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July 23, 2024

6 Customer-Backed Practical Tips for Consideration when Building Your Digital Work Instructions

Changing Labor Markets are Driving Manufacturers to Digitalizing Knowledge.  

According to Deloitte, labor market tightness will persist in 2024, and a survey conducted by the National Association of Manufacturers (NAM) revealed that three out of four surveyed manufacturing executives say attracting and retaining workers is their primary business-related challenge. Embracing digital work instructions signifies a pivotal stride towards revitalizing and refining operations across your industry and attacking labor challenges head-on.

The transformative journey entails converting conventional, frequently PDF and paper-centric instructions into dynamic, digital iterations characterized by increased accessibility, interactivity, and adaptability that help train and retain skilled workers.

Beyond the simple digitization of content, the creation of these instructions underscores a paradigm shift in the communication of information to the workforce, emphasizing clarity, engagement, and effectiveness in conveying critical solutions that increase employee job satisfaction.

Many manufacturing processes rely heavily on tribal knowledge and the experience accumulated by veteran workers over years of service. This knowledge is often undocumented and at risk of being lost with retirement. With digital work instructions, you can easily capture and preserve this critical knowledge so it is readily accessible and easily transferred to new hires and current employees in a flexible format that improves productivity and job satisfaction. We’ve worked with manufacturers to implement digital work instructions and have compiled a list of best practices from their experiences.

Belvac Digital Work Instructions

Learn how Belvac revolutionized their training with CDS Mentor for digital work instructions.

Here are six tips we compiled from customers we have guided through their digital work instructions journey:

1.) Focus on the end-user experience

User experience is everything when it comes to driving the adoption of any software. Craft the instructions with a focus on the end user’s viewpoint, considering their skill level and familiarity with the task at hand. Utilize straightforward language, steering clear of technical terminology to guarantee understanding among individuals of varying skill levels.

2.) Increase accessibility for all workers

Ensure seamless accessibility of digital instructions for all of your workers. When instructions are readily available and understandable, tasks can be accomplished faster and with minimal errors. This results in decreased downtime, enhanced output, and heightened production efficiency overall.

3.) Incorporate various media and visualizations into training

Incorporating images, videos, and interactive elements like visualizations is needed to deliver an immersive training experience. Visualizations supplemented with other multimedia elements improve knowledge retention and enhance the overall learning experience.

4.) Monitor usage and track the effectiveness of the solution

Utilize analytics to monitor the usage of instructions and their influence on your worker’s task performance. Metrics such as completion times and error rates provide valuable insights into the efficiency and quality outcomes facilitated by the instructions. Metrics aid in making informed decisions regarding streamlining processes, reorganizing information, or adjusting delivery methods to enhance retention and comprehension.

5.) Keep training content updated with feedback loops

Maintain the content’s relevance by consistently revising it and integrating feedback from users for ongoing enhancement of the instructions. As processes and technologies evolve, regular reviews and updates are essential to align the instructions with current procedures, best practices, and equipment standards.

6.) Focus on adoption and the change management process

Successful adoption of digital work instructions hinges on their implementation and effective change management practices. Transitioning from the traditional methods workers are accustomed to digital workflows requires thorough planning, communication, and support to ensure buy-in from all stakeholders. Change management strategies should address concerns, provide training, and foster a culture of continuous improvement. Be clear in your communication about the benefits of digital work instructions and their role in driving operational excellence.

Bonus Pro Tip: Leverage Practical AI for Content Migration

If you’re migrating from an existing digital work instruction solution, explore leveraging Artificial Intelligence (AI) for data extraction and transferring your content into your new solution. Practical AI applications can help you automate the process of extracting existing work instructions and reformatting them for the new system. The solution can save significant time and resources compared to manual data entry, allowing you to migrate content and training faster. The best AI-powered solutions can translate your processes from existing PDFs and text files, outdated work instruction software, and other media content.

Boost Productivity & Engagement by Adopting These Tips for Building Better Digital Work Instructions.

By following these customer-informed tips, you can craft digital work instructions that are user-friendly, accessible, and engaging for current and future employees. Remember to prioritize the user experience, utilize multimedia for better learning, and continuously monitor and update the content for optimal effectiveness. With a focus on adoption and a well-defined change management process, your digital work instructions will empower your workforce and propel your operations forward.

By delivering interactive, real-time training, you can start a new era of productivity that helps you modernize your processes to help you overcome labor challenges. The future of training modern skilled workers with digital work instructions is now! If you are interested in learning more or seeing a demo of CDS Mentor for digital work instructions, contact us!

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Nick Thompson

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