”).
4. Is background information necessary?
This is where you may need that long-winded intro after all.
Imagine you’re writing instructions which the worker needs to view before they enter the workplace because the environment itself will take some getting used to. You may need to let them know where to find the hazmat suits. Or how to navigate through the workspace if it houses too many delicate instruments.
You might need to provide an introduction that apprises the user of the purpose of the machine they are about to handle, or familiarizes them with the names of the various parts they are expected to assemble, or give them an idea of how much time it typically takes to get the job done (remember avoiding waste through over-processing?) so that they may assess their performance on their own.
Just remember that the person who reads the work instructions will need your help to perform a task efficiently and safely, and whatever you write down should provide them with enough data to do just that. In other words, as we mentioned earlier, put yourself in their shoes and give them whatever is necessary.
5. Anticipating problems
Work instructions can only be written by someone who is aware of how a certain work is performed with optimum efficiency. Problem is, if someone is really good at it, they could easily overlook some of the problems they may have faced as a beginner, like how to retrieve a really thin and delicate machine part without damaging it if it accidentally falls on the floor.
Consider also what may have become second nature for veterans but could take a bit of learning for new talent.
When writing instructions about installing a processor on a desktop computer, if earlier chips locked into place with a click and the latest ones do not, mention that so there’s no confusion. If it is necessary to apply heat absorbent gel to both the chip and the base of the fan, mention that.
Would it be okay to lock everything in place immediately after applying the gel or should they wait for a few seconds? Mention that. And how many seconds is “a few seconds”?
Include the answers to all possible questions in every step of the work. The more you leave them guessing, the less efficient the entire workflow becomes.
6. Are visual instructions required?
One common scenario where a worker could do with clear visual instructions is where they have to assemble various parts of a machine to make it work. Another is when you’re writing about a complicated process.
Think you can describe in words how to tie shoelaces? Even if you could, it would help immensely if your work instructions came fully illustrated. Not just illustrations—it is possible today to create work instructions with videos and animations as well.
Bear in mind, however, to include only what is necessary. If you insert a video where illustrations would have sufficed, you’d not only be asking a business to make an unnecessary investment in procuring multimedia viewing gadgets, but also complicating the entire work process as well. The workers are now forced to view (and pause and replay) a video (or several short ones) to understand something that a simple illustrated chart could have explained better.
Decide also if you’d want real-life images or drawings. Or both, perhaps? If you’d like the user to be able to identify certain instruments, it might make sense to show them photographs of what they look like. If you wish to acquaint them with the various parts of those same instruments, it might be best to provide them with labeled drawings.
Even though the text and the images should complement each other, they should ideally be complete on their own. To ensure this, the easiest method is to test and take note of how workers respond to text alone, images alone, and the two combined.
Here’s an example of visual instructions on how to make a paper plane – if you don’t have PowerPoint or similar software on your computer to view .pptx files, visit this site to view it online.
Click here for an article with a more detailed overview on the subject.
7. How to draft a troubleshooting guide
No matter how clear your instructions are and how closely they are followed, there could always be trouble. The PC refuses to boot. The piece of furniture is creaking for no apparent reason. The user finds it hurts their back to work on the woodworking bench. It could be anything. How do you get around to thinking of things that you may have never encountered?
Talk to the manufacturing department personnel. Talk to people who have previously worked on what you’re writing about. Google for something like “problems with [your subject].” Remember also to look for the simplest of errors that could cause a problem. Asking the user to check if the machine is plugged in and switched on may sound too simplistic but it is an oversight that does happen.
To clarify further using our examples, a PC refusing to boot could very well be due to a loose plug—or a loose RAM; optimal tightening of the nuts and bolts (with a bit of trial and error) could stop the creaking; and adjusting the height of a woodworking bench usually takes care of an aching back. But you will need to dig around quite a bit to know about both the problems and solutions. The last one, for example, might not affect the majority of users but only the ones taller than average.
One last thing to note is that irrespective of whether you have used images in your work instructions thus far, if you feel the slightest need to use them in the troubleshooting section—even if it serves to explain just one solution a little bit better—definitely use them.
