Work Instructions, SOE's, SOP's, Build Instructions. 3

[ddbyrd3]

Currently I am using MS Word and digital photos with minimal verbage to depict assembly methods. Although this is highly effective, and the operators love them, they are extremely labor intensive up front.

My question is, does anybody know of a any work instruction software that will compile text with digital photos that doesnt take hours and hours to complile?

It should reflect operation sequence number, cycle time, BOM, tools required, ect.

 

[MadMango]

I don't know of any specific software, but have you tried to make a template in Word for your instructions?

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[ddbyrd3]

Yes I have a template, but i have to import each picture, write the text, tie the pic to the text, ect, ect.

I used a software before that you type the text, associate it to the pic number, and press a button and is ties the pic to the text, and constructs the WI's for you, it was a wonderful software. Unfortunitly they are out of business.

 

[PSE]

The closest thing I have worked with was a ProE module called Pro Process for Assembly. Instead of digital photos, you used the actual model. It could generate the BOM and you could input tools and cycle times but only worked within the native Pro environment. It was expensive and I do not know if it exists anymore. I last used it 5-6 years ago.

Other than that, we are doing things with web publishing software so that our processes go out on the company intranet. You could take a look at something like that as it may be friendlier for integrating text and graphics.

Regards

 

[Sajnav]

ddbyrd3, I am working on the same project. I also use MS Word but we have a template and the format is very simple. For right now the Word doesn't bother me too much because I am more concerned with picture taking. It's what's taking much of my time. But if we come across a better software I'll let you know.

 

[ddbyrd3]

Thanks for the input, if I knew how to attach a document to this responce, i think you all would like what we create here as far as digital work instructions go, however, as stated before it is time consuming.

thanks again.

 

[joejack7]

I have found two software companies that offer such a thing. We too have the same problem with hours lost on simple formatting things in MS Word that are nightmarish. I have recently contacted the two companies and both look promising. Feel free to look for yourself.

http://www.productionmanuals.com

http://www.techviewcorp.com

joejack7
Mfg. Engineer
"Fighting the 'Good' Fight"

 

[ddbyrd]

Joejack7, Those links are great... Thanks for the info....

 

[Thermadyne]

We created a template in MS excel. it is currently a controlled form in our ISO 9001-2000 system. It works great for us. Perhaps you will need to analyze if you are really willing to spend some money on some dedicated software, considering that MS word, Excel, or any work-a-like software is easier to have access to. Either way we always have to spend time creating these documents.

 

[jck26]

We do ours the same way. It was time intensive but once you have many types of process models developed you are going to use the "same as except" type of editing plan. I used to write 10+ new process plans a week but only 2 or so a month were totally from scratch. The document coordinator was very good a picking a proces plan that was close to what was required and we then modified it accordingly.

jck26

 

[jbuckley2000]

In most cases, making work instructions stink. When I first graduated 7 years ago, I began making work instructions. I even developed tennis elbow in one arm from sitting at my desk all day typing up certain items.
I am a novice programmer and I can write pretty much anything in Access. I still think Word is harder to use than Access! It is horribly inefficient and it never works the way you want it to. It is sad it is one of the only pieces of software available though.
If a day comes I can do such a thing, it would make sense to create some kind of work instruction template in Access in which you insert everything through a form and it will output to a set report. It is how other companies may do it already.
For now, most people get stuck with Word and end up losing all of their hair.

 

[511A4]

We have felt your pain! About 2 years ago we started using a software package from

http://www.productionmanuals.com.

It does exactly what you are looking for and the folks there are great to work with. Good luck.

 

[VNestico]

We currently use Adobe Pagemaker/Photoshop.

I created a template in Pagemaker which has space for build sequence, and a visual BOM (component photo or illustration) for each station.

The photos are downloaded into a dedicated folder, and then drag/drop into the document. Description is entered in the space provided below photo.

Each workcenter has a Pagemaker file, each station has it's own page (seperated into tabs much like MS Excel)

You have a lot more control over placement and none of the formatting issues that come with word/excel.

We use photoshop for image cropping/editing. Frequently our parts change color, and it's much easier for us to edit the photo than send a person from location to location re-photographing.

 

[shooter431]

I know what you are dealing with. I have just finished redoing our assembly instructions. I used power point with the intention of implementing a training presentation for new employees. So far it is working great, but what a pain to get set up.

 

[futebol3]

My company is in the process of implementing an Access database to handle all of our specs that used to be done in Word and Excel, similar to how described above. I think it was in the works for a few months, but now that its ready to go, it looks pretty cool. If anyone at your company knows a moderate amount of VBA and how to manipulate Access forms, queries, etc., I'd say try that route as most companies seem hesitent to pour several thousand dollars at a new software package.

 

[mechgunner]

JoeJack7

What is SEQUENCE like, it looks good but does it save time compared to word, I like the e-doc option.

 

[joejack7]

Mechgunner,

We have not officially used them yet, but our conversations thus far have been great. They are very friendly and helpful to talk to and they seemed to have worked with alot of different ERP/MRP systems. I would recommend giving them a call b/c I think they will do a demo.

To reiterate the point...we currently have a lot of time involved in the process of creating and maintaining instruction documents and their software seems to try and handle that process very well.

Good Luck.

joejack7
Mfg. Engineer
"Fighting the 'Good' Fight"

 

[mechgunner]

joejack7

Many thanks.

 

[PSE]

Just a general comment on software demo's. If at all possible take one of your typical to more challenging applications for the software and see if it can handle the material. Do not settle for simply a "canned" demonstration.

Regards,

 

[revdode]

Is perhaps the problem that you are using too much of Words facilities?

I've used it, pagemaker and a custom application for instruction sheets and found that with word and pagemaker the problem was a tendency to tweak the layout because you can. The custom application I wrote myself in Delphi didn't let me do as much with the pictures and as a result was a lot quicker to use.

The last place I had to do operator instructions I created a really simple template with a table for the main content.

|Op | Image | Narrative |

I just dragged and dropped all my pictures from a folder into the table (it works with word), resized them then added text and annotations using words drawing tools. I avoided trying to do more than that.

I think the key is the quality of the pictures, a clear space, good lighting and a clean backdrop all help. Taking pictures in the shop is less than ideal.