"Our most experienced craftsman is retiring soon, and there are so many 'knacks' only he knows. How can we preserve this knowledge?"
In small manufacturing (machikoba), I often hear this struggle regarding knowledge transfer. Trying to document the tacit knowledge inside a veteran's head while keeping up with daily operations is incredibly difficult. When successors ask questions, they are often told to "just watch and learn" or that "it's just a feeling."
AI can help carry the heavy lifting of articulating and structuring this undocumented knowledge.
Record an Interview, Let AI Structure the Steps
The process I use is very simple. First, I use a smartphone's recording feature to interview the veteran while they work. By asking questions like, "Why do you hold it at this angle?" or "What does that change in sound mean?", you can draw out their specific "knacks" through conversation.
Then, I have the audio transcribed and hand that text to an AI (like Claude or ChatGPT).
"Please read this interview transcript and draft a clear, step-by-step training manual for newcomers. Make sure to highlight the specific 'knacks' and 'caution points' mentioned by the veteran."
With just that, the AI can organize the fragments of conversation and provide a structured draft. It will categorize the raw dialogue into clear sections like "Preparation," "Basic Movements," and "Troubleshooting."
By using an AI that costs about ~$20 a month (varies by tax/plan as of June 2026), it can feel like having a skilled editor draft a technical manual for you.
My Personal Rule: AI Drafts, Human Verifies
While AI is a powerful tool for structuring text, there is a personal rule I always follow.
"AI drafts, Human verifies."
Along with this, I follow another strict rule: "Never input personal information or highly confidential proprietary techniques into the AI." I make sure to anonymize or abstract the data, check the AI's data-use settings, and confirm my own company's privacy policy before using it.
I never just blindly use the generated manual. I always review it together with the veteran and the successor to make adjustments: "This phrasing should be tweaked," or "We missed a step here." AI does not replace your staff. It is simply a support tool to reduce the stress of documenting difficult-to-explain skills so you can focus on the actual human-to-human transfer of knowledge.
Let AI handle the tedious mechanics of organizing text. Use your saved time and energy to actually look at the next generation and pass on the skills. I believe this is the smartest way for a manufacturing business to use AI.
Start Small: Get the Free Checklist
Note: This is a personal account, shared for free — not professional advice. Results vary and nothing here is guaranteed. Please verify and decide for your own situation. I have no affiliation with any tool mentioned. Privacy Caution: Do not input personal or confidential information into an AI without checking your company's policy or anonymizing it first.
If it's useful, I've published a free 12-step checklist based on my experience on how to start safely. It covers the safety rules I use, tasks to try first, and how to set up an account.
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I'll keep sharing concrete examples of "Right-sized AI" for SMEs based on my own experience. Follow along if you want practical, hype-free information.