8. Appearance and structure of your instructions
Someone trying to figure something out for the first time needs clear instructions in every sense of the word. This is easily achieved with:
short sentences (in simple language),
bullet points where necessary,
clear and readable font,
and a well-thought out page design with lots of white space.
When deciding upon a pleasant layout, we thought it would be best to show you what it probably should not look like: check this out.
And understand that the user is likely to follow your instructions one after another. Which means, do not write something like:
1. Break the seal and unscrew the cap of the bottle
2. but make sure first there aren’t too many bubbles inside.
2.2. The Trial Run
Never consider a set of work instructions finalized until you have tested them adequately. Follow them yourself and see how that works for you. Recruit others to test the instructions. Ask individuals from a completely unrelated background from your subject of instructions whether they can make sense of what you’ve written. Finally, ask people from your exact user group to perform the tasks (under supervision if necessary) referencing your instructions.
Gather all the feedback you get, do not ignore any part of it, and definitely don’t blame someone’s lack of understanding or intelligence (assuming that is true) if they did not find your work instructions helpful. On the contrary, try to understand what problems they faced, and find ways to solve the problems. It isn’t like only the brightest and the best will ever use your work instructions and that, too, on a good day.
2.3. Finalizing the Draft
In order to finalize the draft, you will want to get back to whoever tested your instructions in the trial phase and ask them if they find a difference now that you’ve incorporated their feedback and revised the set of instructions.
And this is very important: observe them as they try to follow the instructions. Sometimes we don’t bother about articulating minor problems because they are…well, minor. If you notice someone hesitating, ask them what the problem is. What is minor for Jane might turn out to be quite a major issue for John. Weed out all possible hurdles to the successful use of your instructions.
Remember that no matter how many trials you run, you’re still running blind—you will not be there in person to guide anyone when they are trying to use your work instructions. So, it is good practice to never disregard the slightest semblance of a problem. That’s all you can do, and that’s what you should do.
2.4. Feedback Loop
It is not advisable to create a set of highly efficient work instructions and then sit back and never touch them again. That is not the way to kaizen. You must seek feedback and try to improve the documents/media continuously. If you can collaborate with other companies, even better.
2.5. Taking Veteran Workers into Confidence
It is easy to imagine how it might feel when, after working for 15 years and being known as an expert in handling a piece of equipment, someone gets a piece of paper thrust in their face and are told it will teach them how to do their job.
Instead, take the route of introducing the veterans to the benefits of work instructions, and cash in on their experience in creating the instructions. Their contribution will make your documentation authentic to the maximum possible extent and get them to join in enthusiastically and even motivate the new recruits.
Okay, now you know how to create work instructions. Don’t let the fancy stuff that comes up next confuse you. The next chapter only shows you how far you can go with today’s tech. True, you adapt to the environment of, say, augmented reality, but no matter what medium you use or how amazing the end result is, the basics remain the same and that’s what we’ve just explained to you.
Chapter 3: Work Instructions Beyond the Ordinary
You can create work instructions with MS Word and PowerPoint. There’s nothing wrong with that at all. Nothing primitive, either. Everything depends upon your requirements. Do you simply want work instructions with better visual appeal and even more clarity? Get someone to edit and redesign your existing work instructions in either of these two humble software programs, export to PDF, and you’re done. Your workers can use either printed copies or view the document through electronic viewports.
Go one step ahead of that for (significantly) better efficiency and use a cloud based app like SweetProcess to create complete visual instructions with text, video, and images and measure your progress along the way for constant monitoring and improvement. And, of course, access your work instructions from anywhere since it is all in the cloud with nothing to install.
In need of something else?
If, however, you have a definite plan that involves a lot of interaction, collaboration (especially real-time collaboration), complicated work schedules that need to remain coordinated at all times and, perhaps, continuous data collection and analysis for better performance, you’ll want to think beyond Word and PowerPoint or any desktop-based software, for that matter.
