Precision Manufacturing Company
Tribal knowledge from 40-year veterans, now accessible to every technician
The Problem
Three senior technicians—combined 120 years of experience—were approaching retirement. When a CNC machine threw an error code, they knew instantly whether it was a 5-minute fix or a shift-ending problem.
Newer techs would stop production, call a senior, wait for them to walk over, and lose 30+ minutes per incident. That tribal knowledge was irreplaceable—and walking out the door.
The Tribal Knowledge Problem:
- •Manuals existed, but didn't cover the "tricks" that actually solved problems
- •Average 45-minute delay per equipment issue while waiting for senior help
- •New hires took 18+ months to troubleshoot independently
- •Three retirements scheduled in the next 24 months
The business risk: $15,000/hour in production downtime, multiplied by every incident where knowledge wasn't immediately available.
The Fix
We spent two weeks on the floor with the senior techs. Every troubleshooting session, every "listen for that sound," every "check this first"—documented and structured. Combined with equipment manuals, maintenance logs, and incident histories, we built a system that thinks like a 40-year veteran.
Knowledge Captured:
- •Equipment manuals and spec sheets (12 machine types)
- •5 years of maintenance logs and incident reports
- •Structured interviews with senior technicians
- •"Tribal knowledge" decision trees and shortcuts
- •Error code interpretations with real-world context
What We Built:
- 1
Troubleshooting Assistant
Describe the symptom, get step-by-step diagnosis
- 2
Error Code Decoder
Not just what the code means—what to actually do about it
- 3
Maintenance Oracle
Predictive insights based on symptom patterns
The Stack
Manufacturing-Grade Deployment:
100% on-premise. No cloud dependencies. Works offline. Rugged tablet interface designed for shop floor use. Voice input for hands-busy situations.
The Results
Concrete Impact:
- •Production downtime reduced by 67% on troubleshooting incidents
- •Junior techs now resolve issues that previously required senior intervention
- •Senior techs freed up for preventive maintenance and training
- •Retirement transitions now happen without knowledge loss
- •Night shift has same knowledge access as day shift
The Investment
Including hardware
Interviews to deployment
From downtime savings
"My guys were skeptical—'a computer can't know what I know.' Then they saw it suggest the exact fix they would have. Now they're adding their own tips to it daily."
— Plant Manager
What They Own Now
Full Ownership:
Growing the Knowledge Base:
Technicians now add knowledge themselves:
- •"I fixed this with a trick—here's how" button after each resolution
- •Photo uploads of wear patterns and solutions
- •Expanding to second plant location
What happens when your best people retire?
Capture their knowledge while you still can.
Book a Discovery Call