Work instructions, SOPs and standard work: what is the difference?
A short definition of work instructions, an example from manual assembly, and how Arkite handles it.
Work instructions, SOPs and standard work: what is the difference?
Work instructions describe step by step how one specific task is performed at a workstation. A standard operating procedure (SOP) describes a process at a higher level, and standard work defines the agreed best way to do the work, including sequence and timing.
- Work instructions: how to do one task, step by step
- SOP: what the process is and who is responsible
- Standard work: the agreed best method, sequence and timing
Work instructions in manual assembly
The three terms are often mixed up. An SOP describes a process, its scope and responsibilities. Work instructions zoom in on one task: which parts, which tools, which steps, in which order. Standard work is the lean principle that everyone performs that task in the same agreed way, so results are predictable and can be improved.
On paper or in PDF files, work instructions are hard to keep current across variants and stations, and there is no record of how each unit was built. Digital work instructions keep one maintained version and bring it to the workstation.
Example: the SOP for final assembly describes the process. The work instruction for station 3 lists the 12 steps to mount the housing. Standard work makes sure every shift performs those 12 steps in the same order and time.
How Arkite handles it
- Work instructions built in a no-code editor, from text, images, video and projections
- One central version released to every workstation that needs it
- Version history and an approval workflow before release
- Every step performed in the defined order, and recorded per unit
Questions about work instructions
What is the difference between an SOP and a work instruction?
An SOP describes a process at a high level: what happens and who is responsible. A work instruction describes how one task is done, step by step, at the workstation.
Why digitize work instructions?
Digital instructions are maintained in one place, stay current on every station, support product variants without copies, and can record how each unit was built.
Can existing paper instructions be reused?
Yes. Engineers translate existing instructions into Arkite jobs in the no-code editor, and Arkite AI can draft a first version from a written description.
See it on your own product.
A live demo shows how Arkite guides, checks and records manual work.