The procedure introduction is important, if for no other reason than it is the reader’s first contact with the subject matter. The purpose of the procedure is to set boundaries around the procedure content. If I indicate in the first sentence of a procedure, “this procedure describes the XYZ Machine,” then what I am trying to convey is that “everything an operator will need to know for success with the equipment is described here.”

The introduction often will include an initial comment about safety (this will vary with the organization’s commitment to safety). Typically, an introduction is no more than half a page.

I know what some of you are thinking about procedure structure…and I will make it the focus of my next post.