A system and method that makes use of a software module for implementing a
work instruction authoring tool having a user selectable output format.
In one embodiment the software module is in communication with a single
source library containing a plurality of different types of process data
for enabling a plurality of different types of work instruction authoring
tools to be executed. The software module provides a user selectable
output field. This enables the user to select output information from the
work authoring tool to be presented in a text window, as an annotation,
or as an audio output. Enabling the user to select the output format of
information being used to perform a work instruction significantly
enhances the flexibility and ease of manipulating and working with
various types of data and information while creating or modifying a work
instruction.