Let’s explain what we mean—but you will need to watch the videos—not everything should be explained in words! We’ll be right here putting in a paragraph or two about everything we direct your attention to.
Check out this video showing how augmented reality is helping a customer to operate a coffee machine she has never seen before.
And this one showing how augmented reality helps in assembly work. While the previous one shows what is basically fun stuff, this demonstration is more along the lines of what we’ve been talking about—efficient production.
The worker can see herself on screen, real time along with the 3D projection of what the next step of assembly ought to look like. As she progresses with the assembly, the next steps become visible right in front of her live image on screen. It is a bit creepy, we must say — it reminds us of those scary movies where the mirror creates the horror. But you can’t deny how immensely more helpful this method is when compared to run of the mill paper or digital work instructions.
The world’s first intelligent panel saw operator assistance is a great example of interactive work instructions even though that’s not how the video describes the system. The sensors detect the placement of the boards and help the operator do his job right. This is one of the ways you could take your production to the next level. Obviously, you’ll need a little more than MS Word to pull this off.
And finally, this is a video that shows a project currently in progress funded by the European Union. In their own words,
The MANUWORK project’s vision will be realised through integrated applications that will handle data and information from human operators and machines and at the same time provide new balanced lines based on the feedback received … In order to achieve a pre-specified level of confidentiality based on the respect to the operators’ privacy, special models will be adapted in real-time, avoiding the storage of raw data regarding the participants’ vital signs or performance. This will be used to create models of physical and psychological fatigue factors of the different workplaces and tasks.
In other words, this is a summation of all that makes work instructions a useful tool: clear (and visual) instructions, interactive to an extent, and aiming for the best possible model through constant collection of data and analysis of it while respecting the individual’s privacy. Sounds good to us.
Now, all that was fun, but the question always is, “What do you really need?” And while idealists may frown, the question also is What do you really want? When you’re planning to take your business to where you’ve never gone before, your wants will have to dictate your needs, and not vice versa. But make sure you have set realistic goals for yourself. And that is easy, because we cannot imagine a sensible company owner running after augmented reality when a simple combination of cloud-based and local solutions is all that is required.
Choosing a Work Instructions Creation Platform
Speaking of, there are quite a few to choose from, and some of them even come with free trials. With some, you can create your own work instructions apps. A few of them simply replace your old PowerPoint software with something that saves you time, big time. And others allow you to create what looks for all purposes like extremely easy to navigate websites where your workers will be totally at home.
Obviously, using these platforms you can create work instructions that include images, videos, animations, and the best ways to manipulate them for functionality. The level of complexity will depend upon your requirements. There’s a way to even collect feedback from your workers much like blogs that leave the commenting feature open.
Since this article is already more than 5,000 words long (congratulations if you’ve at least skimmed through it all), we decided to compile the information about specialized services for creating work instructions into one neat little package for you.
We have listed the best providers who also offer free trials (even full access, no credit card trials) and demos that you can custom order. In certain cases, you even get to try out the software by editing (read: playing with) existing demos and shaping them to your requirements.
Conclusion
To sum up: Work instructions are a part of standard work that make for the most efficient and waste-free production system. When you have the proper work instructions in place, your workers get to function as a unit, performing according to best practices while maintaining a safe work environment.
Properly created and utilized work instructions can make a huge difference to where your company is going to be this time next year or even next month. If you want constant improvement (also known as kaizen), you’ll surely want to focus on the how to which is what work instructions are all about and get the most out of your human workforce.
Sounds simple, even simplistic, perhaps, but that is really the essence of it. We sincerely hope we’ve been able to give you something that will help you make a significant difference to how you pursue your production goals.
And to enable yourself even better in this respect, don’t forget to download our compilation that will save you a great deal of time and effort as you prepare to take the next step.
Since we assume you’re just starting out with a full-fledged plan on moving ahead with work instructions, the try outs and demos, not to mention the free trials ought to help you along considerably and at no cost. Download the package today and get started. Just let us know below where to send the download link.
Do it with SweetProcess, click here to learn more
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