How to write understandable work instructions

U

underdogmatt

#41
Oh, we're bicycle mechanics, but this is a new drivetrain for a bicycle.

We're not without skills. But then again, we do hire people who have not worked on bicycles, but have worked on watches (watches had geartrains - like our old bicycle product had - that's why we hired watchmakers in the past).

This is really what we face - after they've made it for five times, the craftsmen hardly look at the work instructions, so this is when the work instructions have to perform - the first time.

I do have some idea about what it takes, but I want to see if others come to the same conclusion in the course of this discussion. So if you doon't mind, I'll just facilitate the discussion. It may seem like throwing rocks, but I do want to thrash this subject out.
 
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Stijloor

Staff member
Super Moderator
#42
U

underdogmatt

#43
Here's my thoughts -

What routing operations need to say;

Typically we have six questions about a task;

1) What
2) When
3) Why
4) Where
5) How
6) Result

WHAT – “ASSEMBLE the coils numbered XXQXXX and wrap them around the body numbered XXQXXVX”.

WITH – specify the tool or gauge to perform or check the work being done. “Using non–sparking wrench” might save an explosion in some environments. It may be just enough to save a part from damage.

WHEN – Usually we perform this operation every time we see this routing – so this not really an issue. But “when it has cooled to XX deg Fahrenheit might be a “when”.

WHY to do something – this gets the craftsmen in tune with the ‘why’ of the operation and gives them some guidance if they come up with a problem. I.e. if you say “to position the studs for final assembly” then more care should be taken than if the routing says “to keep the studs from being lost out of the assembly.” This is often where the desired result is stated.

WHERE – We also do a good job of saying, “apply sealant on the outside of the body.”

HOW to do something – Unless there is a well-worn way to do a process on the shop floor, HOW to do a process must be given. It may very well matter if you put the teabag into the cup and add the water or if you put the water in the cup and dunk the teabag in the water. In some industrial processes it really matters. “Combine teabag and water” may not get the result you want.

RESULT – Either something meets the requirements or it does not. It is a go/no-go decision. Quantifying this result must be done with similar go/no-go clarity. Words that describe a condition in qualitative, not quantitative, terms are subject to interpretation. Example; “Candy is a good wife.” Versus “Candy only gambles away her own paycheck of $500.00 a week but she never touches her husband’s money”, means there is a great deal of leeway in qualitative words.


SAMPLE: (What, With, Where, Why, How, Result)


Apply sealant (WHAT) with 707-type applicator (WITH) to bottom surface of lamination (WHERE) to make lamination stick to base material over its entire surface (WHY). Apply sealant to both contact faces and clamp the sticky faces together using four C clamps (HOW) and allow to dry one hour. (RESULT) Laminations should be sealed together across their entire faces without any gaps at any point greater than 1/32.
 

Stijloor

Staff member
Super Moderator
#44
This looks good to me. A logical layout and sequence. You may want to consider including safety aspects of the various tasks, PPE required, etc. Depending on the users, you may want to consider pictures, sketches, etc. Images can convey crtical information that written instruction can not.

Stijloor.
 
U

underdogmatt

#45
Thanks. Believe it or not, our engineers, who are pressed for time, say "theres no way you can write all that for each operation" so the trick becomes - when do I know when I need the "long form" versus "asssemble like you always do"?
 

Cari Spears

Super Moderator
Staff member
Super Moderator
#46
Click on Tools > Options > Spelling & Grammar tab > Check "Show readability statistics" checkbox

The next time that you perform a spelling and grammar check, Word will display the readability statistics, including a Grade level.
That is cool. Does anyone know how to do it in Word 2007? I right and left clicked on all kinds of stuff to no avail.
 
R

rogersgeorge

#48
Hmm, I dunno--this is starting to look like real work, and I charge $50/hr...

First, I suspect this is a real object we're talking about here. It needs a good picture, with callouts. The labels in the callouts need to match the terms in the instructions.

Second, it's not entirely unreasonable to write so someone off the street could follow it. Think "intelligent but uninformed." The idea is to make it impossible to get it wrong. By the time a person finds a set of instructions too detailed, that person has stopped using the instructions anyway. In fact, if this is your readership, consider a quickie cheat sheet reference to hit the high points and necessary numbers.
 
R

rogersgeorge

#49
Thanks. Believe it or not, our engineers, who are pressed for time, say "theres no way you can write all that for each operation" so the trick becomes - when do I know when I need the "long form" versus "asssemble like you always do"?
Engineers not having time to do the instructions right? Fancy that! (Of course, this is music to a tech writer's ears. We get a lot of our work from exactly this circumstance. That and the SME hating to do the writing.)
 
M

mwohlg

#50
Ok guys this is getting good - so lets make it harder and real world;

Some of us make new products - so lets take this case and work on it in cyberspace as if ti were a new product that we are totally unfamiliar with;

Lets say the product has a magnetic disc made of brittle ceramic where the sprocket was and an "inducer head" instead of a chain that has to be perpendicular to the disc OD at a set distance, but there is no contact between the two for it to work.

Now that we're all new to it, how do we explain it to others so they get it right the first time? Show an example of your proposed instructions and tell us the principle behind why you wrote what you did.
"Adjust inducer head so that it is XX mm (+/- YY mm) away from ceramic disc, and square (not angled) to the disc edge. See picture for clarification."

Re-worded the big word "perpendicular" and avoided the acronym OD. I don't really see the need for explaining "why" in this kind of work instruction, despite previous posters' excellent reasoning. An operator who wants to know why will ask why, an operator who doesn't care why will only see lots of extra words on the instruction that cloud the "what" & "how" details they're looking for.
 
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