TEMPLATE
Work instruction: Word template
Use this template to describe a task at a workstation step by step, with a photo, a key point and the reason for each step.
Download the template
What is in the template
Safety, inspection and what to do when something goes wrong each have their own section. The release section records who reviewed the instruction and when it was revised.
- Seven sections: header and scope, safety and PPE, material and tools, work steps, inspection, nonconformance and reaction, release
- Work steps with photo field, key point and reason
- Quality characteristics with target value, tolerance, gauge and inspection frequency
- Nonconformance section with blocking of affected parts, escalation contact and release to restart
- Filled-in example for an assembly station and a checklist before first use
- Word file to edit and print
Who it is for
Who the work instruction template is for
The template is for supervisors, process planners and quality managers who want to describe a task so that every employee performs it safely and the same way. It suits assembly, inspection and setup stations and training after a change.
How to work with the work instruction template
- 1
Set the frame
Enter scope, safety and PPE as well as material and tools.
- 2
Describe the steps
Break the task into steps and add a photo, the key point and the reason for each step.
- 3
Inspect and release
Define quality characteristics and what to do when something goes wrong, and record who released the instruction and who was trained.
What makes a good work instruction
The key point decides quality
Many steps explain themselves. The key point names the one detail that separates good from bad, such as the sequence for tightening bolts.
The reason makes the instruction stick
People who know why a step is done a certain way keep to it under time pressure. That is why the reason sits next to every key point.
The failure case belongs in the instruction
What the employee does when a part does not fit goes in the nonconformance section: block, report and continue only after release.
Further reading
Download the work instruction template
Fill in the short form and you receive the download right after.