How to write understandable work instructions

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J

John Martinez

#62
I like the aid to write job aid attachments. I would add on more block. "How often will the job aid be reviewed to be sure it still reflects the job being done?"

You have no idea how many "standard work" documents I've come across that are years old and no longer reflects the work being done.
 
#63
I like the aid to write job aid attachments. I would add on more block. "How often will the job aid be reviewed to be sure it still reflects the job being done?"

You have no idea how many "standard work" documents I've come across that are years old and no longer reflects the work being done.
Which would also indicate a less than effective internal audit program too!
 

QATN11

Involved In Discussions
#64
There is not a "one size fits all" approach to work instructions. It depends on the activity level and complexity or the task. Think in terms of "Am I writing a recipe?" or "Am I assembling a laptop?" A cake recipe may not require putting the eggs, flour and butter in the mixer in any specific order whereas the assembly of a laptop requires a specific order of component placement.

In either case, a work flow diagram is a good place to start. Include decisions in the flow chart that are critical to the task. Diagrams, actual photographs and screen shots if a computer interfacing is part of the operation.

Most people get tripped up trying to make a set of work instructions sound like a legal document.

In many instances, a flow chart may be sufficient.
 
#67
Surely less than effective monitoring (by operators, supervisors, managers, et al) comes before internal audit?
Very probably, John. It was only what came to my mind (at that moment). Especially since a proportion of people seem to rely heavily on auditors finding this kind of thing and it is also common for paperwork to be created more as a bureaucracy to pass and external audit than to be user friendly, therefore I tend not to be too critical if people aren't actively maintaining it!

We see here all the time examples of documentation which would put most regular workers and supervision to sleep! Only today, I reviewed a document template which the poster confidently says is user friendly! I take that as a euphemism for "I like it and no one has had the balls to complain or use the complicated document change process and, anyway, they don't have any alternatives, so it must work"!
 
S

SJWoodcox

#68
First time poster- but I do agree that you need to actually have the person who is knowledgable about the process or procedure do the work instruction, if not everything I have read states you need to go out on the floor and out of the ivory tower when creating the work instruction. If you do not then send someone out to literally stand with the operator and write down verbatim what he is doing. That is the rough draft, give rough draft to staff members that actually do this job and verify step by step your written process, they do it every day and they will catch what you do not. I have spent several hours researching the net on SOP's vs Work Instructions and that is what the "experts" suggest.
 

John Broomfield

Staff member
Super Moderator
#69
Very probably, John. It was only what came to my mind (at that moment). Especially since a proportion of people seem to rely heavily on auditors finding this kind of thing and it is also common for paperwork to be created more as a bureaucracy to pass and external audit than to be user friendly, therefore I tend not to be too critical if people aren't actively maintaining it!

We see here all the time examples of documentation which would put most regular workers and supervision to sleep! Only today, I reviewed a document template which the poster confidently says is user friendly! I take that as a euphemism for "I like it and no one has had the balls to complain or use the complicated document change process and, anyway, they don't have any alternatives, so it must work"!
Agreed, we need much more emphasis on 8.2.3 (effectiveness and conformity evaluations of processes) by the operators, their supervisors, their managers, the directors and higher.

In some companies process monitoring is the most significant driver of improvement such that CARs from audit are less than 10% of the total PARs and CARs issued.

IMO, Chrysler made the mistake of calling process monitoring "layered process auditing".

Why is process monitoring so widely misunderstood and ignored?
 

MasterBB

Involved In Discussions
#70
It took me a long time to figure out that I can write the best work instructions, the most articulate, clearly phrased and comprehensive writing and no one might understand it...:bonk:

When writing a work instruction you want to make sure you take your target audience into account. Ask for input and listen to that input. It still needs to be professional and understandable but it can also include flowcharts, diagrams, pictures, and other information that make it simple yet effective.

It's a good idea to start with asking the operators on the floor to create one originally then take that and improve on it; through formating, cleaning up the text and wording, intergrating pictures or flow diagrams where it makes sense. It's a skill to communicate effectively with the spoken word; the same goes with the written word.
Great Response - Agree... Write your instructions to be Clear/Concise/Complete.... Pictures (Arrows When possible to make the point more clearly).
 
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