Writing for Engineering Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)

Good writing practices are essential for engineering SOPs. They ensure clarity, reduction of errors and can save time. But what are good practices?

Good writing practices are essential for engineering SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures). They ensure clarity, reduce errors, and can save time. Clear procedures make processes easier to follow, improve accessibility for all team members, and support compliance with industry standards. Well-written SOPs also enhance professionalism, preserve organizational knowledge, and facilitate collaboration across teams. By prioritizing clear and concise writing, engineering departments can create SOPs that are efficient, reliable, and easy to use.

Clarity

Clarity is paramount. Long sentences can unintentionally become convoluted. The following is an actual statement found in a transcript from a doctor’s dictation.

“The baby was delivered, the cord clamped and cut and handed to the pediatrician, who breathed and cried immediately.”

The Bride of Anguished English by Richard Lederer, p65.

The problems with this quote are numerous. Unless the context is completely understood, the statement is a garbled mess.

Brevity

Keep sentences short. Especially avoid run-on sentences. Additionally, avoid wordiness.

Bad example, “I’m jumping off of the road.” The additional “of” is unnecessary.

Good example, “I’m jumping off the road.”

Do you speak American? by Robert MacNeil and William Cran quoting John Simon, p22

Directness

Instructions should be stated as imperatives. An imperative sentence gives the reader a direct instruction. These sentences begin with an action verb and are followed by the object being acted upon.

Additionally, write in the third-person or even “no-person” perspective.

Recommended, “Fill in all title block fields.”

Not recommended, “All title block fields will be filled in by you.” Really? All of them by me personally?

Not recommended, “Title block fields are filled in.” Wow, when did that happen?

Sometimes imperative sentences cannot be used, such as when there is a task for a particular role. In such cases, use gender-neutral pronouns. “They,” “their,” and “them” may be employed for both plural and singular forms.1 Avoid the jargon “he/she,” as this can convolute instructions and create other avoidable grammatical issues in subsequent text.

When not using imperative sentences, use the words “shall”, “may” and “should”.

  • Shall – establishes a requirement
  • Should – states a recommendation
  • May – states a suggestion or option

“Should” and “may” are often used interchangeably. For example, in the ASME standards, they mean the same thing.

More recently, the word “must” is sometimes used in place of “shall.” Using modern English, “shall” is well-understood to mean a requirement within a set of instructions. However, “shall” has other meanings that may confuse localization and translation into other languages. That said, “must” is somewhat awkward when used in a set of instructions. The use of either term will be a matter of preference within your organization.

The word “will” may also be used to state a requirement, but only when the responsibility and timeframe are established by context.

Recommended, “Each operator shall be capable of lifting 50lbs.”

Not recommended, “Each operator will be capable of lifting 50lbs.” That’s nice, but when will that be a requirement?

Paragraphs should be kept as short as possible. That means each instruction should be numbered individually within the SOP. If you have multiple instructions for one action, then use sub-numbering.

1. Wash hands before eating.

1.1 Apply soap to hands.

1.2 Rub hands under water for 20 seconds.

1.3 Wipe dry on clean towel.

Other grammar considerations for SOPs

Use present tense. Avoid mixed tenses, especially future and past.

Recommended, “Each part number shall represent only one item.”

Not recommended, “Each part number will be used by only one item.” When will that happen?

Despite what Microsoft Word may suggest in its grammar check, the use of the passive voice is acceptable and sometimes necessary. However, using imperative statements reduces the need for the passive voice.

Acceptable, “Grease may be applied to reduce friction.”

Alternative, “Application of grease is acceptable to reduce friction.”

Imperative, “Apply grease as necessary to reduce friction.”

Avoid jargon. In particular, avoid slashed terms and legal terms, such as “he/she,” “and/or,” and “per se.”

Avoid conversational terms and personal opinions. The following are examples of inappropriate terms that I found in technical documents: “heaven forbid,” “totally,” and “roundabout.”

Lists within instructions

When you need to list several items within one instruction, you may be faced with the dilemma of how to apply commas. If your list is short enough and each item within your list is distinct, you can simply list the items within a sentence and separate them with commas. While the serial comma is now preferred for such lists, the extra comma is traditionally considered unnecessary. That said, if you have a list so long or complex that the serial comma seems necessary for clarity, use bullet points instead.

