Knowledge preservation on the shopfloor refers to the systematic capturing, storing, and transferring of critical operational know-how, skills, and best practices used by workers in a production or manufacturing environment.
It ensures that the practical, often experience-based (“tacit”) knowledge of operators, technicians, and supervisors is not lost when employees retire, leave, or change roles.
Capturing the knowledge that exists in people’s minds is no easy task. Much of it comes from years of experience, and some of that expertise is difficult to articulate or document, it’s often a skill that’s hard to transfer on paper. Other challenges include:
| Aspect | ❌ Before documenting tacit knowledge | ✅ After documenting tacit knowledge (with Ansomat Management System) |
| Knowledge availability | Knowledge resides in the minds of experienced workers and is often inaccessible to others. | Knowledge is captured, digitized, and accessible to all relevant employees anytime. |
| Training & onboarding | New hires rely heavily on shadowing experienced staff, leading to slow, inconsistent training. | Digital work instructions enable faster, standardized onboarding with clear visual guidance. |
| Process consistency | Variations in task execution between shifts, teams, or sites. | Uniform procedures across all workstations and teams ensure consistent quality. |
| Knowledge retention | Risk of losing critical expertise when experienced workers retire or leave. | Knowledge is preserved in a centralized system for long-term continuity. |
| Collaboration | Limited collaboration; updates often rely on informal communication. | Multiple users can contribute improvements and feedback in real time. |
| Change Management | Manual updates to paper documents; time-consuming and error-prone. | Remote, real-time updates can be instantly pushed to all relevant stations. |
| Accountability & control | No clear ownership of content; multiple versions of instructions may exist. | Controlled approval workflows ensure a single source of truth and version control. |
| Continuous improvement | Feedback is rarely captured systematically. | Continuous improvement loop established through operator input and digital feedback. |
| Operational efficiency | Downtime and rework due to unclear or outdated instructions. | Increased efficiency through accurate, current, and easily accessible guidance. |
The Ansomat Management System is the go-to solution for capturing, managing, and preserving tacit knowledge across the shop floor. It provides a complete overview of all workstations, product models, and instruction sets, all easily updated and deployed remotely to any station at any time.
Step into the future of smart guided manufacturing!
