Micro Digital Work Instruction Template

Micro Work Instruction Template

Purpose: Deliver a single, testable task in a format workers actually use on the job. Keep it short, visual, and measurable so people can learn quickly, perform correctly, and you can improve the instruction over time.

Header (metadata)

• Title: (short, action-oriented)
• One-line Goal: (single sentence describing the purpose and expected outcome)
• Audience / Skill Level: (e.g., New operator / Trained technician)
• Prerequisites: (tools, PPE, setup, prior steps)
• Estimated Total Time: (e.g., 45s; acceptable range: 30–60s)
• Revision ID & Date: (for rapid updates)
• Owner / Contact: (who to ask for clarifications)
• Tags: (process, machine, part number, safety)

Safety & Notes

List any immediate safety warnings, lockout/tagout steps, or critical quality cautions that must be observed before starting.

Steps (5 or fewer)

Each step should be one short sentence, paired with an image or a 10–20s video clip. Prefer present tense, clear verbs, and concrete measurements.

1. Step format (repeat for each step):
   • Instruction: One short sentence (what to do).
   • Visual: Image or 10–20s video clip showing exact hand/tool placement.
   • Success criteria: Observable pass/fail check or exact numeric tolerance (e.g., torque = 12 Nm ± 1 Nm).
   • Expected time for step: (e.g., 8–12s)
   • Troubleshooting tip: One-line quick tip if step fails.

Example Step

Instruction: Align part A to locator pin and press until it clicks.
Visual: Photo showing hand position (or link to 12s clip).
Success criteria: Click audible and gap <0.5 mm.
Time: 5–8s.
Troubleshoot: If click not heard, check pin cleanliness; escalate after 2 attempts.

Quick Check (end-of-instruction validation)

Include a single pass/fail or numeric input to capture immediate feedback: e.g., "Pass / Fail" or "Measured gap (mm): ____". Record the time taken. These live checks support training, quality sampling, and A/B tests.

Escalation & When to Stop

Clear criteria for when the operator should stop and notify a supervisor (e.g., repeated failures, out-of-tolerance measurements, safety hazard).

Revision & Experiment Notes

• Change log: Short note for each update (what changed and why).
• A/B test idea: What to vary (wording, image vs. video, time target) and success metric (reduced errors, faster median time).
• Update frequency: Check every X weeks or after Y failure events.

Metrics to Track

• First-pass yield / pass rate for the quick check
• Median completion time vs. time target
• Error types and frequency
• Number of escalations per 100 uses

How to Use This Template

Keep each instruction focused on a single, observable outcome. Use a short visual for every step. Start with jobs that cause frequent errors or long training times. Run rapid A/B tests: change one element at a time, collect quick-check and time data, and adopt the version that measurably improves outcomes.

Design tips

• Write for the person doing the work—clear verbs and no jargon.
• Prefer a single measurement or pass/fail per instruction.
• Make visuals show the exact angle, hand position, and tool orientation.
• Keep video clips under 20 seconds; trim to the essential action.

Use this template as a modular unit. Bundle several micro-instructions into a task only when the worker needs the full sequence; otherwise keep them accessible as single-step references for quick learning and error recovery.