Work instruction details
Everything on the Work Instruction Details page — the Info tab (overview, images, assets, BOM, version history) and the Step Flow tab (visual operator flow canvas).
Before you start
How to access
1 minute
Open any work instruction from the Work Instructions list, or click View Work Instructions after creating one. You can also reach a specific instruction from the Operations tab of a work order that has one linked.
The header stays the same across both tabs. The Active Tab badge in the top-right of the header tells you which tab you are on. The subtitle line below the title changes to reflect the active tab's content.
Section 01
Info tab — overview
1 minute
The Info tab is split into six collapsible sections stacked vertically. Each section has a header with an icon, a title and a subtitle. Work Instruction, Description, Images and Assets always show. BOM only shows if components were added during Step 2. Version History always shows.
Section 02
Overview panel — Work Instruction, Description, Images & Assets
3 minutes
Work Instruction
The top section shows the cover image alongside the key metadata fields for this work instruction.
Work Instruction
Assembly · v1.00
CNC Machining — Bracket A
| Field | What it shows |
|---|---|
| ID | The internal UUID of this work instruction. Click to copy. Useful when referencing the instruction via the API or in support requests. |
| Type | The category selected at creation — e.g. Assembly, R&D, Training. Read-only; change it via Edit Work Instructions. |
| Status | Active — the instruction is live and can be attached to work orders. Inactive — hidden from work order selection. Status is changed from the Edit form. |
| Version | The current version number (e.g. 1.00). Click the history link to view all past versions. Each version is a frozen read-only snapshot — see Version History below. |
| For Item | The product or assembly this work instruction is linked to (set in Step 1 of the creation wizard). Click to open that product's detail page. Shows nothing if no item was linked. |
| Cover image | The image marked as Primary in Step 3 (Images). Used as the thumbnail in lists. Click to view full size. |
Description
Free text entered during Step 1 of the creation wizard. Displays below the Work Instruction panel. Supports plain text — no formatting.
Images
All images uploaded during Step 3 are displayed as thumbnails in a horizontal row. The section header shows the total count (e.g. "2 images").
Images
2 images
- Click any thumbnail to open the full-size image in an overlay viewer.
- The image tagged Primary is the one marked as such in Step 3 — it appears as the cover thumbnail in the Work Instructions list.
- Accepted formats: JPEG, JPG, PNG, WEBP. Max 10 MB per image.
- To add, remove or change the Primary image, click Edit Work Instructions and navigate to Step 3.
Assets
Supporting files uploaded during Step 4 are listed here. The section header shows the total file count (e.g. "1 file"). Operators can download any asset while following the instruction on the shop floor.
Assets
1 file
XLSX
materials.xlsx
| Detail | |
|---|---|
| Accepted formats | PDF, DOCX, XLSX, PPTX, CSV, ZIP, MP4, MP3 and other document or media formats. Images are not shown here — they appear in the Images section above. |
| Max file size | 50 MB per file. |
| Download | Click a file name to download it. Operators following a work instruction on the shop floor can also download assets directly from the StepFlow view. |
| Edit assets | To add or remove files, click Edit Work Instructions and navigate to Step 4. |
Section 03
BOM — Bill of Materials
2 minutes
The BOM section lists the component parts associated with this work instruction — the materials operators will need during production. It only appears when at least one BOM item was added in Step 2 of the creation wizard.
BOM
Bill of Materials — component parts used in this work instruction
| Thumbnail | ID | Item Name | Status | Type | Qty | Unit |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | M8 Hex Bolt (Grade 8.8) | DISCONTINUED | Item | 32 | Each | |
| 32 | Steel Bracket — 50mm Offset | ACTIVE | Item | 1 | Each | |
| 456 | Zinc Washer M8 Flat | ACTIVE | Item | 1 | Each | |
| 061223 | Frame Sub-Assembly — Type A | ACTIVE | Assembly | 1 | Each |
| Column | What it shows |
|---|---|
| Thumbnail | A small image preview of the product, if one exists in the item catalogue. Shows a placeholder icon if no image is set. |
| ID | The product's internal number / SKU from your item catalogue. |
| Item Name | Product name. Click to open the product detail page. |
| Status | ACTIVE — the item is live and available in inventory. DISCONTINUED — the item has been retired. Discontinued items remain on the BOM for traceability but should be reviewed — they may no longer be purchasable or producible. |
| Type | Item — a single component. Assembly — a sub-assembly with its own BOM. Click to navigate to that assembly's detail page. |
| Qty | How many of this component are needed per production run — set in Step 2 of the wizard. |
| Unit | Unit of measure — editable inline via the dropdown on this page without opening the edit wizard. |
If a component shows DISCONTINUED, it means that product has been retired from your catalogue. The work instruction still references it for historical traceability. Review whether a replacement item should be added and the discontinued one removed via Edit Work Instructions → Step 2.
