When is a Work Instruction not necessary or required?

[sorin]

As always (and I am quite sick about this) it boils down to "is it or not a standard requirement".

Forget the damn standard for one second and think in terms of profitability and efficiency for the company.

It's that simple. You have 2 cases: high or low personnel turnover.

1.Low personnel turnover.
The answer is training, training, training. And even in this case you need BOMs and parts folder/files and drawings and so on and so forth, (and that amounts to a WI cause it contains data necessary to do the work in question) for reference because nobody lives forever and/or is able to remember EVERYTHING.

2.High personnel turnover
Work Instructions / Pictorials ... Call'em as you like, you'll need them or you'll be stuck with a high rate of scrap.

[ScottK]

In Reply to Parent Post by sorin

As always (and I am quite sick about this) it boils down to "is it or not a standard requirement".

Forget the damn standard for one second and think in terms of profitability and efficiency for the company.

It's that simple. You have 2 cases: high or low personnel turnover.

1.Low personnel turnover.
The answer is training, training, training. And even in this case you need BOMs and parts folder/files and drawings and so on and so forth, (and that amounts to a WI cause it contains data necessary to do the work in question) for reference because nobody lives forever and/or is able to remember EVERYTHING.

2.High personnel turnover
Work Instructions / Pictorials ... Call'em as you like, you'll need them or you'll be stuck with a high rate of scrap.

I see what you're saying and don't disagree, but the whole point of the post is that the OP is going to go for registration.

So this particular topic has everything to do with the standard.

[B.Read - 2010]

Lexie,

I have somewhat the same issue as I am the Quality Manager (whole dept) in a small company and get the same response regarding WIs. I would say that WIs:
1) ensure consistency among different operators
2) are objective evidence to meeting the requirements of 9001-2008, 7.5.1 Control of Production and Service Provision.
3) provide for control of the process. A controlled process is easier to monitor when trying to watch for spikes and indications of nonconformities
4) Lastly, without WIs; what are you using to audit to when doing process audits?

Bryan

[Randy]

Just use the standard for the answer...

4.2.1 The quality management system documentation shall include...d) documents, including records, determined by the organization to be necessary to ensure the effective planning, operation and control of its processes.

The correct answer is when the absence of them would not have an effect on effective planning, operation and control....

99.99999% of the answers people need are in the standard itself if they just look for them.

[dQApprentice]

In Reply to Parent Post by ScottK

it can't be a requirement on an "if you need it basis".

It's either a requirement or it's not. The requirement is "documents", not work instructions. In many cases a bill of materials and/or a controlled drawing is enough.

If Work Instruction is not a document, please tell us what is it?

[Randy]

In Reply to Parent Post by ScottK

it can't be a requirement on an "if you need it basis".

It's either a requirement or it's not. The requirement is "documents", not work instructions. In many cases a bill of materials and/or a controlled drawing is enough.

Better read this............

7.5.1 Control of production and service provision

The organization shall plan and carry out production and service provision under controlled conditions. Controlled conditions shall include, as applicable,
.....b) the availability of work instructions, as necessary,

Work instructions are in fact documents and if one wants to press the issue they can.

You'll also lose if you try to use the argument against 4.2.1 d "as needed"...many an organization has fallen on that sword when ineffective control has been identified because of the lack thereof.

[Helmut Jilling]

In Reply to Parent Post by sorin

As always (and I am quite sick about this) it boils down to "is it or not a standard requirement".

Forget the damn standard for one second and think in terms of profitability and efficiency for the company.

It's that simple. You have 2 cases: high or low personnel turnover.

1.Low personnel turnover.
The answer is training, training, training. And even in this case you need BOMs and parts folder/files and drawings and so on and so forth, (and that amounts to a WI cause it contains data necessary to do the work in question) for reference because nobody lives forever and/or is able to remember EVERYTHING.

2.High personnel turnover
Work Instructions / Pictorials ... Call'em as you like, you'll need them or you'll be stuck with a high rate of scrap.

No need to be sick about it...

Both of your points, # 1 and 2, agree with the standard cl 4.2.1.d - "documents that are necessary..." If it is needed, then create whatever kind of doc (drawing, wi, form, database, etc.) you feel you need. For example, few companies have an instruction for how to make coffee, but I'm sure Starbucks does.

[ScottK]

In Reply to Parent Post by Randy

Better read this............

7.5.1 Control of production and service provision

The organization shall plan and carry out production and service provision under controlled conditions. Controlled conditions shall include, as applicable,
.....b) the availability of work instructions, as necessary,

Work instructions are in fact documents and if one wants to press the issue they can.

You'll also lose if you try to use the argument against 4.2.1 d "as needed"...many an organization has fallen on that sword when ineffective control has been identified because of the lack thereof.

I don't think I ever said WI's are not documents. That would be awfully silly of me considering how many I do have in my system.

What I don't have is a work instruction for every single operation.

"If necesary" and "as applicable" are pretty key phrases here, don't you think?

I've got a process to make a part. The part has a controlled drawing, it's got an controlled inspection sheet with chartacteristics, it's got a controlled bill of tools. There is an overall departmental procedure that describes how these interact for all parts. This part is well within statistical control.
(edit: )Oh yes - I've also got qualified operators with documented training and credentials.

Why do I need a work instruction?

Lets not encourage people to overdocument.