Instructions, User Manuals, and Standard Operating Procedures

T0: Nancy Myers
From: S. Lowe
Date: 4/27/2021
Subject: APLED 121-Chapter 15
INSTRUCTIONS, USER MANUALS, AND STANDARD

OPERATING PROCEDURES
Why write instructions?
Without instructions we would all be lost. Well not lost but spending way too much time
trying to figure out how to use, construct, fix, or do many tasks in our life.
Criteria for writing instructions
 Audience recognition – Know who you are writing for, don’t assume prier technical
knowledge. Be clear and thorough.
 Ethical instructions – Cite everything, be clear, be thorough, after that remember
people sue over anything.
 Components of instructions – Not all will be the same. Some will be short (rinse, lather,
repeat.) Some will be long with lots of steps.
 Title page – What we are working on, using, doing. Use a graphic of this to help identify
what we are doing or doing to.
 Safety requirements – Remember people sue over anything so warnings are essential.
Use high impact words and colors. Also find and use universal/standard icons for the
applications being used.
 Table of contents – The list of where stuff is in the instructions.
 Introduction – Be reader friendly, be personable, be positive.
 Glossary – Some people like me need it spelled out for them (like me.) This is the place
where you would do that. Define what your abbreviations and terms stand for.
 Required tools or equipment – know your audience, a list of what is needed is best for
most. But for high tech less of a list showing what special things are needed will do.
 Instructional steps – The nuts and bolts of your instructions. How will things be done,
what comes first, what’s next, break it down. Number your steps. Cut it up into small,
concise steps. Not too wordy, but coveys what’s needed. Begin steps with an action.
 Additional components – technical things like sizes, torque settings, weights, bill of
material, etc.
 Graphics – If possible, use graphics/diagrams to get the message across along with the
words. I feel that ideally you should be able to do the task by just following the pictures,
or just the words, and both would be even better.
Collaboration to create user manuals
You must get buy-in from all major affected parties.
Instructional videos
Videos can be useful, but there not a panacea. The book describes them as the best
thing since sliced bread. I don’t share that opinion.
Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
 Reasons for writing an SOP. – Also known as best practices, shop standards, or shop
process. Getting the step by step down to get consistent, quality product out the door.
To make sure everyone is on the same page.
 Components of SOP –
o Title page – State your topic, purpose, who approved it, and a Table of Contents.
o Scope and Applicability – This is an overview of the subject. Keep it short in the
three to five sentence range if possible. Nevertheless, some are quite complex so
a much longer one is fine. It should be just long enough to get the job done.
o Summary of method – this is the why, and how, you came up with this document
o Interferences – Possible problems!
o Personal Qualifications/Responsibilities – Who your going to need to do the tasks
at hand. What special skills will be needed.
o Equipment and Supplies – The physical things to do the job. List everything; tools,
consumables, etc.
o Data and Records Management – The paperwork is always a necessary evil.
Forms for reports, process, quality, and more.
o Quality control and quality assurance – Define your methodologies for testing.
What standards are we going to fallow?
o References – Cite your sources! Give credit where credit is due. Tell where to find
source documents.
Test for usability
1) Select a test audience – Select your victims. Who will be your guinea pigs?
2) Ask the audience to test the instructions – Let them try to use them.
3) Monitor the audience – Collect feedback from the group.
4) Time the team members – Process flow is important, time is money.
5) Quantify the audience’s responses – Reassess the document, make changes as
necessary.
Sample instructions
The Writing Process at Work –
 Prewriting = Brainstorming
 Writing = Write your paper
 Rewriting = Proofread and edit
 Do it again = in my case keep repeating the rewriting step until it makes sense

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T0: Nancy Myers

INSTRUCTIONS, USER MANUALS, AND STANDARD

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