Companies are increasingly recognizing the importance of adopting new forms of knowledge management. This is due to a multitude of reasons, such as the scarcity of skilled workers, the short tenure of employees, and most notably, the changing demographics. With the baby boomer generation, which had a high birth rate, approaching retirement in the coming years, their extensive knowledge will soon be leaving with them.
Traditionally, baby boomers tended to remain with the same company for many years, often completing their training or internships there and then being hired as permanent employees. As a result, they had the opportunity to gain a deep understanding of the technical equipment used in the company over its lifecycle. Moreover, they often have a wealth of knowledge about the suppliers of spare parts and the companies that provide them, and may even have personal connections with these suppliers. Consequently, companies need to provide baby boomers, as bearers of knowledge, with a tool to transfer their know-how effectively.
In order to ensure the smooth transfer of internal knowledge to the next generation of employees, it is crucial to digitize this knowledge. There are two types of knowledge: formal knowledge, which comprises maintenance instructions, information from SAP, and invoices, and informal knowledge, which consists of tips and tricks that employees have gained over time about their assets.
Formal knowledge is currently stored and managed in document management systems. FRAMENCE’s photo-realistic digital twin technology can supplement this type of documentation by establishing a link between the real object and the document in the DMS. For instance, if there is already a maintenance manual for a ventilation system in the DMS, it can be attached to the ventilation system in the digital twin’s photorealistic environment. By simply clicking a mouse, an employee can access information about the ventilation system directly within the image.
The informal knowledge that employees acquire over the years is also of great importance. This knowledge is derived from experience and can be difficult to capture in traditional documents, such as the idiosyncrasies of equipment during maintenance or breakdowns. Typically, this knowledge is passed on internally among colleagues through verbal communication. Unfortunately, due to demographic changes and short tenures of employees in companies, this informal knowledge is often lost.
FRAMENCE’s intuitive photorealistic digital twin technology allows employees to effortlessly document their knowledge in the form of comments or even videos. This information can be placed in the digital twin directly at the plant, enabling every employee to access it in the future, even after a knowledge holder has left.
Photo-realistic digital twins are a valuable resource for tackling the challenges that lie ahead. As a knowledge management platform, they ensure that employees’ experience and knowledge remain within the company, even after they depart. This enables companies to position themselves more resiliently in the market.
Would you also like to retain the formal and informal knowledge of your employees within your company? Please don’t hesitate to contact us at 00496251 584 0 or send an email to info@framence.com, and we will provide you with an offer that is tailored to your specific requirements.