For this, “Affected departments are Engineering, Quality Control, Research and Development and Manufacturing.”

Use this:

“The following departments are affected:

  • Engineering
  • Quality Control
  • Research and Development
  • Manufacturing”

Lists that are organized into bullet points are easier to read. They also remove many grammatical issues.

CAD specific considerations

The next article in this series will discuss CAD-specific considerations you may wish to address within your standard operating procedures. This includes the following:

  • Engineering Roles
  • CAD environment
  • Network environment
  • Software in use
  • Lifecycle
  • Modelling methodologies
  • …and more.

Other resources

As noted in the previous article in this series, this information is an update to my presentation at SOLIDWORKS World 2011. That presentation is not currently available. However, I do have the PowerPoints for a couple of other previous presentations. These are available in the Files area of this blog. Please check them out.

Establishing Engineering Standard Operating Procedures

What do you need to established engineering standard operating procedures (SOPs) within your Engineering organization?

If your organization follows ISO manufacturing standards (e.g., ISO 9000) or plans to, your Engineering department will need Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for key tasks. These aren’t about how to ‘Engineer’ but focus on managing documentation and design processes more effectively. SOPs ensure consistency, improve efficiency, and help your team meet compliance requirements without extra headaches. This article builds on my SOLIDWORKS World 2011 presentation and offers updated information to help your team navigate these needs.

The following are examples of procedures that will likely be necessary for your organization.

  • Drawing Standards SOP – preparing mechanical drawings per Engineering Standards (e.g., ISO 128, ASME Y14.5, BS 8888). This should include instructions on selecting templates, naming conventions, part numbering, filling out title blocks and even preferred drawing view layouts. Model-based Definition may require its own SOP too.
  • CAD Document Management SOP – processes for organizing, naming, storing, accessing and distributing CAD documents, including guidelines for 3D CAD models and cloud-based tools. This may include instructions on file and model formats, such as creating PDFs of drawings or distributing models as STEP to outside vendors.
  • Drawing Review and Approval SOP – steps for peer reviews, quality checks and approvals of drawings.
  • Revision Notation and Control SOP – marking and controlling revisions of drawings.
  • Template and Symbol Libraries SOP – maintenance and use of standardized templates, symbols, blocks and CAD customizations such as macros and data tables .
  • Design Review SOP – formal process for review of design and drawings
  • Engineering Change SOP – steps for initiating and documenting proposed changes to designs and drawings (Engineering Change Request; ECR), then their approval and implementation (Engineering Change Order; ECO), including notification and effectivity for full traceability (Engineering Change Notification; ECN).

For Engineering departments, these procedures should be tailored around their CAD application(s), PDM and PLM systems.

Structure of SOPs

Organizations that have well-documented processes should establish a template for their procedures. There are several elements that most standard operating procedures should include. Each SOP should be use a number-base layout that employs functionality of the chosen wordprocessor. This list of elements should be tailored for the Engineering department. The following is an example of the required (as applicable) elements with a brief explanation.

  1. Title and Document Information
    • Title – descriptive and specific to the task or process.
    • Document Number – unique identifier for tracking.
    • Version or Revision Number – indicates current version.
    • Effective Date – the date upon which the document becomes valid.
    • Approval Signatures – for validation and compliance.
  2. Purpose – the reason the procedure exists.
  3. Scope – extent to which the procedure applies (the processes and roles are controlled by this document).
  4. Responsibilities – define roles and responsibilities of personnel involved.
  5. Definitions – list and define specialized terms and abbreviations.
  6. Materials, Tools, and Equipment – list of required resources to complete the procedure. Include software applications that are utilized within the process described within this document.
  7. Procedure – actual procedural instructions, often in step-by-step format with clear statements with explanatory diagrams and images. Typically, this will be the bulk of the document.
  8. Troubleshooting – guidance for handling common issues or errors.
  9. References -links to related documents, manuals, or regulations.
  10. Revision History – a table that tracks changes over time with notes on updates.

Once the types of SOPs are established and a structure for the SOPs is agreed upon within your organization, the task of actually writing the procedures comes next. This could mean completely rewriting old procedures or writing new ones. Future articles in this series will address good writing practices for SOPs and specific considerations that cover CAD related needs and an organization’s processes.

