Tips to Overcome the Confusion and Trials of “Institutional Knowledge”

Institutional Knowledge is any unwritten information that is not commonly known by others within a company.

This term refers to the information others need to know to produce a quality product or service.

Institutional knowledge is often associated with Six Sigma training, a set of techniques and tools for process improvement, improving manufacturing quality by identifying and removing the causes of defects and minimizing variability.

The manufacturing industry has seen a lot of changes in the workforce over the past several years. This includes turnover, position eliminations, and new workers.

Additionally, the “basics” of manufacturing that were once common knowledge amongst experienced managers have been lost to time.

Here are a few back to the basics tips to overcome the loss or misconceptions of Institutional Knowledge. You will restore uniformity to your production and manufacturing to better service your clients and increase your profits.

Basic Measurements

Start taking basic measurements of your system. Most troubleshooting begins with a simple but important question: “Is it plugged in?”  Many undetected changes in temperature. pH, pressure, flow rates, and time could be solved by metaphorically plugging it in.

You may not know the complex chemical reactions happening in your solutions, but you know how to read a thermometer, pH paper/probe, clock, psi gauge, amp meter, voltmeter, and flow rate meter. Begin recording the parameters that apply to your system daily.

A heater being inactive or damaged, a pump being left off or damaged, a burned-out rectifier, etc. can quickly be detected with simple daily measurements, preventing thousands of dollars in rework.

You should also be walking and watching your system daily. Note simple observations such as solution color changes, steam, leaks, oil slicks, blocked nozzles, etc. Observational data is a cheap and simple tool to prevent profit loss and learn about your manufacturing.

Chemical Measurements

Next, begin to chemically measure your solutions on a regular basis. There are many manufacturing facilities that do not measure all or any of their solutions and control limits.

For example, they may measure the time, temperature, and concentration, but not the pH of their acid zinc plating bath. These workers often repeat the decades old phrase “plating is an art form.” While this is true, it is important to limit the number of artistic liberties in your line operator’s common practices to better the chances of success every day.

Most suppliers’ technical data sheets (TDBs) contain basic instructions on how to measure and control their solutions.

Conclusion

The typical recommendations on many data sheets are generic controls, especially when referring to cleaning data sheets. While not set in stone, it is a good place to start with the high chance of success in your manufacturing along with involving your chemical provider in the process.