A work instruction tells one person exactly how to do one step of a job: which screen, which button, which setting, what "right" looks like. An SOP (standard operating procedure) describes the whole task across roles: who does what, in what order, and who checks it. A process map sits above both and shows how the work flows from start to finish. You need an SOP for any task that involves more than one person or system, and a work instruction for the steps inside it that are fiddly, risky or easy to get wrong. A copyable work instruction template is below. If you need the SOP layout instead, use our SOP template.
Work instruction vs SOP: the plain difference
Think of it as three levels, from the big picture down to the detail.
- Process map: the whole flow. For example, "order to invoice": order taken, stock picked, goods shipped, invoice raised, payment received. It shows the hand-offs between teams and systems. See business process mapping.
- SOP: one task in that flow, across roles. For example, "Receiving stock": the storeperson checks and counts, the supervisor reviews differences, the buyer follows up with the supplier. It says who does each step and where it's recorded.
- Work instruction: one step, for one person, in detail. For example, "Recording a part-received purchase order in the stock system": which menu, which fields, how to split a line, what the screen should show when you're done.
A simple test: if the document has more than one role in it, it's an SOP. If it's one person at one screen or one machine, it's a work instruction.
Some businesses, especially those working to a quality standard, call these "level 2" and "level 3" documents. The labels don't matter much. What matters is that each document does one job and points to the others.
When you need each one
You need an SOP when:
- the task passes between people or teams;
- it touches money, customers, stock or compliance records;
- the order of steps matters, or someone has to approve something;
- you want to know who is responsible for each part.
You need a work instruction when:
- a step is done in a system with lots of screens or options, and getting one field wrong causes trouble later;
- a step is done rarely enough that people forget how (end-of-year rollovers, a quarterly report, setting up a new customer price list);
- a machine, scale or device has to be set up a particular way;
- new staff keep asking the same "how do I..." question about one step.
You probably don't need either when the task is done by one experienced person, rarely goes wrong, and nothing downstream depends on it. A short checklist is enough.
The work instruction template (copy and paste)
Copy everything from "Work instruction title" to "Change history" into a new document. Replace the text in brackets.
Work instruction title: [Verb + the one step, e.g. "Recording a part-received purchase order"]
- Number: [e.g. WI-WH-002-03, linked to the SOP it belongs to]
- Belongs to SOP: [SOP number and title, e.g. WH-002 Receiving stock]
- Done by: [The one role that does this step]
- System, screen or equipment: [e.g. stock system > Purchasing > Receive goods]
- Owner: [Role that keeps this current]
- Last reviewed: [Date]
1. When to use this
[One or two sentences: the situation that triggers this step, e.g. "Use this when a delivery arrives with fewer items than the purchase order."]
2. Before you start
- [What you need in hand, e.g. the delivery docket and purchase order number]
- [Access needed, e.g. receiving permission in the stock system]
- [Safety gear or equipment settings, if any]
3. Steps
Number every step. One action per step. Start with a verb. Add a screenshot or photo where it helps.
- [Open / Go to / Select ...] [Screenshot]
- [Enter ...] [What the field should contain, with an example]
- [Check ...] [What you should see]
- [Save / Submit ...] [What the screen shows when it worked]
4. What "done" looks like
- [The visible result, e.g. "The purchase order status shows Part received and the remaining quantity is still open."]
5. Common mistakes and what to do
- If [mistake or error message], then [fix, or who to tell].
- If [the screen looks different], then [what to check].
6. Who to ask
- [Role or team to contact when the instruction doesn't cover the situation]
7. Change history
- [Date] - [What changed] - [Who changed it]
A filled-in example
This is a made-up example for a hypothetical wholesaler.
Work instruction title: Recording a part-received purchase order. Belongs to SOP: WH-002 Receiving stock. Done by: Storeperson. System: stock system, Receive goods screen.
When to use this: a delivery arrives with fewer cartons than the purchase order says.
Before you start: the signed delivery docket, the purchase order number, a receiving login.
Steps:
- Open the stock system and go to Purchasing, then Receive goods.
- Enter the purchase order number from the docket and press Find.
- For each line, enter the quantity actually counted, not the quantity on the docket.
- Leave the line open. Do not tick "Close line" when items are still to come.
- In the Notes field, type "Short delivered" and the docket number.
- Press Save receipt.
What done looks like: the order shows "Part received", and the outstanding quantity matches what is still to come.
Common mistakes: if you ticked "Close line" by accident, don't receive again; tell the warehouse supervisor, who can reopen it. If the purchase order number isn't found, check the docket for a supplier reference and ask the buyer.
How work instructions, SOPs and process maps fit together
The three work best as a set that points both ways:
- The process map shows each task as a box. Each box names its SOP.
- Each SOP step that needs more detail names its work instruction.
- Each work instruction names the SOP it belongs to, so nobody reads it out of context.
Numbering helps. If the SOP is WH-002, its work instructions are WH-002-01, WH-002-02 and so on. When someone changes the SOP, they can see which instructions need checking too.
Keep the number of documents in proportion. Many growing businesses write work instructions for every click and end up with a library nobody maintains. Start with the steps that cause the most rework or questions, and add more only when people need them.
What work instructions tell you about your systems
Writing work instructions is a good way to find steps that shouldn't exist. If a work instruction says "copy the order number from the email into the stock system, then copy the total into the spreadsheet, then into the accounting software", it isn't really an instruction for a step. It describes three systems that aren't connected. That's double data entry: the same information typed into more than one place.
Long, careful work instructions for copying data between systems are a sign the hand-off itself is the problem. When those systems are connected, the instruction becomes one line: "check the order the system has created". To see the hand-offs across a whole process, start with a map. Our post on process mapping templates and examples shows how, and our SOP template includes a filled-in example where the same hand-off shows up.
Frequently asked questions
What is a work instruction?
A detailed, step-by-step guide for one person doing one step of a job, such as entering a part-received order or setting up a machine. It's more detailed than an SOP and usually includes screenshots or photos.
Is a work instruction the same as an SOP?
No. An SOP covers a whole task across roles: who does what, in what order. A work instruction covers one step inside that task in much more detail. Many SOPs have no work instructions; some have several. For complete SOPs from five industries, see our SOP examples.
What should a work instruction include?
When to use it, what you need before you start, numbered steps that each start with a verb, what "done" looks like, common mistakes and who to ask. Link it to the SOP it belongs to.
Do I need work instructions for ISO 9001?
ISO 9001 asks you to keep documented information where it's needed to run processes consistently, and leaves it to you to decide what level of detail that means. Check with your certification body or quality adviser for what they'll expect to see.
How often should work instructions be reviewed?
Whenever the system, screen or equipment changes, and otherwise on a set cycle, often yearly. Software updates are the usual reason instructions go out of date, so put a review on the list whenever a system changes.
If your work instructions are mostly about copying information between systems, and you'd like to talk about fixing the hand-off instead, book a free initial chat. To map a whole process with your team, see business process mapping.