Work Instructions vs SOPs: How to Choose What’s Best For You

There are many types of manufacturing documentation, and the best version differs based on what you may need it to do. Finding the optimal option for your company is tricky, particularly when it comes to deciding between work instructions and SOPs (standard operating procedures). Which one do you actually need?

Take a moment to visualize yourself walking through your organization. What do you notice?

Perhaps on the shop floor you see many different tasks being performed simultaneously every minute. Maybe these actions are all being performed on unique products for separate job orders – or maybe the sub-assembly tasks that come together to produce a single high-volume product line.

And in the offices attached to the shop floor you may see the creative and marketing processes that go into product research and development. Others are coordinating trade show presentations and managerial calendars.

From engineers, accountants, technicians, and line operators to advertisers, receptionists, and programmers, everyone has a specialized job to do. Each person has a wealth of specialized knowledge that you can tap into to streamline different aspects of your operation.

You could assume that the processes and procedures that govern and steer all these different activities are already well-documented. But we all know what happens when we merely “assume”…

It’s probably best to update your documentation for better productivity and quality work, which begins with selecting the best type of documentation for your needs.

Work Instructions vs SOPs: What’s The Difference?

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of defining each type of documentation, let’s exemplify why it’s important to have different types of documentation depending on the user and the situation.

Take a fictional manufacturing plant – XYZ Inc. – that has been an industry leader for several decades and has a strong brand presence. Carol, a newly graduated engineer, has just been hired by XYZ to revamp their on-site process controls.

Within a few minutes of stepping foot on the shop floor, Carol begins to see metaphorical cracks in the foundation: workers are performing assembly tasks according to their individual habits over years of working for XYZ. Quality is mostly fine despite this lapse in standardization, but “fine” is definitely grounds for improvement.

Carol asks line operators to show her their procedures, but they’re confused. After making the rounds, Carol has an armful of 3-ring binders and her head is swimming with verbal accounts of step-by-step processes that differ from operator to operator.

Carol flips through the binders, and finds them to be complete and accurate copies of safety guidelines, bills of materials, and product specification documents. There’s only one problem…

The SOP binders are records of the what, who, and when for product assembly, but one critical element is missing: the how.

If a new, skilled line operator started work at XYZ tomorrow, they might have the work experience to recognize the machines and work stations, but they would still be confused as to how they were expected to bring everything together in the manner that everyone else is doing.

Work Instructions: The “How” of How It’s Done

Work instructions are often used interchangeably with “best practices” or “SOPs”, although they serve a slightly more targeted purpose.

Work instructions are:

• Step-by-step directions including “obvious” menial actions
• Often compiled into complete “guidebooks” per job type
• A manufacturer’s stance on the “right” way to perform a task even when multiple ways of doing a task could be correct
• Highly detailed according to the job at hand

For example, a work instruction might be a step-by-step guide that tells the operator how to assemble the product parts, in what order, with what measurements, and using what manual or mechanical parts in coordination with everyone else performing the same job.

SOPs: The Framework to Lean On

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are often used interchangeably with “best practices” or “work instructions” but with a few notable differences.

SOPs are:

• “The final word” on policies or guidelines
• Strict safety standards that must be adhered to
• Always kept in mind even during indirectly related tasks
• Broad enough to be applied more generally to extraneous situations or tasks

For example, an SOP might be a general rule to always double-check that the failsafe controls to a machine are accessible before it is turned on. Even when a job might not explicitly state to do so in its step-by-step instructions, a worker would be well served to double-check anyway.

SOPs	Work Instructions
Policies/guidelines	Step-by-step directions
Blanket standards & rules	Specific use cases or isolated job orders
Broad applications via best judgment	Detailed mandates

How to Implement Your Ideal Worker Documentation

That’s all well and good, but Carol is still where we left her – binders splayed over her desk and her head swimming from the contradictory verbal instructions she gathered throughout the facility.

There’s not enough copies of the SOP binders to hand around, nor should the workers stop what they are doing to study up. Also, Carol astutely thinks that it’s not a good use of time to monopolize the copier for days on end when there are better ways of implementing standardized documentation.

Accessible Digitization of Documentation Types

Let’s get digitizing! Paper documentation is the way of the past, and adds unnecessary bulk and inefficiencies in workflows on the shop floor in particular. When it comes to making your documentation digitally accessible, there are slight differences in how you should be presenting types of best practices to your workers.

Your MES or ERP software is best equipped to help you with this. If you have neither, there are options to start with just a work instruction platform alone to make sure your lean standards are up to snuff before you delve into automated software improvements.

How to Digitize Work Instructions

Work instructions will necessarily vary depending on what job they are made for. It may be tedious, but it is absolutely worth the time to tailor each work instruction (commonly referred to as a “guidebook”) to a particular job, rather than copy-paste for general assembly. This ensures workers will follow exact actions with precision and accuracy.

• Visual (photos or videos) directions for each step
• Interactive elements like button confirmations or editable inputs
• Incorporate employee insight where helpful
• Identical instructions for each employee to guarantee standardized compliance

How to Digitize SOPs

SOPs should be incorporated into your work instructions, but don’t assume that if you include an SOP once, a worker will remember every time they are expected to use it. In addition to including SOPs in your work instructions, add them elsewhere throughout your organization:

• Conduct regular safety SOP audits
• Mandate regular trainings on crucial SOPs
• Use Kanban or other visual signage for common safety SOPs
• Make use of barcodes or sensors to verify proper setup at each workstation

Bridging The Gaps Between Your Documentations

So do you need work instructions or SOPs? To answer this question, we need to look at it from the point of reconciliation. Although the initial investment into digital work instructions requires just a little bit of time to implement, your organization is certain to quickly realize the immediate and quantifiable savings.

As a result, you need both work instructions and standard operating procedures, but with a slight variation – these need to be visual and electronic to keep up with the ever-changing regulations and best practices like ISO standards and current good manufacturing practices (cGMP).

Choosing the right work instruction software platform will greatly increase the potential for continuous improvement within your organization, whether it’s XYZ Inc. or something else entirely.