Almost every business has tasks that only one person really knows how to do. As long as that person is around, nobody notices. As soon as they go on holiday, fall ill or resign, the questions, detours and mistakes begin.
A good work instruction solves exactly that: it records how a task is done properly, so that someone else can do it too. This guide explains what belongs in a work instruction, how to write one in seven steps and which mistakes to avoid. At the end you will find a template to copy.
What is a work instruction?
A work instruction describes a single task at a specific workplace, step by step. It is written for the person doing the work and answers one question: How exactly do I do this?
Several terms are often used interchangeably. Telling them apart helps you write the right document:
| Document | Answers | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Process description | What happens in which order, who is involved? | From customer order to invoice |
| Procedure | Who is responsible for what, which rules apply? | Handling complaints |
| Work instruction | How do I carry out this task? | Set up a new employee laptop |
| Checklist | Have I thought of everything? | Check before delivery |
In ISO 9001 certified companies, work instructions are part of the documented information. But they are just as worthwhile in any small business without a certificate: wherever a task is rare, error-prone or safety-relevant, or wherever new people are being trained.
Structure: what every work instruction needs
A work instruction does not have to be long, but it always needs the same building blocks. If you keep the order, people find their way around every guide in the business straight away.
- Title: the task as an action, e.g. "Reconnect the reception printer" rather than "Printer".
- Header: number or code, person responsible, version, valid from, status (draft or approved).
- Purpose and scope: one or two sentences on what the instruction covers and what it does not.
- Prerequisites: access rights, tools, materials, protective equipment, prior knowledge.
- Safety notes: before the first step, not hidden in the text.
- Steps: numbered, one action per step, with an image where it helps.
- Result and check: how do I know it worked?
- What to do if something goes wrong: common errors and whom to ask.
For very short tasks you can combine points. But the title, the steps and the result are never missing.
Writing a work instruction in 7 steps
- Narrow down the task. One instruction, one task. If the title needs an "and", it is usually two instructions.
- Ask the person who does it best. Have them show you, not just tell you. Showing brings out the small moves that get forgotten when people describe a task.
- Capture it while it happens. Note every move in keywords and take photos or screenshots. You can polish the wording later.
- Write out the steps. One action per step, starting with a verb: "Turn the switch to OFF." Reasons and notes come after the action, not before.
- Annotate the images. An arrow or frame shows where to click or press. Redact personal data, passwords and customer names.
- Have someone else test it. The best test: a person who does not know the task carries it out using only the instruction. Wherever they hesitate or ask, something is missing.
- Approve and file it. The person responsible checks and approves it. Then the instruction goes to a place where everyone can find it, and the old version is replaced, not kept alongside.
For a typical instruction with 10 to 15 steps, allow one to two hours including the test. You usually win that time back the first time someone is trained without having to ask.
Example: descaling the coffee machine
A deliberately simple example so the structure is visible. It works in any business and can be applied to any machine.
WI-07 · Descale the break room coffee machine Responsible: Facilities · Version 2 · valid from 1 November · Status: approved
Purpose: Regular descaling prevents breakdowns and bad coffee. Applies to the machine in the break room, 2nd floor.
Prerequisites: Descaling tablet (cupboard under the sink), container holding at least 1 litre, about 30 minutes.
Safety: Do not drink the descaling solution. Rinse skin with water after contact.
Steps:
- Empty the water tank and fill it with fresh water up to the "MAX" mark.
- Put a descaling tablet in the tank and let it dissolve (about 2 minutes).
- Place the container under the coffee and steam outlets.
- Hold the "Care" button for 3 seconds until "Descale" appears on the display.
- Start with "OK". The machine now runs on its own (about 20 minutes).
- When the display shows "Rinse tank": rinse the tank, refill it, confirm with "OK".
- Empty the container.
Result: The display shows "Ready" and the scale indicator is off.
If something goes wrong: If the process stops, switch the machine off for 1 minute and start again at step 4. Otherwise report it to Facilities.
In a real instruction, step 4 would have a photo of the control panel with an arrow pointing at the Care button. These are exactly the places where an image saves more explanation than any sentence.
Common mistakes
| Mistake | Consequence | Better |
|---|---|---|
| Several actions in one step | Steps get skipped | One step, one verb |
| Jargon or internal abbreviations | New people do not understand it | Write it the way you would explain it to a new apprentice |
| "Obvious" steps left out | That is exactly where mistakes happen | Have someone unfamiliar test it |
| Images without annotation | People search for where to click | Arrow or frame on the spot |
| Warning after the dangerous step | It comes too late | Safety notes before the steps |
| No date, no version | Nobody knows if it is still correct | Version, valid from, person responsible |
| Several copies in different places | Someone works from the old one | One location, replace old versions |
Keeping it current and easy to find
The best work instruction is useless if it is out of date or nobody can find it. Three habits make the difference:
- One person is responsible. They are told when the task changes and update the instruction. Without someone responsible, every guide goes stale.
- Changes go through approval. Whoever changes something sets the instruction to "in review". Only after approval does the new version apply. That way it is always clear which version is valid.
- There is exactly one place to keep it. Not one copy in a folder, one in an email attachment and one printed on the noticeboard. Anyone looking must find the valid version straight away — in the office via search, at the machine ideally without searching at all.
For instructions needed at a specific place, a QR code right on the device has proven its worth: hold up your phone and the guide opens. What matters is that the code points to the current version, not to a PDF that will go out of date at some point. More on this in the guide QR codes on equipment and machines.
Template to copy
# [Number] · [Task as an action]
Responsible: [Name/role] · Version [x] · valid from [date] · Status: [draft / approved]
## Purpose and scope
[What does this instruction cover? What not?]
## Prerequisites
- Access / permissions:
- Tools / materials:
- Protective equipment:
- Time needed:
## Safety notes
- [Hazard and how to avoid it]
## Steps
1. [Verb + action]
2. [Verb + action]
3. [Verb + action]
## Result
[How do I know it worked?]
## If something goes wrong
- [Common error] → [Solution]
- Contact: [Name]
Summary
A good work instruction is short, describes a single task, uses images to show where things are, and has been tested by someone who did not know the job. After that, what matters is that it stays current and is kept in the right place.