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.