# Machine Documentation for Manufacturing: Securing Knowledge https://www.explicio.com/en/cases/manufacturing-production-maintenance/ Last updated: 2026-11-02 > If implicit knowledge about special parameters and specific settings of older machines is no longer held solely in the heads of experienced staff, but is captured via the channels the team already uses, it remains within the business. The assistant clarifies ambiguities immediately and links new information with existing documents, ensuring every answer is cited with its source. WZ C CASE STUDY · MANUFACTURING # Is knowledge of the old machine's settings lost when staff retire? Production & maintenance A long-serving shift supervisor is retiring. For years, they have kept the fine-tuning settings for the old press or the specific temperature control of the drying process in their head to avoid waste. On their last day, there is no written handover for these special cases. The following morning, a new employee stands before the machine; the parameters are incorrect, and finding the right setting takes time. If implicit knowledge about special parameters and specific settings of older machines is no longer held solely in the heads of experienced staff, but is captured via the channels the team already uses, it remains within the business. The assistant clarifies ambiguities immediately and links new information with existing documents, ensuring every answer is cited with its source. [Request trial access](https://explicio.cloud/registrieren?weg=test) [What would it cost us?](https://www.explicio.com/en/pricing/#rechner) - MACHINE DOCUMENTATION - MAINTENANCE - SERVICING DOCUMENTATION - IT DOCUMENTATION WHAT THE LOSS COSTS The loss of this experiential knowledge leads to longer induction periods, increased waste in maintenance, and unnecessary downtime because specific settings are not immediately accessible. Double work arises because every new employee must re-determine the parameters instead of relying on secured knowledge. HOW EXPLICIO SOLVES THE PROBLEM AS THE FIRST LAYER ## Capture. Connect. Find. - CAPTURE 01 People Knowledge is captured via the channel the team already uses, whether as a voice message, a photo of the dials, or a video of the setting. The assistant asks clarifying questions if a connection is unclear or if the knowledge is only in someone's head, ensuring the information is complete without requiring typing. - CONNECT 02 Connectors & measurement data Existing documents, maintenance logs, and measurement series are integrated as PDFs, text, or images. Email inboxes containing historical instructions can be imported as .eml or .mbox files. This links new knowledge with historical data without requiring data to be re-typed. - GRAPH & OUTPUT 03 Colleagues & systems Colleagues access the linked knowledge via the chat channel. They receive an answer in their own language, specifying the exact source, such as a page from a log or a timestamp from a voice message. Contradictions in the data are highlighted, not smoothed over, ensuring the source of the information remains transparent. 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 What temperature should I set on the old press for the new material to prevent tearing? FOLLOW-UP · PAIR4 ON THE CPU Do you mean the press S-04 in Line 2 or the one in Hall B? TEAM MEMBER The one in Line 2. EXPLICIO ASSISTANT For press S-04 in Line 2, a pre-heating of 45 degrees is required for this material, followed by a pressure reduction to 3 bar. This setting was documented by Shift Supervisor Müller in the last quarter as a special parameter for this material to prevent cracking. Reference: Voice message, Role: Shift Supervisor, Timestamp 14:32, Track E completed 22/07/2026 Self-check — loads when visible. ASKED ## What businesses in this industry ask. How can I best document machine maintenance to ensure knowledge is not lost? + − Maintenance documentation works best when you capture knowledge via the channels you already use in daily operations, such as photos or voice messages. The assistant links these inputs with existing logs and asks clarifying questions if connections are unclear, ensuring no new processes are forced. What should be considered in maintenance documentation for old machines without manuals? + − When documenting maintenance for old machines, it is crucial to secure the implicit knowledge of experienced staff before it is lost through retirement. By recording settings and parameters via available channels, this knowledge becomes accessible to the entire team and is provided with source citations. How can I make IT documentation for my production facilities more efficient? + − IT documentation becomes more efficient when you import existing emails, reports, and images directly, rather than re-typing them. The assistant understands these formats and links them with new inputs, allowing you to build a central, source-linked knowledge base that answers in the language of the query. Where must machine documentation be stored to be compliant with data protection regulations? + − Processing locations are selectable, either in the EU cloud on hardware operated by Explicio in Germany or in the Explicio Box on your own premises. On the Box, the knowledge base stays on the premises, enabling local storage that meets data protection requirements, while operational data is transmitted only in anonymised form. WHAT EXPLICIO DOES NOT DO HERE ## Limits that apply — even when nobody asks. - ✕ Explicio does not release work on the machine — that stays with the qualified person. - ✕ Explicio does not control any machine and writes to no controller. - ✕ Explicio does not assess who caused a fault. [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 special parameters for the old machine leaving with retirement?](https://www.explicio.com/en/cases/manufacturing-compliance-qm/) - [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: PRODUCTION & MAINTENANCE - [Is knowledge of the special parameters of your older machines being lost as your experts retire?](https://www.explicio.com/en/cases/trade-and-vehicle-repair-production-maintenance/) - [When the setup expert goes on holiday: Who knows the undocumented parameters?](https://www.explicio.com/en/cases/energy-supply-production-maintenance/) - [Who knows the machine’s special parameters when the setup engineer is absent?](https://www.explicio.com/en/cases/health-and-social-care-production-maintenance/) [Everything on this area →](https://www.explicio.com/en/areas/production-maintenance/) 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