Capturing 30 years of experience in 4 interviews

THE ELICIT METHOD

Using the method allows us to follow a predictable knowledge assurance process with a predictable end result: it turns out that on average 110 questions are needed to capture the essence of 20 to 30 years of experiential knowledge. That “essence” consists on average of 20 parameters and 72 instructions, with which a (new) operator can perform 3 important tasks to do his/her job well.

THE CHALLENGE

A typical challenge of our time is that production plants are increasing in complexity and are becoming increasingly automated. The distance between operator and process is increasing and is less and less transparent. The experts with 20 to 30 years of experience still know how the process really works, but it is precisely this group that is on the decline. New, good operators are difficult to find to begin with and then they have to be trained quickly. Then they are increasingly deployed flexibly: there is no time to fully understand a process, while they have to make daily decisions that directly affect the operating result. You don’t want button pushers but operators who also understand what they are doing.
And then this question naturally comes up: how do you transfer 30 years of experience knowledge?
so that employees quickly learn the essentials and make the right decisions?