Obtaining & Interpreting Necessary Instructions, Specifications & Procedures

It’s important that you get hold of a set of instructions on how to carry out an activity, because it’s more than likely someone has done it before, and thus specified how to do it. If the instructions are not to your understanding, seek assistance.

These instructions should be specific and must explain how your work area should be laid out in readiness for the receipt of materials, moreover these instructions should be tried and trusted in creating a safe and productive work environment. 

Your workspace should be ready and prepared to receive materials, thus clearing the non-essentials items and sorting out the essential ones into logical easy to find places, with easy access is key.

When receiving materials, it’s useful to think about whether or not the materials arrive in a predetermined time or is it just random, moreover, do you need to break off a production task to receive them, and lastly, do they arrive in a form ready for production time or do they require sorting.

These questions are useful to be asked before materials are received as it gears you to carry out the processes in the most efficient, effective, and safest way.

During the receival of materials, time wastage is the biggest form of waste. Time wasted when waiting for deliveries, or if materials were placed in the wrong location and have to be moved again. This can have an effect on production, and ultimately, time is money, so this is costly. To avoid this, have a standard operating procedure; this will ensure that processes are efficient no matter who performs them.

At your workplace there should be checks to carry out these procedures such as correct materials by specification, quantity, and quality. If there is a need you may have to create new ones, moreover, if there are any discrepancies, you must report it to the appropriate person.

Learning Objectives:
 •    Identify why it’s important to have instructions
 •    Distinguish why it’s important to have a standard operating procedure
 •    Examine how a hinderance in the receipt of materials has an effect on the business