Configure Work Instructions in Quality Inspector

Work instructions give inspectors the supporting detail they need while recording a specific quality measurement. In Quality Inspector, instructions are configured at the template line level: one template field can have one or more instruction rows, and each instruction can include note text, a URL, and/or file attachments.

When to use work instructions

Use work instructions when a measurement needs information that is too detailed for the field description alone, such as:

• where to find a characteristic on an engineering drawing;
• how to orient, prepare, or handle the part before measuring;
• which customer specification, drawing, procedure, or picture should be referenced;
• special acceptance guidance that should be visible at the point of entry.

Because instructions are tied to the template code and field code, they follow that measurement wherever the template line is used to collect test results.

Configure work instructions

1. Open the Quality Inspector Template that contains the measurement.
2. In the template lines, select the field/metric that needs instructions.
3. Choose Instructions on the template line. This opens the Instructions list for the selected template code and field code.
4. Add one or more instruction rows:
   • Note: enter the instruction text. Use the assist edit on the note when you need a larger editor for long instructions.
   • Url: optionally add a link to an online procedure, drawing, image, or other specification. If a URL is present, it is opened first when the instruction is drilled into.
   • Attachments: optionally use the Attachments action to attach files to the underlying template line. Attachments are useful for drawings, photos, PDFs, or customer documents that inspectors should be able to open from the instruction.
5. Repeat for each measurement that requires its own instructions.

How instruction records are stored

Work instructions are stored by Template Code, Field Code, and Line No.. The line number allows multiple instructions for the same measurement. The note text is stored as both a short comment and a larger note value so longer work instructions can be entered and displayed.

Attachments are stored against the related template line. Quality Inspector finds the matching template line by template code and field code, then opens the standard Business Central document attachment page for that template line.

Where inspectors will see work instructions

Configured work instructions appear in the Instructions FactBox for the selected measurement. The FactBox follows the currently selected line, so inspectors can move through measurements and see the instructions that apply to each field.

Work instructions are visible in these areas:

• Quality Inspector Test: the Instructions FactBox appears while entering or reviewing a test.
• Quality Inspector NCR: the same instructions are visible when reviewing an NCR test line.
• Test Values analysis page: instructions are visible beside test values for the selected template/field.
• Quality Inspector Template: instructions can be shown on the template page and are configured from the template line Instructions action.

When a user drills into an instruction from the FactBox, Quality Inspector opens the first available supporting resource in this order:

1. the instruction URL, when one is provided;
2. the first attached document, when attachments exist and no URL is provided;
3. the read-only note text, when neither a URL nor an attachment is available.

Impact on the FAIR Form 3 report

Work instructions affect the First Article Inspection Report (FAIR Form 3). For each test line printed on FAIR Form 3, Quality Inspector uses the first instruction configured for that template/field as Section 6 – Reference Location.

This means:

• the first instruction for a measurement should be written as the reference location you want to appear on the FAIR Form 3 report;
• if you add multiple instruction rows, only the first instruction is used for FAIR Form 3 Section 6;
• the instruction URL and attachments help inspectors while collecting the measurement, but the FAIR Form 3 report prints the instruction note text as the reference location;
• measurement notes entered on the test line are separate from work instructions and are printed in Section 14 – Comments / Additional Details.

Recommended FAIR Form 3 wording

For measurements that may be included on FAIR Form 3, keep the first instruction concise and report-friendly. Examples:

• Drawing 12345, Sheet 2, Zone B4
• Customer Specification ABC-100, Section 5.2
• Inspection Plan IP-778, Characteristic 12

Put detailed how-to guidance, screenshots, and external procedures in later instruction rows, URLs, or attachments so inspectors still have the full work instruction without making Section 6 of the FAIR Form 3 report too long.

Also refer to: