AI for Knowledge Transfer and Documentation Access

In chemical manufacturing, losing access to critical process information or knowledge can be devastating. BASF, the largest chemical company in Europe, faced this exact issue. With the impending retirement of senior employees and the frequent job changes of younger generations, BASF needed to ensure the preservation and easy accessibility of vital plant knowledge for all who require it.

The Challenge: A Growing Knowledge Gap

The situation was dire. Experienced workers who had spent decades mastering the intricacies of plant operations were preparing to retire, taking with them crucial knowledge. Simultaneously, younger employees who could potentially take over were coming and going rapidly. The high turnover led to the need for critical information to be effectively transferred.

Even when documentation was available, it was often dense, difficult to navigate, and overwhelming for those needing quick answers. BASF needed a way to ensure that every employee, regardless of their experience level, could access the correct information at the right time.

The Solution: A GenAI-Powered Chatbot

The team at AG Solution proposed an innovative approach to tackle these challenges using a Generative Artificial Intelligence model based on Retrieved Augmented Generation (RAG).

The cornerstone of this solution was a chatbot, an intuitive AI assistant that operates on-premises within BASF's internal environment. This was not just any chatbot; it was designed to understand the specific needs of BASF's workforce, providing clear and precise answers directly extracted from the company's extensive documentation.

But the solution didn't stop there. Our experts ensured the system was automatically updated whenever any document was modified, keeping the information current. This meant that employees no longer had to sift through outdated manuals or guess if the procedures they found were still valid. Everything they needed was now just a question away, accessible anytime.

The Impact: An Empowered Workforce

The results spoke for themselves.

• The chatbot became a reliable guide that began to close a significant knowledge gap. It eliminated the feeling of being overwhelmed or lost among new workers, helping them find answers more quickly.
• Plant-wide efficiency improved. Employees could instantly get the needed information, reducing downtime and minimizing errors.
• Reliance on experienced mentors for every minor question decreased, freeing these experts to focus on more complex tasks.

Generative AI can extract, synthesize, and present information buried in large volumes of lengthy documents. This is why, although designed with BASF's specific needs in mind, the chatbot is an adaptable solution. The same approach could benefit many industries facing similar challenges.

Conclusion: Preparing Manufacturing for the Future

BASF's case is more than just a case study; it's a glimpse into the future of manufacturing. Any company can future-proof its operations by making crucial knowledge available to everyone, regardless of their experience level.