What is a Work Instruction?
A work instruction is a documented set of guidelines that employees must follow when performing work-related tasks to achieve desired results. This document helps ensure that assignments and activities are completed consistently and efficiently, while maintaining the quality of work throughout the entire operation. Work instructions can be used across various functions and industries, such as healthcare, construction, manufacturing, hospitality, and retail.
Why is it Important?
Work instructions are vital in an organization’s operations for various reasons. For one, they’re key to standardizing work processes in all business areas. Departments with repetitive tasks can significantly benefit from this tool, as it ensures everyone follows the same procedures.
Moreover, work instructions help improve workplace productivity. Through clear and detailed directions, employees can accurately and efficiently carry out tasks without having to guess or make assumptions about the next steps. And when everyone completes their jobs correctly, it flows to the rest of the business, creating a positive domino effect in the overall operations.
Lastly, this document serves as an aid in promoting safety in the workplace. It outlines specific steps on how to complete tasks safely, making it instrumental in reducing the risk of accidents and injuries on the field.
Types
The format of a work instruction may depend on the type of task and the environment in which it’s being performed. Its most common types include:
Written Instructions
Written instructions are the most common type of work instructions. They provide a detailed step-by-step guide on accomplishing a task or process, making them suitable for any work environment. For instance, office settings can use this tool to instruct new employees on their day-to-day activities.
Visual Instructions
On the other hand, visual instructions explain procedures in a clear and concise manner using diagrams, pictures, videos, and other visual tools. This makes them ideal for tasks that need to be completed quickly and accurately, such as manufacturing and assembly processes.
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Once you have created your work instruction, the next step is to put it into practice. Here are a few tips to help you maximize the use of this tool in your business activities:
Communicate Work Instructions with Stakeholders
Effectively implementing work instructions starts with clear and concise communication. First, relevant parties should be aware of the same information and understand the same processes. Changes to work instructions should also be relayed to everyone who uses them, supervisors, and other personnel affected by these changes.
Regular communication with employees helps ensure that every person is on the same page when carrying out procedures and that the work instruction is being used correctly.
Provide Adequate Training
One of the best ways to retain information about using work instructions is through training. This initiative will allow employees to understand how these instructions work and better use them in their daily jobs. Managers can utilize whichever training method works best for their work setup—whether through printed materials, in-person training sessions, or online learning tools.
Monitor the Use of Work Instructions
Part of implementing work instructions is monitoring their use and effectiveness in actual work settings. This ensures that the instructions are being followed as intended. There are many ways to do this, such as employee observations and regular audits.
When observing employees, take note of any areas where the instruction is not being done correctly. If any discrepancies are found, it’s best to take corrective actions to ensure that the procedure is carried out properly in the future. Some examples include additional employee training and revisions to the work instructions.
Collect Feedback from Frontline Workers
Standard work is the foundation of continuous improvement. If everyone performs a task the same way, a single improvement makes everyone’s job better. For this to happen, one of the things to look into is the insights of the people who do the work.
User feedback is crucial to gauge the effectiveness of your work instructions. After all, they’re the ones who are putting things into practice.
Creating a feedback loop empowers employees to give their input on which areas to improve or update based on how things work on their end. In return, companies can leverage the insights gathered from the field to explore various opportunities for optimizing current processes.
Regularly Update the Document
Contrary to popular belief, work instructions aren’t static—they must be reviewed on a regular basis. The frequency should be based on the nature of the work instruction and the environment in which it is used. This ensures that employees receive relevant and accurate information anchored on the latest best practices, allowing them to replicate these steps efficiently.
When updating work instructions, make sure to consider any changes that have occurred in the work setting or process since the last review (e.g., technology, regulations, policies). In addition to this, it’s best to ensure that the updated work instruction is tested and verified for accuracy and effectiveness before rolling them out to the workforce.
FAQs about Work Instructions
A standard operating procedure (SOP) provides information on what tasks are to be completed, who will carry them out, and when they should be done. On the other hand, a work instruction shows how to perform specific processes, often in a step-by-step format.
Work instructions are best written by experienced operators. Since they’re the ones who are actually doing the task or process, they will have a better grasp of how things work. Their level of experience places them in the best position to explain the best way to perform tasks.
Worker participation in the writing process is not only crucial for creating effective work instructions but also essential for securing employee buy-in.
Work instructions typically consist of the following components:
- Basic information about the task
- Scope
- Material(s)
- Authorization(s)
- List of instructions/steps
- Date of completion
- Signature
An effective work instruction should possess the following characteristics:
- Clarity – written in a language that employees can easily understand
- Conciseness – short and straightforward in laying out instructions
- Credibility – reflects what is actually being performed in the field
- Consistency – in terms of the format, terminology, and method used
