KIAMI's FASTtroubleshoot is an advanced knowledge-based support system for fast detection and repair of system malfunctions and failures. The system enables the rapid enhancement of the troubleshooting knowledge base, covering an extensive range of information required for problem-solving, such as known failures, symptoms, error messages, test procedures, possible root causes, and their repair procedures. The expert wizard helps to transform complex decision trees into a list of easy-to-follow expert guidelines.
FASTtroubleshoot KM support system
“If I had 60 minutes to solve a problem, I'd spend 55 minutes defining it, and 5 minutes solving it.” Albert Einstein
Organization knowledge can be categorized to:
Tactic: more personal, experiential, context-specific, and hard to formalize and is generally in the heads of individuals and teams.
Explicit: can easily be written down and codified, such as user manuals, drawings, functional design, configuration documents, and more.
FASTtroubleshoot encompasses both types to enable fast enhancement of the troubleshooting knowledge base, covering an extensive range of information that is required for problem-solving:
Visual presentation of all processes and sub-processes covered by all support teams
List of all known failures, their characteristics, symptoms, error messages, or any related documentation
List of all known failure reasons/ root-cause and their diagnostics and repair procedures
When a support user is called to handle system malfunction/ failure, FASTtroubleshoot provides all the necessary information to enable fast, high-quality resolution. He can drill down to the relevant malfunctioned process/ sub-process step and review the possible failure reasons, based on failure characteristics, symptoms, and error messages. He can run test procedures and expert wizard advice until the root cause of the failure is detected. FASTtroubleshoot helps to preserve and utilize this accumulated knowledge to provide effective best-practice repair treatment.
Why is it so important to support users?
It guides them to acquire the required information to gain a complete picture of the malfunction/ failure. Missing information can lead to costly detours by spending time searching in the wrong directions. Key information on the failure can narrow down the possible failure reasons and thereby reduce the time spent to detect the root cause.
Provides test and diagnostics procedures when existing. This can include step-by-step diagnostic guidelines, database or system queries, diagnostic process flow, test tools, or any other documentation that can help the user to quickly identify the root cause of the failure.
It displays a shortlist of possible failure reasons, which is sorted according to its occurrence to optimize the diagnostic steps.
Repair procedures become increasingly important when it is complicated or there is a risk for inadequate or incomplete repair. These procedures can be followed by related documentation, such as maintenance diagrams, repair sheets, system queries, work instructions, and more.
What are the expected benefits?
Support and maintenance impact:
Cuts-down repair time and unplanned downtimes
Improved systems and equipment availability and throughput
Improved manufacturing processes and products quality
Reduced returning failures, process delay, and material scrap
Knowledge Collaboration and Sharing impact:
Support users can learn and share best-practice treatment across the company
Reduced new workers' learning curve and improved support professionalism
Operation teams can handle a wider range of problems that have been handled in the past by maintenance, engineering, or IT
Breaks-down knowledge silos and encourage knowledge sharing cross-over teams and sites