When operating a system in-house, a operation manual will allow operations to proceed without confusion. It also helps to solve the impersonal nature of the operation method, which leads to uniformity in the quality of work.
However, many people may be concerned about the operating system because they do not have the know-how to create easy-to-understand operation manuals.
In this issue, we will focus on how to create easy-to-understand operation manuals, and this article is for below people.
- “I want to create an operation manual for the system to solve work inconsistencies and errors”.
- “I want to create an environment in which operation manuals can be used on a continuous basis”.
- “I want to know the key points for creating easy-to-understand manuals”.
This article will help you create an easy-to-understand operation manual and understand how to operate it on a continuous basis.
Contents
- 1 What is an operation manual?
- 2 Differences between an operation manual and other manuals
- 3 How to create an operations manual
- 4 6 points for an easy-to-understand operation manual
- 4.1 (1) Create a table of contents so that you can quickly find the operation you want to know.
- 4.2 (2) Use diagrams and illustrations for visual clarity
- 4.3 (3) Separate operations by purpose
- 4.4 (4) Clearly separate operation procedures and results
- 4.5 (5) Explain in 3 steps
- 4.6 (6) Do not cram too much information into single manual
- 5 The best tool for creating and managing operation manuals
- 6 Summary of how to create an operation manual
What is an operation manual?
An operation manual is an instruction manual that describes how to operate a machine or system.
The operation manual includes an overview of the machine or system, how to use it, and how to deal with problems. With an operation manual, there is no need to worry about inconsistent operation among members, and the quality of work can be standardized.
However, an operation manual is not the end of the process; it must be operated continuously. If the operation manual is difficult to read, it will not be used, so it should be as easy to understand as possible.
Differences between an operation manual and other manuals
The following are the differences between an operation manual and other manuals by type.
- Difference between an operation manual and a business manual
- Difference between an operation manual and a normative manual
The difference between an operation manual and a business manual is that an operation manual focuses on the operation of a machine or system, while a business manual covers the procedures of a job. Note that an operation manual may be included in an business manual.
The purpose of an operations manual is to make work uniform, whereas the purpose of a normative manual is to inform employees of the direction of management, and the 2 manuals have different purposes. Also, the normative manual is characterized by its more abstract language than the operations manual.
Since operation manuals, operational manuals, and normative manuals differ from each other. When operating a manual, it is important to clarify the type of manual and create one that is in line with purpose of team.
How to create an operations manual
This section describes how to create an operations manual. The following 5 steps should be kept in mind in order to ensure the continuous operation of the operation manual.
(1) Set the subject
First, determine the target operators of the manual.
If you set the target operators, you can determine the overall structure of the manual according to their level of knowledge and understanding. If a manual is created without determining the target audience, it may be difficult for the operator to understand.
If it takes time for the operator to understand the manual, it will hinder the progress of the business. Therefore, it is important to clarify the target operators before creating the manual.
(2) Creating the structure
After deciding on the subject of the operation manual, move on to the overall structure.
If you start creating the manual before thinking about the overall structure, it will be inefficient because it will cause omissions and duplication of content. However, the structure is created in advance, the “items to be described” will be clear, and time will not be wasted in creating the manual.
Before starting to create a manual, be sure to consider the overall structure and layout.
(3) Add description of operation
Once you have decided on the structure, you will need to provide explanations for each operation.
The description should be detailed and easy to understand. Specifically, use bullets and emphasis to make the text more vivid.
In addition, redundant expressions and complicated sentences may make the manual difficult to read. Create an easy-to-understand manual by paying attention to detailed wording as well as the overall flow of the text.
(4) Creating Q&A
To make it easier to find the information team member need, the operation manual should include a Q&A section.
If it takes time to find out how to operate the system, it will cause delay of operation. By creating a Q&A page, you can centralize the questions of many employees and solve problems quickly.
In addition, a well-developed Q&A page can be expected to reduce the number of inquiries to the person in charge. In other words, Q&A has a role where both the person in charge and the operator can benefit.
(5) Include contact information for the person in charge
The operation manual should also describe how to contact the person in charge.
Sometimes, major problems occur that cannot be resolved by the site alone. If the contact information for the person in charge is included in the operation manual, it is possible to contact him or her to solve the problem.
However, if inquiries occur frequently, it may become a burden for the person in charge, so it is recommended to add “questions that have been asked multiple times to the person in charge” as the Q&A.
