Four Moments That Reveal How CDS Mentor® Digital Work Instructions Transform Work on the Shop Floor

On any given day, quality on the shop floor can hinge on a few small but critical moments. Imagine four work instruction sheets on a bench: DX400, DX500, DX600, and DX700. All belong to the same valve family. They share nearly identical layouts and photographs, each showing seven steps performed by gloved hands. The key differences are the tools required: a 2.5mm hex key for one, a 4mm hex key for another, needle-nose pliers and silicone grease for the third, and a soft mallet and retaining ring pliers for the fourth.

When assembling a DX600, an operator could easily reach for the wrong sheet. At first, nothing seems amiss. The unit goes together and moves through the process. The problem may surface hours later during testing, or weeks later as a warranty claim with no obvious cause.

The breakdown began before the operator reached the bench. Nearly identical products were assigned nearly identical documents, making a critical difference easy to overlook.

Decisions like these determine whether work instructions help operators succeed or leave room for avoidable errors. To evaluate their effectiveness, consider four moments:

1. Before the job begins: Do operators have the correct instructions, parts, and tools?
2. As work progresses: Can issues be identified and addressed when they occur?
3. After the build is complete: Is there a clear, traceable record of what happened?
4. Throughout the process: Do people have the training and support they need?

CDS Mentor® is designed to support each of these moments, helping manufacturers improve execution, strengthen traceability, and give operators greater confidence in their work. This blog introduces a series of short videos showcasing those capabilities in action. The series covers Variant Handling, BOM and Tools Library, Job Execution Quality, Batch Power, Audit Trail, Reports, Training and Skills Tracking, and Site Admin Options. Together, they show how CDS Mentor® supports the work, the people performing it, and the systems surrounding it.

Before the job begins: Put the right instructions, parts, and tools in reach

Variant handling

For high-mix manufacturers, document sprawl often starts with a practical shortcut. When a new configuration is introduced, copying an existing procedure can seem faster than restructuring it. Over time, four documents become forty, each requiring revision control and creating another opportunity for an operator to select the wrong instructions.

CDS Mentor® takes a different approach: one procedure with conditional steps that appear based on the selected product variant. The video demonstrates an HVAC valve assembly procedure with several options, including Gate, Check, Air-Vent, Motorized On/Off, Pressure Independent Balancing Control and Butterfly valve. When starting the job, the operator selects the valve type. Choosing Gate Valve displays the relevant steps while keeping steps for other variants hidden.

The result is one procedure, one version, and one approval process to manage. Operators see the instructions that apply to the product they are building without having to sort through unrelated steps. Watch the VARIANT HANDLING VIDEO.

BOM and Tools Library

Part-selection errors are another source of avoidable rework. They can occur even when an operator carefully follows the instructions. A printed sheet might specify an “O-ring, 27 x 22 x 2.5 mm,” while the nearby bin contains several parts that look almost identical.

Clear, consistent part reference help reduce that ambiguity. In CDS Mentor®, parts and tools are associated directly with the steps that require them. The next video begins in the step editor, where Parts and Tools appear alongside Instructions, User Input, Options and Preventive Troubleshooting. Rather than manually typing part numbers into each instruction, authors select records from a central library. The library shown in the video contains 2,391 records with codes, descriptions, units of measure, and quantities. Site administrators can add records individually or import them in bulk using a template.

During job execution, part references appear highlighted within the instruction text at the relevant step. Operators can access the information where they need it, reducing the need to consult a separate bill of materials. For instruction authors, selecting from the library also reduces the risk of transcription errors. Watch the BOM AND TOOLS LIBRARY VIDEO.

As Work Progresses: Catch Quality Issues at the Step Where They Occur

Job Execution Quality

If you watch only one video in the series, start here. It provides the most detailed look at how CDS Mentor® guides job execution and helps operators address quality issues as they arise.

The video follows a printer assembly procedure, with a step-by-step list, an instruction panel on the right, and a 3D model in the center. At one step, a structured input asks the operator to enter a voltage measurement, within an acceptable range of 10 to 100. The operator enters 125.

CDS Mentor® flags the value as outside the permitted range and prompts the operator to correct the input or submit a non-conformance report. If the measurement was entered incorrectly, the operator can correct it. If the reading reflects an actual deviation, the operator can initiate a non-conformance report directly from the step. The report captures the context needed to investigate: the step, procedure version, operator, time, and recorded value.

That context helps teams understand what happened and where to focus their response.

The interactive 3D model provides another layer of support. Introduced in CDS Mentor® version 3. 4, interactive 3D viewing supports formats including STEP, JT, CATPart, SLDPRT, IGES, and zipped assemblies. Operators can rotate the model to examine an assembly and better understand where a component belongs, particularly when a single photograph does not provide enough detail.

Together, guided instructions, visual context, and input validation help bring quality checks into the work itself. In a paper-based process, an out-of-tolerance reading may be recorded on a traveler and discovered later during final inspection. With CDS Mentor®, the deviation can be identified at the step where it occurs, while the operator still has the part in hand, and the circumstances are easier to investigate.

This video also features the job orders dashboard, which tracks first-pass yield, on-time and delayed jobs, and actual cycle time against expected time. At the end, the completed job record brings those details together: the selected options, the procedure and steps applied to the job, and each step’s pass or fail status, operator, and completion time. In the example shown, one failed step among seventy is clearly identified, making it easier to investigate further. Watch the JOB EXECUTION QUALITY VIDEO.

Batch power

When several units share a work order, each still needs its own traceable record. Managing that through separate jobs can mean duplicate documentation, additional administration, and more opportunities to associate information with the wrong unit.

CDS Mentor® provides the ability to perform batch execution with serialization, allowing manufacturers to manage multiple units within one job while maintaining individual records. The video shows a batch job being created with four serial numbers entered together. The quantity automatically updates to match. During execution, the system moves to the next serial number once the steps for the current unit are complete. Inputs, pass or fail results, timing, and non-conformance data are recorded for each unit.

Two capabilities are particularly useful in day-to-day production. A failure on the second unit does not prevent the third and fourth units from proceeding because the non-conformance report is associated with the affected unit. And when a job is paused, it resumes the same serial number and step, helping operators pick up where they left off after a break or shift change. Watch the BATCH POWER VIDEO.

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