The BOM table has Print and Download Excel buttons in the top-right corner. Use these to hand a physical BOM pick list to warehouse staff, or export the BOM data for use in another system.
Section 04
Version History
2 minutes
Version History
Upgrading freezes the current version (v1.00) as a read-only historical record — nothing is lost
Version History tracks every major revision of this work instruction. When you're ready to make significant changes — new steps, a process update, a change in materials — create a new version instead of overwriting the current one.
| Action | What happens |
|---|---|
| + New Version | Creates the next version number (e.g. v2.00). The current version (v1.00) is frozen as a read-only snapshot — all its content (steps, BOM, images, assets) is preserved exactly as it was. Nothing is deleted. The new version starts as an editable copy of the previous one. |
| history link | Clicking the history link next to the version number in the Work Instruction panel opens the Version History view, showing all past versions with their creation dates. Click any past version to view it. |
| Read-only versions | Past versions can be viewed but not edited. This gives you a full audit trail — you can always see what operators were following at any point in time. |
Small corrections (typos, image swaps) — use Edit Work Instructions on the current version. Process changes, revised step sequences, changed materials — create a New Version to keep the old process on record for traceability and compliance.
Section 05
Step Flow tab
3 minutes
The Step Flow tab shows the visual operator flow for this work instruction — a node-based diagram where each box is a step and each line is a transition. This is the view of the flow as configured in the StepFlow editor.
Node types
| Node | Colour | What it represents |
|---|---|---|
| Start | Green text | The entry point of the flow. Every work instruction has exactly one Start node. Operators begin here when they click Start Work Instructions. |
| Step | Blue text | An individual task or action the operator must perform — e.g. "Torque bolt to 45Nm", "Scan barcode", "Photograph part". Operators see one step at a time and mark it complete before moving on. |
| End | Red text | The exit point. When operators reach End, the work instruction is marked complete. Every flow must have exactly one End node. |
Canvas controls
| Control | What it does |
|---|---|
| + / − | Zoom in and out on the canvas. Useful when a flow has many steps and you need to navigate between them. |
| ⤢ (Fit to screen) | Resets the zoom and panning position so the entire flow fits in the visible canvas area. Use this if you've navigated away from the flow and can't find it. |
| 🔒 (Lock) | Locks the canvas to prevent accidental panning or zoom changes — useful when showing the flow to someone on a touchscreen device. |
If the Step Flow canvas only shows Start and End nodes with no steps between them, this work instruction hasn't had its steps defined yet. Click Edit Stepflow in the footer bar to open the editor and build out the operator flow.
The Step Flow tab footer has two buttons: Edit Stepflow opens the StepFlow editor where you can add, edit and reorder steps. Start Work Instructions begins the operator execution flow — the same as clicking the green button on the Info tab.
Section 06
Action buttons
2 minutes
The action bar runs across the bottom of both tabs. It stays visible as you scroll.
| Button | What it does | Who can use it |
|---|---|---|
| ← Go Back | Navigates back to the Work Instructions list. Does not change anything. | All roles. |
| Report Issue | Opens the issue reporting form linked to this work instruction. The issue is logged and appears in the Issues module. | All roles. |
| Delete Work Instructions | Permanently deletes this work instruction and all its versions, steps, images and assets. Any work orders linked to it will lose the connection. This cannot be undone. | Admins and Managers only. |
| Edit Work Instructions | Opens the 5-step creation wizard pre-filled with the current data. You can update any field — General details, BOM, Images, Assets — then save. To update the step flow, use the Step Flow tab → Edit Stepflow instead. | Admins and Managers only. |
| Start Work Instructions | Begins the operator execution mode — the StepFlow player. Operators follow each step in sequence, mark them complete and record any required measurements or notes. See Start a work instruction for the full guide. | All roles. |