Work Instructions
Step-by-step operator guides attached to work orders, ensuring consistent quality on the shop floor.
Quick Start
- Navigate to Manufacturing → Work Instructions from the sidebar.
- Click Add Instruction in the top-right toolbar.
- Enter a Title and optional Operation ID.
- Set a Safety Level (none / caution / warning / danger).
- Select the Language in which the instruction is written.
- Add at least one step — enter the step description. Optionally paste an Image URL and/or Video URL for that step.
- Add Checkpoints if measurements are required (name, target value, tolerance).
- Click Save. The instruction appears in the list.
- An operator clicks View on any row to open the reader, follow steps, enter measurements, and sign off.
Authoring Instructions
Form Fields
| Field | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Yes | Short name of the instruction. The Save button stays disabled until this is filled. |
| Operation ID | No | Links the instruction to a manufacturing operation code (e.g. OP-120). |
| Estimated Time (min) | No | Displayed in the reader so operators know how long the task should take. |
| Safety Level | No | none / caution / warning / danger. Shown as a coloured badge in the reader header. |
| Language | No | The language in which this instruction is authored (e.g. EN, TR). Stored on the record and compared with the operator's locale at reader open time. |
| Steps | Yes (≥1) | Ordered list of actions the operator must perform. Each step supports description text, image URL, and video URL. |
| Checkpoints | No | Measurement points with a name, target value, and tolerance. |
Steps — Image and Video URLs
Each step has a two-column sub-form for media:
- Image URL — full URL to an image file (JPG, PNG, GIF, WebP, SVG, BMP). The reader renders a clickable inline thumbnail. On load error it falls back to a plain hyperlink.
- Video URL — full URL to a video file (MP4, WebM, OGG, MOV, AVI). The reader renders an HTML5 video player with controls. On load error it falls back to a plain hyperlink.
Tip — Hosted media
Image and video URLs must be publicly accessible HTTPS URLs. Use a cloud storage bucket (AWS S3, Azure Blob, Google Cloud Storage, Cloudinary, etc.) or a CDN. URLs behind a private VPN will not load for operators who are off the network.
Checkpoints
| Field | Description |
|---|---|
| Checkpoint Name | Measurement label, e.g. "Torque (Nm)", "Gap (mm)", "Temperature (°C)". |
| Target Value | The nominal measurement the operator should achieve. |
| Tolerance (±) | Acceptable deviation from the target. Pass = measured value within target ± tolerance. |
Language Field
Select the language in which you are authoring the instruction. This is stored on the record and compared against the current app locale when an operator opens the reader. If they differ, the reader displays a yellow notice bar so operators know the instruction may be in a different language than their interface.
Operator Reader
Clicking View on any row opens the full-screen reader modal. It is designed for shop-floor use: large step numbers, prominent safety banners, inline media previews, and a clear sign-off flow.
Reader Sections
- Header — instruction title, operation ID, estimated time, safety badge, and language mismatch notice (when applicable).
- Steps list — numbered steps with description text. If an image URL is present an inline thumbnail appears below the step text (clickable to open full size). If a video URL is present an HTML5 video player appears below the step text.
- Checkpoints — if the instruction has checkpoints, a measurement table appears below the steps. The operator enters a measured value per row; Pass or Fail is shown instantly based on target ± tolerance.
- Work Order ID input — an optional text field the operator fills before signing off. Included in the verification record for traceability.
- Verify & Sign Off — submits checkpoint results, the operator's authenticated employee ID, and the entered work order ID to the server.
Media Preview Behaviour
| URL extension | Reader renders | On load error |
|---|---|---|
| jpg, jpeg, png, gif, webp, svg, bmp | Inline <img> thumbnail (max-height 160 px, clickable to open full size in a new tab) | Plain hyperlink to the URL |
| mp4, webm, ogg, mov, avi | HTML5 <video> player with controls (max-height 160 px) | Plain hyperlink to the URL |
| Any other extension | Plain hyperlink | — |
Language Mismatch Notice
When the instruction's stored language does not match the current app locale, the reader displays a yellow notice at the top of the step list:
Example notice
This instruction was authored in EN but your current interface language is TR. The content may be in a different language.
This is informational only — it does not block the operator from reading or signing off.
Sign-Off Traceability
The verification record submitted on sign-off includes:
- Work Order ID — entered manually in the reader (defaults to
wo_unassignedif left empty). - Operation ID — from the instruction record.
- Instruction ID — unique record ID.
- Operator ID — read automatically from the authenticated user's
employeeId. Not editable by the operator. - Checkpoint results — array of step order, measured value, and pass/fail flag per checkpoint.
