Work Instructions

Work Instructions provide operators with contextual guidance during operator rounds. They deliver the right information at the right time—whether it's safety procedures, measurement techniques, or troubleshooting steps—directly within the mobile app as operators work through their route stops.

Purpose

Industrial operators need ready access to procedures and guidelines while performing inspections. Work Instructions eliminate the need to carry paper manuals or memorize complex procedures by surfacing relevant guidance automatically based on what the operator is inspecting.

What are Work Instructions?

A Work Instruction is a piece of guidance content that can be attached to:

Route Stops – Instructions specific to a particular inspection point
Asset Types – Standard procedures for a category of equipment
Attribute Types – Guidance for taking specific measurements

Instruction Types

Work Instructions are categorized by type to help operators quickly identify what kind of guidance they're receiving:

Type	Icon	Purpose
General	📄	General information and background
Safety	⚠️	Safety warnings and required precautions
Procedure	📋	Step-by-step procedures to follow
Measurement	📏	How to take accurate measurements
Troubleshooting	🔧	What to do when values are abnormal

Each type has a distinct color coding in the mobile app, making it easy for operators to distinguish safety-critical information from general guidance.

Inheritance Model

Work Instructions follow an inheritance model that provides flexibility while minimizing configuration effort:

Route Stop (Direct)        ← Highest priority, can override inherited
    ↑
Asset Type                 ← Instructions for all assets of this type
    ↑
Attribute Type             ← Instructions for specific measurements

How Inheritance Works

Direct Route Stop Instructions: Instructions attached directly to a route stop always appear. If marked as "overrides inherited," only these instructions show.
Attribute Type Instructions: When an operator is capturing a specific reading (e.g., temperature), any instructions attached to that attribute type appear in the reading card.
Asset Type Instructions (coming soon): Instructions attached to an asset type appear for all assets of that type.

Override Behavior

Route Stop instructions can be marked as "overrides inherited" to suppress inherited instructions. This is useful when:

A specific location has unique procedures that replace standard guidance
You want to show only the most relevant instructions
Safety procedures at a particular stop differ from the standard

Where Instructions Appear

Stop-Level Instructions

Instructions attached directly to Route Stops appear at the top of the stop update screen, above all readings. These are typically:

Location-specific safety warnings
Special procedures for this inspection point
Reminders about nearby hazards

Reading-Level Instructions

Instructions attached to Attribute Types appear within each reading card, alongside:

Photos for that reading
Work Items linked to that reading

This keeps measurement-specific guidance directly in context with the data entry.

Example: Blueprint Paper Mill

Route Stop Instruction

The Feed Pump P-404 route stop has a direct safety instruction:

Safety Warning: Pump room may have high noise levels. Hearing protection required when pump is operating.

This appears at the top of the screen whenever an operator visits this stop.

Attribute Type Instruction

The Bearing Vibration attribute type has a measurement instruction:

Measurement Procedure: Place sensor on bearing housing at 45° angle from horizontal. Ensure pump is at normal operating speed before recording. Allow 30 seconds for reading to stabilize.

This appears in the reading card when the operator is capturing vibration readings, helping ensure consistent measurement technique across all operators.

Troubleshooting Instruction

The Motor Amperage attribute type has a troubleshooting instruction:

Troubleshooting: If amperage exceeds 55A, check for:

Blocked discharge valve

Bearing wear (check vibration reading)

Coupling misalignment

Motor winding issues

This provides immediate guidance when operators encounter abnormal values.

