Procedures and Work Instructions
when a procedure, when a work instruction, when nothing at all – structure on one page, examples from production, trades, retail and services, templates and a practice company
- 50–75 min
- 12 modules
- Free certificate
- No account needed
- Updated November 2026
👥 Target group: Quality managers and managing directors in companies with 1 to 50 employees, Foremen, team leaders and skilled workers who write instructions for their area
Which legal duty or standard requirement does this training cover?
About this training
Since 2015 ISO 9001 has not required a single procedure any more – and yet most small companies have too many of them, in the wrong form, and nobody reads them. This course tidies up: it shows when a process sheet is enough, when a procedure is needed, when a work instruction at the workplace achieves more than any manual chapter – and when a photo with three arrows is the best instruction.
You will learn the structure on one page (purpose, scope, flow, responsibility, records), the writing rules (active voice, numbers instead of adjectives, one sentence per step), approval and status, the link to process map and manual, and how instructions are checked in the audit (“Show me where it says that – and who does it”). Examples from production, trades, retail and services; at the practice company Nordlicht IT Service you write two instructions yourself. 12 modules, final test, certificate of participation with a verifiable number.
What this course covers — and what it does not: The course covers procedures and work instructions as part of documented information under ISO 9001:2015 clause 7.5 (and 2026) in companies with 1 to 50 employees. It does not replace the manual and the process descriptions (course “Quality Manual in 5 Days”), nor document control (separate course), nor safety instructions for hazardous substances or work equipment under occupational safety law, which follow their own rules. Sector standards (e.g. medical devices, aerospace, food) with prescribed procedures are not covered. The practice company is fictitious. This is a translation of the German course for readers worldwide — in case of doubt the German edition applies.
Contents at a glance
- What the standard really requires: no procedure is mandatoryISO 9001:2015/2026 clause 7.5.1 b): the company itself determines which documented information it needs; the six mandatory procedures of ISO 9001:2008 are history; what must still be documented (scope, policy, objectives, records); the question “What happens if it is not written down?” as the only yardstick
- Process sheet, procedure, work instruction — or nothing: the decision ruleThe three levels (process sheet in the manual, procedure for flows between functions, work instruction for hands-on tasks at the workplace) and their boundaries; decision tree with four questions; when a photo, a checklist or a briefing replaces the instruction; typical number in a small company (3–8 WI, 0–3 procedures)
- The structure on one page: purpose, scope, flow, responsibility, records, statusThe six fields of an instruction and what goes into each; header with number, title, status, approval; flow as numbered steps or a table (step – who – how – record); related documents; what is left out (cover sheet, distribution list, change history, definitions); template procedure and work instruction
- Writing rules: active voice, numbers instead of adjectives, one sentence per stepThe eight writing rules (active voice instead of passive, number instead of “sufficient”, one sentence per step, function instead of name, target value with tolerance, what-to-do-if, no modal verbs, legible from two metres); before/after examples; test “Could a new colleague do it alone tomorrow?”; language for employees whose first language is not the company language
- Picture, photo, video, checklist: when text is the wrong formPhoto of the target state with markings as a work instruction; before/after photos (good/bad); sketch with dimensions; checklist to tick off as work instruction and record at once; video for sequences (30 seconds, QR code at the workplace); requirements for every form: identification, status, approval, protection against alteration; examples from trades, assembly, warehouse
- Examples by sector: which three to eight instructions a company really needsTypical sets of instructions for production/trades (set-up, final inspection, packing, marking blocked parts), construction/assembly (site handover, acceptance, customer property), trade/logistics (goods receipt, picking, returns), services/IT (ticket, customer onboarding, data backup, handover); per sector the instructions that are almost always missing, and those that are almost always superfluous
- Approval, status and distribution: how the instruction stays validWho approves (process owner, not the writer); status as date YYYY-MM in file name and footer; document list as the only register (number, title, status, approval, location, distribution); the notice at the workplace and its exchange; withdrawing old versions; the change in three steps; link to document control
- Instruction is not briefing: how the instruction gets into people's headsThe difference between document and competence (7.2); briefing at the workplace with the work instruction in hand (show, let do, check); briefing record as evidence; repetition on change; the instruction as part of the qualification matrix; what the auditor asks the employee
- Instructions in the audit: what the auditor asks — and the five most frequent findingsThe auditor's method (process sheet → instruction → workplace → record); the five most frequent findings (old version at the workplace, instruction contradicts practice, without approval/status, missing what-to-do-if rule, instruction exists but employee does not know it) with grading; how to find them in ten minutes before the audit; walk-through check
- Case study: Nordlicht IT Service — write two instructions, sort out elevenPractice company Nordlicht IT Service (9 employees, fictitious): stock of eleven procedures from a purchased template set; task: sort with the decision tree (keep, into the process sheet, delete), write the work instruction “Create and prioritise a ticket” and the procedure “Informing customers of disruptions” following the writing rules; model solution
- Records and maintenance: document list, annual review, deletion listWhich records the auditor wants to see on instructions (document list, approval, briefing record, notice = list); the annual review in 30 minutes before the internal audit (check status, compare practice, delete); the deletion list as evidence of “as little as possible”; checklist for your own documentation
- Procedure in our companyProcedure in our company: contact person for quality questions, location of the manual, templates and records, approvals, fixed dates and next steps in the company
Frequently asked questions
How many procedures does ISO 9001 require?
None. Since 2015 the company itself determines which documented information it needs (7.5.1 b). A small company gets by with manual, process sheets and three to eight work instructions for the places where errors are expensive.
What is the difference between a procedure and a work instruction?
The procedure describes a flow across several functions (who does what when – e.g. complaint handling). The work instruction describes a single task at one workplace (how exactly – e.g. torque, inspection dimensions, order of steps). Rule of thumb: procedure = flow between people, work instruction = hands-on task on the thing.
Is a photo enough as a work instruction?
Often it is the best one. A photo of the correct state with three markings, status and approval meets 7.5 just like a page of text – and it gets read. The course shows examples.
Do instructions have to be signed?
The standard requires approval (7.5.2 c), not a signature. A status with the initials of the approving function in the footer or an approval note in the system is enough. Signatures on every page are administrative effort without benefit.
Does the course also apply to ISO 9001:2026?
Yes. The 2026 edition only changes the wording for documented information (“available as documented information”) and adds notes on digital media; the course is aligned with it.
Is the course free?
Yes, like all courses of the QM-Guru Academy. No registration; the e-mail address is used only to deliver the certificate.
Which edition is this?
The English-language edition of our German course "Verfahrens- und Arbeitsanweisungen schreiben", written for readers worldwide. The downloadable templates are currently in German; English versions will follow. In case of doubt the German edition applies.