Managing Instructions
List View Columns
| Column | Description |
|---|---|
| Title | Instruction name with operation ID badge. |
| Safety | Coloured badge: None (grey), Caution (yellow), Warning (orange), Danger (red). |
| Language | Globe icon + 2-letter code of the authored language (e.g. EN, TR). |
| Steps | Count of defined steps. |
| Checkpoints | Count of measurement checkpoints. |
| Est. Time | Estimated duration in minutes. |
| Version | Current revision number (increments on each save). |
| Status | Draft / Active / Archived. |
| Actions | View (opens operator reader), Edit (opens form), Delete. |
Search & Filter
- Search — filters by title, operation ID, or step description text in real time.
- Status filter tabs — All / Active / Draft / Archived. Default: All.
- Safety filter — dropdown to show only instructions of a specific safety level.
- Refresh — reloads instructions from the server.
Edit & Delete
- Edit — opens the same form used for creation, pre-filled with all existing values including step image/video URLs and checkpoints.
- Delete — prompts an inline confirmation (Yes / No) before removing the record. Removing an instruction does not delete historical sign-off records.
Multi-Select
Every row has a checkbox, plus a "select all" checkbox in the table header. Selecting one or more rows shows a selected-count bar above the table with a ✕ Clear button to deselect everything at once. Each row also keeps its expand/collapse control for viewing full step-by-step detail inline, independent of selection state.
Appearance Follows List Style
The selection checkboxes and the table layout are driven by the same List Style setting used across My Workspace list screens (Settings → Appearance). That single setting controls the checkbox shape (circle or square), whether a check icon is drawn inside a selected checkbox, the corner rounding of the table (sharp or rounded), and the row layout itself — table rows or a card-based grid. Switching to the cards layout replaces the table with individual instruction cards, each carrying its own selection control in the same shape and style, and the step-detail expand/collapse behaviour is preserved exactly as it works in the table layout. Any change you make in Settings → Appearance applies instantly here, with no page reload required.
Exporting Instructions
The Export button in the top-right toolbar downloads the current filtered instruction set as a JSON file.
What is exported
- If a search term or safety/status filter is active, only matching instructions are included.
- If no filter is active, all instructions are exported.
- The full instruction object is included: title, operation ID, language, safety level, all steps (each with description, imageUrl, videoUrl), checkpoints (name, target, tolerance), version, status, and timestamps.
File name
Downloads as work-instructions-YYYY-MM-DD.json where the date is the current date at export time.
Common export use cases
- Snapshot backup before a bulk edit session.
- Migrating instructions between TotalApp tenants.
- Feeding instructions into an external document management or quality system.
- Version-controlling SOPs in a Git repository alongside CAD drawings.
Appearance — Workstation vs Enterprise
Work Instructions supports the global dual-style system. Go to Settings → Appearance → Screen Style to switch:
- Workstation (default) — dark glassmorphism panels with ghost/glow buttons. Suited for internal teams in dimly lit factory environments.
- Enterprise — light corporate look with white card panels and filled solid buttons. Suited for office-facing or QMS-integrated deployments.
The Add Instruction form, Edit form, and Operator Reader all switch styles automatically when this setting changes.
Add Record Mode
The Add Instruction form honours the global Add Record Mode setting (Settings → Appearance → Add Record Mode):
- Modal (default) — form opens centred over the screen with a dark scrim.
- Panel — form slides in from the right edge, leaving the instruction list visible in the background.
Edit mode always opens as a modal, regardless of this setting.
AI Assistant
Click the AI Assistant tab on the right edge of the screen (or its Sparkles-icon button) to open a chat panel scoped to your work instructions. It has full chat history, a new-chat action, a fullscreen mode, and the ability to attach knowledge from your My Knowledge library to ground its answers. Click the tab again, or the panel's close control, to collapse it.
The assistant can answer questions such as:
- Coverage analysis — which operations have instructions and which don't.
- Safety review — instructions that are missing safety warnings.
- Quality checkpoint review — completeness of quality checkpoints across instructions.
- Freshness review — instructions that are likely due for a version update.
Opening the panel does not cover the instruction table. The main content area shrinks to make room on the right edge of the screen, so the table (or card grid, depending on your List Style row layout) remains visible at a narrower width while you continue chatting with the assistant. Closing the panel smoothly restores the table to full width.
Frequently Asked Questions
onError event and automatically falls back to displaying a plain hyperlink to the URL. The operator can open the resource in a new browser tab.employeeId in the HR module. It is resolved server-side and cannot be changed in the reader — this prevents one operator from signing off on behalf of another. If the logged-in account has no associated employee ID, the system falls back to the placeholder op_demo.wo_unassigned. For regulated manufacturing environments requiring full traceability, it is strongly recommended to enter the work order number before signing off.language field against the current app locale. If they differ (e.g. the instruction was authored in English but the interface is set to Turkish), a yellow notice bar appears at the top of the reader. This is informational — it does not block reading or signing off.