There’s a file on every machine in a plant: what it cost, what it’s worth, when it needs replacing.
There’s no file on the person who keeps those machines running.The workarounds, the warning signs he catches early, the fixes that were never written down anywhere. When he leaves, it all leaves with him.
Writing it into a manual doesn’t work. This knowledge moves one way: he spends time with the next person and teaches them. Most experts never get that time, because their day is still full of routine work like hauling material.
Take the routine work off his schedule. Training his replacement is worth more than his trips.
