{"id":12770,"date":"2021-09-22T10:00:52","date_gmt":"2021-09-22T17:00:52","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/michaeljbrumm.com\/dcl-v3\/?p=12770"},"modified":"2023-11-10T09:25:25","modified_gmt":"2023-11-10T17:25:25","slug":"pictorial-work-instructions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/michaeljbrumm.com\/dcl-v3\/blog\/fulfillment\/pictorial-work-instructions\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Write Effective Work Instructions\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

Work instructions describe or show the exact steps that must be taken to correctly perform an assembly project. When written well, they help each assembly project maximize efficiency and accuracy, plus so much more.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

What Are Pictorial Work Instructions?<\/b><\/p>\n

Sellers want their customers to have the best experience possible when unboxing their new items. It\u2019s important that the assembly line is able to place products in the box a certain way (brand side up, for example) or assemble items so that they will be taken out of the box in a certain order (instructions first, product second, for example). Special packing materials may also be noted\u2014eco-friendly packaging, product instructions, labels or tags, etc.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Pro Tip: Building product bundles a few months in advance can help <\/span>streamline holiday sales<\/span><\/a>. Help your fulfillment team build kits ahead of time to eliminate bottlenecks in the fulfillment process at a time when there are already high volume increases.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

To make sure the assembly team can complete the project accurately they need clear and precise documentation to describe exactly how the task should be performed to meet the standards of the product company. That\u2019s where work instructions come in.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Most work instructions are written, but adding visual guides makes them more effective. Some warehouses call visual work instructions a \u201cpictorial\u201d which signifies that they are visual not just written. Including images will enhance the accuracy of your work instructions, plus it might enable workers to build slightly faster when starting out. Imagine if you had work instructions in front of you that said \u201cPlace the cardboard tube inside the clear bag.\u201d If you have 97 white cardboard tubes, 3 red cardboard tubes, and 100 clear bags to fill, without an image how are you supposed to know if the red cardboard tubes are interchangeable with the white ones? Which boxes should the red ones go in, or is it a mistake to be flagged that the red ones should not be in any of these kits. Having an image to compliment the written instructions adds an extra layer of clarity to work instructions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The most frequent use case for work instructions in a fulfillment center is when a seller wants to provide an assortment (<\/span>also known as a kit<\/span><\/a>) of a few products. In order to build kits according to how the seller wants, the fulfillment provider will need to create work instructions for the assembly line to execute.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Pro Tip: Packaging products together can be helpful for promotions or to get rid of old stock. Read about <\/span>virtual bundles<\/span><\/a> and how they can help increase your AOV.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How to Create Effective Visual Work Instructions<\/b><\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to have a dedicated person or team write the work instructions for consistency, accuracy, and clarity. At some fulfillment centers or 3PLs there is a Quality Team dedicated to this task. If people in different departments (the assembly supervisor, or a project manager, or account manager) were tasked with writing work instructions, each document would invariably be different from previous ones. This may lead to inconsistencies and potentially errors.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The following are three of the most important characteristics of high quality work instructions.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Clarity<\/span><\/i>\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

You need to create work instructions that anyone, with no prior knowledge of the brand, can assemble each and every kit correctly. The idea is that even a child could perform the task perfectly from your instructions\u2014that\u2019s how straightforward they need to be. In effective work instructions everything needs to be stated and nothing should be left to assumption.\u00a0\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Simplicity<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Writing each step with simple, straightforward language is key. Step one might be \u201cOpen the kit container.\u201d Step two might be \u201cInsert part A with the spoon label side showing up.\u201d Step three might be \u201cClose the lid to the kit container.\u201d No part of the process should be left out, and steps should be broken down into very basic components.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Specificity<\/span><\/i>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Always include part numbers, SKUs, and any other unique identifiers that will help the assembly line put together kits correctly and quickly. Adding images will help add specificity, but double down and write out the size, shape, color, lot code barcode, or any other specifications that will help make your work instructions as clear as possible.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

How are Work Instructions Used<\/b><\/p>\n

When a seller wants to build a kit they specify the product items that should be included\u2014that means all products, packaging, labels, stickers, adhesive, and everything needed to build the kit. Their account manager will put together a bill of materials (BOM) and enter it into the fulfillment software system\u2014a BOM specifies the number of units of each item that should be included in the kit.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

It\u2019s best practice that their fulfillment provider will build and box a certain amount of those kits so that they don\u2019t have to be made to order.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

But it\u2019s a seller\u2019s responsibility to keep tabs on their inventory. This means both the items that are included in any kit, plus the number of kits that are built, in stock, and ready to be shipped. If their inventory dips they risk stockouts. When a seller notices that the number of kits is getting low, they\u2019ll need to put in a work order for more kits to be assembled.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cAs an account manager I often ask for a minimum and maximum number of kits a brand wants in their inventory at any given time. For example if they want to keep around 10,000 on hand, when I notice that we\u2019re down to 5,000, I’ll put in another work order for 5,000 to maintain their maximum level. That way I can help manage the inventory flow for them.\u201d \u2014Lisa Bondroff, Account Manager at DCL Logistics<\/span><\/p>\n

Once the work instructions have been created, they are reviewed by the seller for accuracy. If your fulfillment provider has a quality team, they will also review and approve them before they get put into action. They should be posted in a single repository like an WMS or order fulfillment management platform. That way when the assembly supervisor receives the work order they can easily source the work instructions for the project, print them out, and use them to brief the assembly line who will build the new kits.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Why Work Instructions are Important<\/b><\/p>\n

Apart from accuracy there are other reasons effective work instructions are important.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Unboxing Experience<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Sellers are very keen to make sure their customers have a pleasant time receiving the items they order. Seeing a big brown box placed on your doorstep, then opening it up should be an enjoyable experience. Clear work instructions make it possible for products to be placed in a box in the perfect way so that they arrive just how they are supposed to, no matter where they need to travel.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Safety<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Some products may need to be packaged in a specific way for safety. Anything glass needs to have protective packaging. Liquids need to be spill-proof. When a brand puts together a special kit of items, they want to ensure the customer will receive those items intact and ready to be used.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Training<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

Work instructions provide a great training tool for newer employees. It\u2019s an excellent way to give employees autonomy over a project quickly. With well-articulated work instructions the employee can feel confident they are providing value for their employer with minimal oversight.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Efficiency<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n

When the assembly line is first testing out the work instructions against their build, often they\u2019ll time a relatively small number of the kits. Seeing how long it takes to build kits will give the fulfillment center a better idea of how efficient the project is (this is especially important in billing).\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

If you are looking for fulfillment support, DCL Logistics provides <\/span>high-growth brands<\/span><\/a> of all sizes with custom fulfillment solutions. We have many value added services including <\/span>kitting, assembly<\/span><\/a>, virtual bundles, and more. <\/span>Reach out for a quote<\/span><\/a>. <\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Work instructions describe or show the exact steps that must be taken to correctly perform an assembly project. When written well, they help each assembly project maximize efficiency and accuracy, plus so much more.\u00a0 What Are Pictorial Work Instructions? Sellers want their customers to have the best experience possible when unboxing their new items. It\u2019s […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":11,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"content-type":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[20],"tags":[46],"class_list":["post-12770","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-fulfillment","tag-warehouse-management"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nHow to Write Effective Work Instructions\u00a0 | DCL Logistics<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Work instructions describe exact steps needed to correctly perform an assembly project. 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