Full ASME Revision List

Full ASME list of allowed letters for revisions and view labels

Author: Matthew Lorono

Website: fcsuper.com/swblog

ASME Revision list thumbnail
ASME Revision list

Per ASME Y14.35 standard, these are full lists of allowed letters to serve as revisions and view labels on drawings. There are two choices. The pre-2014 list contains all single and double digit revision letters. The current list (as of 2014) contains all single, double and triple digit revision letters. Omitted are the letters I, O, Q, S, X and Z. File format is Excel, from which the list may be readily copied.

ASME Revision List (pre-2014)

ASME Revision List (as of 2014)

A New Era for 3DEXPERIENCE World Top Ten?

In a surprising twist, 3DEXPERIENCE World 2024 Top Ten is loaded with ideas for the topic of MBD. What does that mean?

Several years ago, 3DEXPERIENCE World Top Ten Ideas moved from a custom system to 3DSWYM. That could be the end of one era and the start a new. But, this year, there’s something else going on.

The big surprise for Top Ten Ideas for 3DEXPERIENCE World 2024 is that over half are SOLIDWORKS MBD requests.

What is MBD?

MBD is the abbreviation for Model-based Definition. As a concept, MBD is the practice of providing product definition directly upon the 3D model within a 3D CAD environment. MBD includes the application and use of annotations and metadata that specify requirements for the product. MBD also includes methods for display of specifications, and their use for both human and machine consumption. Although engineering drawings may still be used in a limited manner, MBD does not require drawings, and may actually preclude their use.

MBD Loaded Top Ten

3DEXPERIENCE World 2024’s Top Ten List

Six of the Top Ten list are related to the SOLIDWORKS MBD product or at least MBD practices for functionality within the SOLIDWORKS. Additionally, one other item is drawings related.

Example of challenges in this list

MBD ordinate dimensioning is interesting because the international standards do not provide any standard method for such to appear in an MBD environment. I’ve personally contacted ASME about this gap, only to be told that ASME standards already address the concept. ASME standards do not address the concept, nor do they even hint at anything that could address it. In particular, ASME Y14.41 does not address the concept at all, but for all matters of product definition, it defers to ASME Y14.5. ASME Y14.5 specifies ordinate dimensioning only within this drawing environment, and doesn’t provide any clues on how to address such within an MBD environment.

So, when customers request tools such as MBD ordinating dimensions, the SOLIDWORKS R&D team has to fall back to the customers themselves to determine how to implement such functionality. Do customers expect all of the annotations within an ordinate dimension scheme to be on the same annotation plane regardless to the form of the product? Or, do customers expect annotations to always appear attached to the feature that they define? Do all customers want the same result?

Even with linear dimensions, things can be confusing from particular orientations.

Even though this dimension scheme is based from two common faces, in this orientation linear dimensions are not clear. Display issues compound with ordinate dimensions.

It seems that ordinate dimensions are not a top priority for some in the mechanical engineering field, especially since other dimension schemes are supported. But, this is an issue which is important to SOLIDWORKS customers.

So much MBD!

Support for MBD ordinate dimension scheme is an example of why these issues are not so easy to solve. A lot of investigation and forethought is necessary. Solutions are available. We just have to be diligent to provide the right solutions for SOLIDWORKS customers.

Even still, it’s incredibly surprising to see not just one MBD topic in the Top Ten list, but six! There was a time when this topic was a pariah. Interest in the topic is definitely expanding quickly, and suddenly too.

Solutions for MBD are not just available in SOLIDWORKS and its MBD addin. 3DEXPERIENCE platform as the Manufacturing Definition Creator which includes xDrawing.

xDrawing allows the user to simultaneously create product definition within the drawing or MBD environments by utilizing the concept of single-source-of-truth. Annotations and views created in the MBD environment can be added directly to the drawing environment. Annotations and views created in the drawing environment automatically update the MBD environment. Changes made to annotations in either environment automatically update in both.

R&D team at SOLIDWORKS definitely noticed all of the MBD related items in this year’s Top Ten list! It tells the team that they are on the right track in their efforts to create powerful products in support of MBD workflows; bolstering their drive to continue such support.

Things in Dallas to do before and after 3DEXPERIENCE World 2024

Dallas! Yup, 3DEXPERIENCE World 2024 is going to be in Dallas, TX. It’s a first, and not really a first. The first 3DEXPERIENCE World in Dallas, yes. But, upon the incarnation of SOLIDWORKS World, Dallas is well-travelled land, having been held here in 2016 and 2019.

