# Manufacturing: QM documentation against staff turnover https://www.explicio.com/en/cases/manufacturing-compliance-qm/ Last updated: 2026-11-02 > When implicit knowledge about specific settings for older machines is no longer just in someone's head but in the system, it becomes accessible to the entire team. The assistant links this information with existing QM documents and provides the exact source when questions arise. WZ C CASE STUDY · MANUFACTURING # Is knowledge of the special parameters for the old machine leaving with retirement? Compliance, legal & quality management A long-serving machinist is nearing retirement. He knows the tolerances of the old milling machine, which need to be adjusted at certain temperatures, but has never written this experience down in a manual. On his last day, this knowledge remains in the room because it hasn't been systematically documented. His successor now has to guess or call the supplier, delaying production. When implicit knowledge about specific settings for older machines is no longer just in someone's head but in the system, it becomes accessible to the entire team. The assistant links this information with existing QM documents and provides the exact source when questions arise. [Request trial access](https://explicio.cloud/registrieren?weg=test) [What would it cost us?](https://www.explicio.com/en/pricing/#rechner) - MACHINE KNOWLEDGE - QM MANUAL - STAFF TURNOVER - DOCUMENTATION WHAT THE LOSS COSTS The loss of this knowledge leads to downtime when the machine is set incorrectly and to duplicate work, as new staff must painstakingly determine the parameters. Furthermore, liability risk increases if quality standards cannot be demonstrated as being met. HOW EXPLICIO SOLVES THE PROBLEM AS THE FIRST LAYER ## Capture. Connect. Find. - CAPTURE 01 People Knowledge is captured directly at the workplace without the employee needing to type anything extra. A voice message, a photo of the control panel, or a short video of the adjustment is sufficient, as the channel the team already uses is leveraged for capture. The assistant asks clarifying questions if a connection is unclear, ensuring completeness. - CONNECT 02 Connectors & measurement data Existing QM manuals and inspection reports are not retyped but used as references. Email inboxes with historical instructions or old PDF files can be integrated to complete the context. This creates linked knowledge based on both current and historical data. - GRAPH & OUTPUT 03 Colleagues & systems When a colleague asks a question about the machine later, they receive an answer based on the captured voice messages and documents. The answer cites the exact source, such as a page in the manual or a timestamp in a voice recording, and is formulated in the language of the question. Contradictions in the data are highlighted, not smoothed over. SAMPLE DIALOGUE WITH THE EXPLICIO ASSISTANT ## What it sounds like day to day. A typical question from this situation, the assistant's follow-up and the answer with its reference — an example, not a transcript. TEAM MEMBER How should I set the temperature on the old milling machine if the ambient temperature is above 25 degrees? FOLLOW-UP · PAIR4 ON THE CPU Do you mean the milling machine in Hall 2 or the one in final assembly? The parameters differ. TEAM MEMBER The one in Hall 2. EXPLICIO ASSISTANT For the milling machine in Hall 2, the temperature must be increased by 2 degrees to compensate for material expansion. This was documented by Mr. Müller in a voice recording when he explained the summer adjustment. Reference: Voice message, Role: Machinist, Timestamp 04:12, linked to QM Protocol S-102, Page 3 Self-check — loads when visible. ASKED ## What businesses in this industry ask. How do I maintain the QM manual when machine parameters change constantly? + − The QM manual is not maintained manually but updated through the continuous capture of knowledge within the work process. New settings are added as voice messages or photos, and the assistant links these with existing documents, ensuring the documentation remains current. What is particularly important about knowledge management in quality management? + − In quality management knowledge management, it is crucial to make implicit experiential knowledge explicit before it is lost. This is achieved by easily capturing knowledge via channels used in daily operations and linking it with existing QM documents to ensure complete traceability. How do I find the right documents for quality management in our company? + − You find the right quality management documents by addressing the assistant with your question in the chat. It searches the linked QM documents, emails, and voice recordings, providing you with the answer and the exact source, so you don't have to search yourself. What role does documentation play in quality management during audits? + − Documentation plays a central role in quality management during audits as it ensures the traceability of processes. By capturing knowledge with precise source citations and linking it with existing documents, you can demonstrate compliance with audits quickly and comprehensively. WHAT EXPLICIO DOES NOT DO HERE ## Limits that apply — even when nobody asks. - ✕ Explicio grants no approval and signs no record. - ✕ Explicio does not decide which requirement applies — it names both sources. - ✕ Explicio replaces neither an audit nor legal advice. [What Explicio does not evaluate — for works councils and data protection →](https://www.explicio.com/en/works-council/) MORE IN THIS CONTEXT ## The same question from two directions. MORE FROM MANUFACTURING - [Is knowledge of the old machine's settings lost when staff retire?](https://www.explicio.com/en/cases/manufacturing-production-maintenance/) - [Is the know-how of setup technicians lost during shift changes?](https://www.explicio.com/en/cases/manufacturing-onboarding-cover/) - [Is your business losing operational knowledge during succession?](https://www.explicio.com/en/cases/manufacturing-succession-ma/) [To the industry page →](https://www.explicio.com/en/solutions/manufacturing/) SAME SITUATION: COMPLIANCE, LEGAL & QUALITY MANAGEMENT - [Conflicting regulations: Who knows the current version?](https://www.explicio.com/en/cases/health-and-social-care-compliance-qm/) - [Losing track of current standards and liability risks in dynamic projects?](https://www.explicio.com/en/cases/professional-and-technical-services-compliance-qm/) - [When site management is absent, knowledge of verbal agreements and client decisions is lost](https://www.explicio.com/en/cases/construction-compliance-qm/) [Everything on this area →](https://www.explicio.com/en/areas/compliance-qm/) TRY IT DIRECTLY · DEMO WITHOUT A CALL ## Does this exact knowledge island exist in your business too? Test this scenario now for 30 days free of charge – one voice message is enough. [Request a quote](https://explicio.cloud/registrieren?weg=angebot) [What would it cost us?](https://www.explicio.com/en/pricing/#rechner) - **Term**: 30 days from your first knowledge - **Cost**: 0 € - **Licence**: none — we bill the knowledge, not the seat