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Many people confuse procedures and work instructions. In fact, most people write work instructions and call
them procedures. Knowing the difference between procedures and work instructions can help you understand
the documentation process much better and, therefore, develop great procedure documentation.
How do you know when you have done it right (effectiveness criteria)?
What laws (regulations) or standards apply (e.g., ISO 9001, 8th EU Directive, IFRS, Sarbanes-Oxley)?
We can look at documentation as a pyramid comprised of four levels (or types of documents):
Level 1 and Level 2 represent your policies and procedures. What is the difference between policies and
procedures? Your policies are at the top of the pyramid, like a beacon from a lighthouse. They direct the
procedure in the proper direction and provide a foundation for the procedures description of the process being
documented.
Level 2 Procedures
Your procedures are the second level of documentation, which should be more detailed and describe who does
what and when (in sequence or order). Activities for a department or function might be listed along with the
functional titles or positions responsible for the procedure. These procedures can be text based but many use
aprocess map to communicate the information.
As you rewrite the procedures for your application, be sure to verify your modifications against the
requirements of the ISO standard to ensure all requirements are still addressed. An example of where you may
want to change the format is the Effectiveness Criteria section of certain procedures.
When determining these criteria, a holistic approach as to what is best for the company should be used. An
obvious example involves Purchasing. In the past, Purchasing effectiveness was measured by the purchase price
of materials. The obvious fallacy with this measure is that out of specification or marginal components result in
increase costs downstream and may actually result in higher total costs.
Quality Objectives
With an ISO 9000 Quality Management System, you need to assure that a company or division will meet the
ISO 9000 requirements and receive certification. The following process should take place:
1. Management Decision and Commitment
2. Adequate Training and Evaluation
3. Compliance with Appropriate Standards
4. Audit and Registration
Documented
Demonstrable
Effective
Maintained
Learning how to write policies and procedures is easy once you understand the four levels of documentation
and the difference between policies, procedures, and work instructions. Sample policies and procedures from
Bizmanualz make it even easier!
Source: https://www.bizmanualz.com/write-better-procedures/are-procedures-the-same-as-work-instructions.html