Work Instruction Content and Machine Manuals

R

RConstruct

#1
Hello,
Second post here at Elsmar Cove, I posted once before in response to someone else as a way of "offering value" before I "take value".
I am working on designing, developing, and implementing a QMS at a new company from the ground up and am starting with work instructions. Question is, where ¬machine manuals exist, how detailed should I get with the work instruction? Is it redundant to write basic W.I. and then refer to the machine manual for more detailed information? In your experience, is this using references a bit too freely? Thanks for your input.
 
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S

samsung

#2
Hello,
Second post here at Elsmar Cove, I posted once before in response to someone else as a way of "offering value" before I "take value".
I am working on designing, developing, and implementing a QMS at a new company from the ground up and am starting with work instructions. Question is, where ¬machine manuals exist, how detailed should I get with the work instruction? Is it redundant to write basic W.I. and then refer to the machine manual for more detailed information? In your experience, is this using references a bit too freely? Thanks for your input.
Work instructions need to be as exhaustive (& simple as well) as to enable the employees do their jobs efficiently and with ease. Manuals are the best source of framing out work instructions. However, the language used by the manuals may not be user friendly; hence those need to be re-written in the language understood by the majority. In short, the users must find them 'usable' else they don't use them at all.

Secondly the amount of detail would also depend on the complexity of the process as well as the degree of precision required. e.g. a work instruction for driving a car cannot be as detailed as the one meant for operating a fighter craft.
 
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Jim Wynne

Staff member
Admin
#3
Hello,
Second post here at Elsmar Cove, I posted once before in response to someone else as a way of "offering value" before I "take value".
I am working on designing, developing, and implementing a QMS at a new company from the ground up and am starting with work instructions. Question is, where ¬machine manuals exist, how detailed should I get with the work instruction? Is it redundant to write basic W.I. and then refer to the machine manual for more detailed information? In your experience, is this using references a bit too freely? Thanks for your input.
You have to first decide whether or not work instructions are even necessary in the application. You don't have to write work instructions if work instructions don't somehow help people to do their jobs, or capture process information for history and continuity reasons. If machine manuals are important to the quality system, you can control them as documents of external origin.
 
J

jwright

#4
Hello,
Is it redundant to write basic W.I. and then refer to the machine manual for more detailed information? In your experience, is this using references a bit too freely? Thanks for your input.
RC,
In my experience a manual should be general guidlines, while a Work Instruction is detailed process controls. If your machining manuals control the process for Product Realization, then seperate Work Instructions may not be needed. Titles like "Work Instruction, Manual, Procedure, Standard Practice" are all intended to support Product Realization, and if it does, do you need a new document with a new title?

I would be careful in refrenceing a "guidance" procedure (if this is what your machingin manuals are) if you need to control the process thru Work Instructions.

Hope this helped.
 

Jim Wynne

Staff member
Admin
#5
RC,
In my experience a manual should be general guidlines, while a Work Instruction is detailed process controls. If your machining manuals control the process for Product Realization, then seperate Work Instructions may not be needed. Titles like "Work Instruction, Manual, Procedure, Standard Practice" are all intended to support Product Realization, and if it does, do you need a new document with a new title?

I would be careful in refrenceing a "guidance" procedure (if this is what your machingin manuals are) if you need to control the process thru Work Instructions.

Hope this helped.
Just a point of clarification: the OP is referring to machine manuals, not machining manuals.
 
R

RConstruct

#6
You have to first decide whether or not work instructions are even necessary in the application. You don't have to write work instructions if work instructions don't somehow help people to do their jobs, or capture process information for history and continuity reasons. If machine manuals are important to the quality system, you can control them as documents of external origin.
Jim, thanks for the reply, this is what I ended up doing; controlling the machine manual with a designator XXX-IM-####. This way, machines that have manuals that are vital to their operation, overhaul, and maintenance are kept controlled and checked for during audits, their revision levels confirmed with the manufacturer and the maintenance department.

Thank you also for the reminder regarding the Product Realization subject. I believe Work Instructions should support Product Realization and I hope to capture that in my QMS.

The reason this question came up is because I am including Preventive Maintenance in my QMS and from there, the minutae of machine workings is essential to a good PM program. While good information, I feel most of what is contained in a machine manual is outside the scope of Product Realization or anything the Operator would need to perform and so I want to not include it in my Work Instructions at this time. I have a very aggressive schedule for accomplishing the first iteration of the QMS and am trying not to recreate documents or introduce too much redundancy into the system this first run through.
 
#7
Hello,
Second post here at Elsmar Cove, I posted once before in response to someone else as a way of "offering value" before I "take value".
I am working on designing, developing, and implementing a QMS at a new company from the ground up and am starting with work instructions. Question is, where ¬machine manuals exist, how detailed should I get with the work instruction? Is it redundant to write basic W.I. and then refer to the machine manual for more detailed information? In your experience, is this using references a bit too freely? Thanks for your input.
To me, machine manuals are a bit variable in their contents and clarity. I've tried using them for many years to keep a variety of old Land Rovers on the road. With mixed success. Some aspects, like the set up of the front hubs/swivels, is very detailed, other aspects and activities needed - for me at least - more detailed information. Other types of manuals, Haynes for example, are in my experience a complete waste of time, since they aren't very specific to the actual vehicle being worked on. So, the Land Rover manual was OK but needed a WI (for me) in certain places - the Haynes, was no use and would have been better off with specific WIs written - or for my specific needs, some more experience of timing belts on Ford 4 cyl engines.
 
Q

Quality-Geek

#8
Hello,
Second post here at Elsmar Cove, I posted once before in response to someone else as a way of "offering value" before I "take value".
I am working on designing, developing, and implementing a QMS at a new company from the ground up and am starting with work instructions. Question is, where ¬machine manuals exist, how detailed should I get with the work instruction? Is it redundant to write basic W.I. and then refer to the machine manual for more detailed information? In your experience, is this using references a bit too freely? Thanks for your input.
My experience has been that the machine manuals we get are great for the Maintenance department...and are virtually useless for the operators making the product. We have very specific work instructions for how to make a part. Maintenance uses the manuals when completing their PM's, fixing the machines, and whatever else they do. (I know the Maintenance guys do valuable work but I'm not mechanical enough to understand it!)

The work instructions have become more critical to the operators as we've added more parts to some of the machines. Most of the machines produce at least two part numbers and some produce six or seven. Instructions - with lots of photos - are necessary just to keep them all straight.
 
J
#9
Got room for 2 more cents?

The level of detail in work instructions will largely depend on the level of competency of the workforce. How much training is required and how it is provided.

Peace
James
 
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