Mobile Experience

iOS & Android

On mobile devices, Work Instructions appear in collapsible, color-coded cards:

Stop-Level Instructions:

Appear at the top of the stop update screen
Grouped by instruction type
Tap to expand and see full content
Count badge shows total number of instructions

Reading-Level Instructions:

Appear within each reading card
Displayed as compact chips with type icon
Tap to open full detail view
Markdown content rendered for rich formatting

Instruction Detail View

Tapping an instruction opens a detail view showing:

Instruction type with icon and color
Source badge (Direct, Asset Type, or Attribute Type)
Full instruction content with markdown formatting
Attachments (if any)

Content Format

Work Instructions support rich text formatting:

Markdown: Headers, lists, bold, italic, links
Step-by-step lists: Numbered procedures
Checklists: Pre-flight checks and verification steps
Warnings: Highlighted safety information

Example Content

## Before Taking Reading

1. Verify pump is at normal operating speed
2. Check discharge valve is fully open
3. Allow 2 minutes for conditions to stabilize

## Taking the Reading

1. Position sensor on bearing housing
2. Wait for display to stabilize (≈30 seconds)
3. Record peak value

**Warning**: Do not touch rotating components. Maintain safe distance from coupling.

Offline Support

Work Instructions are fully available offline:

Sync: Instructions are downloaded to the device during sync
Local Storage: Stored in the local database with other round data
Offline Access: All instructions available without connectivity
Attachments: Instruction attachments sync for offline viewing

Configuration

Administrator Task

Work Instructions are configured by administrators through the web interface or API. Operators cannot create or modify instructions from mobile devices.

Creating Instructions

Administrators can:

Create standalone Work Instruction content
Attach instructions to Route Stops, Asset Types, or Attribute Types
Set sort order to control display sequence
Mark instructions as "overrides inherited" when needed
Add attachments (PDFs, images) for reference materials

Best Practices

Keep instructions concise: Operators are working on the plant floor. Use bullet points and clear, action-oriented language.

Use appropriate types: Safety instructions should use the Safety type for visual prominence. Measurement procedures should use the Measurement type.

Layer appropriately: Put universal guidance at the Attribute Type level. Add location-specific details at the Route Stop level.

Include thresholds: Reference normal operating ranges and what to do if values fall outside them.

Data Model

Core Entities

Entity	Purpose
WorkInstruction	The instruction content and metadata
RouteStopWorkInstruction	Links instructions to route stops
AssetTypeWorkInstruction	Links instructions to asset types
AttributeTypeWorkInstruction	Links instructions to attribute types

WorkInstruction Fields

Field	Type	Description
`id`	UUID	Unique identifier
`title`	String	Short title displayed in list
`description`	String	Brief summary (optional)
`instructions`	String	Full content (markdown)
`instructionType`	Enum	General, Safety, Procedure, Measurement, Troubleshooting
`sortOrder`	Integer	Display order within a group

Junction Table Fields

Junction tables (e.g., RouteStopWorkInstruction) include:

Field	Type	Description
`id`	UUID	Unique identifier for the link
`sortOrder`	Integer	Order within this attachment point
`overridesInherited`	Boolean	If true, suppresses inherited instructions (Route Stop only)

Sync Behavior

Work Instructions sync as part of the standard bidirectional sync:

Server → Mobile:

Instructions and junction tables download during sync
Deletions are propagated (soft delete model)
Changes appear on next sync

Mobile → Server:

Operators cannot modify instructions
No upstream changes for this entity

Relationship to Other Features

Operator Rounds: Instructions appear during round execution
Asset Readings: Attribute-level instructions guide measurement technique
Work Items: Troubleshooting instructions may reference creating work items for follow-up

What's Next

Future enhancements may include:

Asset Type Instructions: Full support for asset type level inheritance
AssetTypeAttribute Instructions: Most specific combination (asset type + attribute type)
Attachments: Embedded images and PDFs within instructions
Versioning: Track instruction revision history
Acknowledgment: Require operators to confirm reading safety instructions

Purpose​

What are Work Instructions?​

Instruction Types​

Inheritance Model​

How Inheritance Works​

Override Behavior​

Where Instructions Appear​

Stop-Level Instructions​

Reading-Level Instructions​

Example: Blueprint Paper Mill​

Route Stop Instruction​

Attribute Type Instruction​

Troubleshooting Instruction​

Mobile Experience​

iOS & Android​

Instruction Detail View​

Content Format​

Example Content​

Offline Support​

Configuration​

Creating Instructions​

Best Practices​

Data Model​

Core Entities​

WorkInstruction Fields​

Junction Table Fields​

Sync Behavior​

Relationship to Other Features​

What's Next​