Technical Documentation Breakdown: Part 4 - Manufacturing Work Instructions

This is a transcription of a video - to watch or listen to the video click here: evergreen-ink.com/articles/2020/2/24/technical-documentation-breakdown-part-4-manufacturing-work-instructions

Hi Everyone! Sam Alleva of Evergreen Ink here to help you with your technical documentation needs. Today's topic: Manufacturing Work Instructions!

“Technical documentation” is a broad term that encompasses many types of manuals, specifications, and instructions. When beginning any new project, the types of documentation that will be required to fully support the product or concept must be planned before any actual written work can be successful. Often those who are in charge of coming up with the information-distribution requirements of the project are not completely familiar with the different types of documentation, and thus the written support may fall short. The objective of this blog series is to help those who need to know what documentation may be required for their application at the start, in order to avoid frustrating and costly rework further down the product’s timeline.

The fourth installment of this series details Manufacturing Work Instructions, also frequently called Build Instructions or the Build Manual. This type of documentation is needed for any palpable product that is built or manufactured. This procedural manual must be as clear and concise as possible, while describing everything the manufacturer (either internal or external) needs to know about the product building process.

The breakdown of Manufacturing Work Instruction topics that should be included are listed below.

1. The Bill of Materials (BOM)

• Oftentimes the Bill of Materials, or BOM, is provided separately from the procedural build. This is acceptable only when the BOM is readily available and updated as often as the product or build is updated. If using an electronic system, a link to the updated BOM should be provided within the first pages of the Manufacturing Work Instructions. Similarly, the BOM should have a link to the proper Work Instructions to avoid any misunderstanding or improper builds. The BOM should include any and all parts, fasteners, and tools that are specific to the build. Even if the BOM is provided separately, the part names and numbers used within the BOM must match what is used throughout the Build Instructions. Generally speaking, the part number (often placed within parentheticals) should always follow the part name when referenced in the procedure to avoid any misunderstanding.

2. Estimated Build Time

• An estimated build time should be listed either within the BOM section or right on the front page of the Work Instructions. This information can then be used to plan out the manufacturer’s project timelines, in addition to ensuring proper building techniques are used. For example, if the estimated time needed is about 30 minutes but the manufacturer finished the build in 10 minutes, the estimated build time will raise flags as to the legitimacy of the build. This will prevent large volumes of incorrect builds and rebuilds.

3. Build Procedure

• This may seem like a no-brainer, however, many Manufacturing Work Instructions are written by those who have an intimate knowledge of the product and either may leave out what they would deem implied steps, or include far too much information that is not necessary. This creates a gap between what needs to be completed and what the manufacturer knows to do, which of course leads to confusion, frustration, expensive meetings with manufacturing engineers, and even possibly rework. The procedural section should include the following:
• Plain language that is quick and easy to read. This not only saves the manufacturer time, but will ensure the document is concise.
• Every. Single. Procedural. Step. No matter how simple the procedure may seem, if not every step is detailed, there will be confusion. Confusion, again, leads to frustration and more time taken from your engineering and manufacturing teams. In the worst case scenario, confusion could lead to damage, work stoppage, and costly rework.

4. Initial Testing & Calibration Procedures

• If the product requires testing or calibration, this section is absolutely vital for a successful product. However, these procedures are often vague, given to the manufacturer in a series of untrackable and non-referenceable emails or notes, and are often left out of the build documentation completely. This section should include the following:
• Initial manufacturing testing and calibration procedures should be written in a similar style to the Build Procedure. Clear, concise language must be used, and every single step should be written out procedurally. Oftentimes an engineer or scientist will write this section similarly to a report showing an experiment and its resulting data. This is not helpful to the manufacturer - they do not need to know how the data was uncovered nor what sort of ramifications it has. The manufacturer just needs to know exactly what “buttons to push” to see if the results match the acceptable conditions.
• The manufacturer should never have to guess what an acceptable result of the test or calibration is - all acceptable or unacceptable testing or calibration results should be listed within the document.
• A  failure path should always be included for any testing or calibration procedure. If a product fails initial testing or calibration, it should be clear to the manufacturer what the next steps are. This is particularly important for calibration, as that is generally the entire point - to bring a recently-built product up to its required standards before reaching the customer or end-user.

5. Images

• A picture is worth a thousand words, and this is especially true in complex assemblies and products. One must visualize how to do a step before being able to do so, thus why images are so valuable. Images show a manufacturer how to do something, rather than telling them.
• Try to use only numbering and markers (such as arrows, circles, and the like) on the image itself. Using text on images ensures difficulty when translating the document. If the image only includes numbering and symbols, the translation team will never need to touch images. This cuts down on translation time and ensures the images you so painstakingly labeled will be clear.
• Ensure the images are up to date. This is where a Document Maintenance Plan comes in handy - a scheduled review of each document will allow you to catch any updates to the product that may need to be reflected in the Build Manual. By keeping the images up to date, you keep your document crystal clear, your product consistently properly built, and a reliable project timeline that is completely reproducible.

6. Revision Block

• The Revision Block is the tracking device that ensures the manufacturing team is on the same “page” as the engineering team. The Revision Block should include the following:
• The version number of the document.
• The date of publication. This can be as detailed as including the date and time it was published, or as generalized as month and year if the procedure, and therefore document, is not updated that frequently.
• The actual changes made to the document. Even a note as short as “updated image 3 to capture adhesive type change” will help the manufacturer understand what has changed in the product and how to work with that change. This also informs your internal team why and what any changes were made to the document when reviewing the document or looking back at the different build procedures.

7. Packaging & Shipping Requirements

• Generally, external manufacturing plants are where completed products are shipped from directly to the distributor or customer. This means you must tell the manufacturer what requirements the packaging has. This documentation is sometimes kept separately from the Build Instructions, but this documentation must exist somewhere (and ideally, be linked conveniently to the build documentation). The packaging and shipping requirements should contain the following:
• Safety requirements should be listed front and center on any packaging or shipping documentation. If the product could possibly combust when in particular environments, all parties involved in packaging and shipping need to know.
• Structural requirements. For example, the documentation should inform if the product cannot be stacked or must be shipped in a particular orientation.
• Any shipping accommodations that must be made for the product must be spelled out. For example, if a sensitive screen is being shipped, then the special foam or protective insert that will protect the screen must be detailed. If a very particular shipping or packaging part is needed, the part name and number should be included in the documentation.

I hope this breakdown helps detail what topics should be contained in every Manufacturing Work Instruction, but if professional documentation support is needed please do not hesitate to contact the Evergreen Ink team at sam@evergreen-ink.com. As always, if you have any questions, comments, or concerns, I welcome feedback at sam@evergreen-ink.com. I hope you enjoyed this article, and thanks for reading!