The energy and manufacturing industries are undergoing a change in thinking in the way knowledge and expertise are captured and transferred from one generation of workers to the next. While current trends involve using digital twins and AI to create virtual replicas and predictive maintenance alerts, these methods focus on specific problems, rather than the broader knowledge and experience people have. A focus on building a comprehensive knowledge capture strategy that places greater emphasis on recording and sharing critical knowledge and expertise needs to be prioritised. 

To achieve this, companies must create knowledge capture platforms that enable experienced workers to record and share their knowledge and best practices. At Silverhorse Technologies we help our customers by enabling this using our software on mobile devices or tablets, making it easy for workers to record and share their experiences in the field. By capturing critical knowledge and expertise in a centralized platform, companies can ensure that this knowledge is not lost when experienced workers retire. This ensures that the knowledge gap is closed, and organisations have access to a comprehensive knowledge base that can continue to evolve. 

While digital twins and predictive maintenance alerts are still essential for efficiency, focusing on knowledge capture marks a disruptive shift in the way companies approach the transfer of knowledge and expertise and ensuring digital twins deliver even greater value. By placing a greater emphasis on knowledge capture, companies can ensure that the knowledge and expertise of experienced workers is not lost when they retire. This approach empowers the next generation of workers with the knowledge and expertise needed to drive innovation and growth in the Industry 4.0 era. 

Overall, industries must recognize the value in comprehensive knowledge capture and embrace this innovative approach to ensure their competitiveness and longevity in the evolving landscape of Industry 4.0. The time to start building a comprehensive knowledge capture strategy is now.