Even though we’ve been here before, things change over time. Some would argue the world is a different place now. As such, this things-to-do list for Dallas is updated. Also, you might’ve noticed that the list returns to SolidWorks Legion, as least for this year. It’s been on the Corporate Blog for a number of years. However, the Corporate Blog has an abundance of user-centric content planned for World this year. I hope you look forward to their posts as much as I!

As always, none of these places or sites are endorsed. This is just a list of interesting things to see and do while visiting Dallas.

Attractions

Dallas Museum of Art
Dallas Zoo
Frontiers of Flight Museum
Children’s Aquarium at Fair Park
Dallas Arboretum & Botanical Gardens
Dallas World Aquarium
Reunion Tower
Texas Discovery Gard
African American Museum
Geometric MADI Museum
Meadows Museum

Enjoying the town

Greenville Avenue – Lots of shops, restaurants and late evening fun.
Galleria Dallas – upscale shopping mall
West Village – uptown shopping district
Downtown Dallas – downtown entertainment district with several parks and shops, restaurants and arts.
Deep Ellum – “Texas’ destination for arts, music, culture and innovation since 1873”

Enjoying the region

Cedar Hill State Park – trails, camping and other outdoor activities
White Rock Lake – reservoir with a great drive and outdoor activities
River Road – scenic drive along the Guadalupe River
Texas BBQ Roadtrip – Dallas, Fort Worth, Waco and more

Interesting facts about Dallas

Dallas is currently the ninth largest city in the US with a population of nearly 1.3M.1
The frozen margarita machine originated in Dallas.2
The ATM machine was patented in Dallas by Don Wetzel after experiencing frustration with long teller lines at his bank.3

See you in Dallas, TX at 3DEXPERIENCE World 2024!

Fences Modernizes Windows 11 back to 1992

Stardock is an interesting company that makes useful utilities like Fences 4.0, and games like Galactic Civilizations. Weird but true

There’s a software publisher like no other called Stardock. With a name like that, one might expect this company to release space-based games. Strangely, they actually do have several such titles, like Star Control, Galactic Civilization, Sins of a Solar Empire and Offworld Trading Company (to name a few). They also publish other games, like Demigod and Fallen Enchanters. Weirdly, that’s only half of their story.

In addition to their games, Stardock is also known for their small to medium scope Windows utility applications. They have utilities that extend icon packs, keyboard macros, window drop-shadows, PDF editor, start menu alternative, etc. For the size of this small company ($16M yearly revenue), that is a lot of ground to cover. Funny enough, I’ve actually purchased both utilities and games from Stardock without realizing they are from the same company. One utility that I use extensively is Fences.

Organizing your Windows desktop

Thirty years ago (even before Stardock was founded), Windows was a very different critter. You would actually use windows within Windows to group your applications and list your documents for easy access and launching. In other words, you could actually organize your computer’s desktop without hunting through a Start Menu.

Fences (current version is Fences 4.0) brings back the functionality of windows in Windows. However, instead of calling this visual organization by the name of “windows”, Fences calls them “fences”. Fences functions in modern Windows as though the old-school organization capability was never removed.

Not only can you group related applications, links and documents together, you can also create an expanded desktop with “desktop pages”, create collapsible fences, include “folder portals” and set automatic placement for new icons with “type-based rules”.

Fences allows you to organize your Windows desktop

I “borrowed” these images (above and below) from Stardock’s website because they do a great job at demonstrating the tool’s function.

I personally use Fences on my own computer to organize music, music applications, utilities, games, social media, photo editing, video editing, etc. This allows me to quickly find specific applications, links and documents by topic. Fences has definitely improved my experience with Windows.

Strange, yet true

This is not a paid-for article. This article contains no affiliate links. Google might insert an ad within the article, but I don’t control the placement or content of such ads. I created this article because I feel Fences is a good product and Stardock is a strange, yet interesting company to discuss.

Stardock is even more interesting than what I’ve discussed above. Check out the story of how Stardock settled a lawsuit with honey and mead. That’s not a joke or hyperbole. Stardock literally-literally did settle a lawsuit in 2019 with the exchange of honey and mead being listed in the terms of the settlement.