6 points for an easy-to-understand operation manual
Here are 6 points to make your operation manual easy to understand. Be sure to grasp them to prevent your manual from becoming stagnant in its operation.
(1) Create a table of contents so that you can quickly find the operation you want to know.
To create an easy-to-understand operation manual, the operations you want to know must be easily accessible from the table of contents.
If the reader cannot quickly find the relevant section of the manual when he or she is unsure of an operation, it will interrupt task of the reader. By creating a table of contents, the reader will be able to understand at a glance what is in the manual and where it is located.
Whenever you update your manual, make it a rule to add or revise the table of contents as well, so that it is always easy to use.
(2) Use diagrams and illustrations for visual clarity
Use diagrams, illustrations, and images in the operation manual to make it visually easy to understand.
If the manual consists only of text, it is difficult to visualize the specific work flow. On the other hand, diagrams, images, videos, and flowcharts are used, the work flow can be understood at a glance.
However, it should be noted that paper manuals require a lot of man-hours, such as the time and effort required to print the manual in order to put images on it. Therefore, solve the burden of creating and managing manuals by operating them with an IT tool like Stock, which is simple enough for those who are not familiar with IT.
(3) Separate operations by purpose
Manage operation manuals by dividing them by purpose.
Purpose-based management is a method of dividing categories according to the operator’s purpose. For example, if you want to delete photo data, you can select the “How to delete data” category to confirm the necessary operation procedures.
However, since it is difficult to manage on paper when there are many categories, consider using a computer or smartphone with a search function if you want to manage manuals together.
(4) Clearly separate operation procedures and results
Clearly separate operation procedures and results.
If procedures and results are not separated, it will be difficult to understand the “effect of the operation”. Also, “visibility,” which is important in operation manuals, will be greatly reduced.
In order to prevent confusion among employees, design your manual in such a way that the procedures and results can be clearly understood by separating paragraphs.
(5) Explain in 3 steps
In the operation manual, be aware of the 3 step explanation.
A manual with a lot of information is difficult to read and is a source of operational failure. An easy-to-understand manual consisting of 3 steps, “before, during, and after operation,” is essential for continuous operation.
If the operating instructions are concisely organized, it will be easier for employees to use the manual because the parts they need to read will be clear. Therefore, if you want to proceed with manual operation without fail, describe the explanation concisely in 3 steps.
(6) Do not cram too much information into single manual
If the operation manual contains a large amount of information, you should avoid combining and cramming the contents into a single manual.
If the operating procedures of a system are complex, forcing them into a single manual will make it more difficult to find the information you need. Since checking information every time is stressful, the operation manual may be a failure.
In order to prevent such a situation, it is necessary to use bullet points and divide the information into categories.
The best tool for creating and managing operation manuals
Here we introduce the best tool for creating and managing operation manuals.
Paper operation manuals require printing and are difficult to keep track of where they are stored. Word, Excel, and PowerPoint also require man-hours to open and share files, which results in a burden.
IT tool can be used to create manuals in a short time and save the time and effort required to manage them. In particular, with a cloud tool, edited content can be shared with members in real time, so there is no need to worry about miscommunication.
However, choose a simple tool, as a multifunctional tool may fail in operation due to lack of familiarity with it. In conclusion, the tool you should choose is Stock for managing operation manuals, which anyone can use easily.
Stock has a “Note” to stock all information as well as manuals. In addition, “Folder” make it easy to categorize manuals, preventing situations where you can not find the manual you need.
Stock｜The easiest tool to create and manage operation manuals
The simplest tool to stock information "Stock"
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With Stock, anyone can easily store all kinds of information, including text information such as requirements, images, and files, using the Note feature.
In addition, by using the "Task" and "Message" functions, you can communicate with each topic described in the Note, so that information is not dispersed here and there and work can always be carried out in an organized manner.
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Summary of how to create an operation manual
We have focused on how to create an easy-to-understand operation manual and the key points for its creation so far.
In order to create an easy-to-understand operation manual, it is necessary to consider the reader, as well as to devise the structure and design. In addition, to solve burden for both the creator and the reader, we need to get rid of paper manuals as soon as possible.
“Cloud tools” can be used to manage manuals without any hassle. However, if the tool has many functions, employees will not be able to use it and it will not spread throughout the company, so choose a simple tool that is easy to use.
For example, if you choose Stock, which is intuitive and easy to use, you will be able to start creating and managing operation manuals on the same day of implementation.
Free registration takes only 1 minute, you can start using Stock to solve the burden of creating and managing operation manuals.
