How AI is Transforming Manufacturing Documentation (And How You Can Benefit)
Manufacturing Documentation Is Broken!
Continuous improvement drives manufacturing forward, increasing productivity and efficiency. By reducing waste and defects, manufacturers gain a competitive edge, but only if their documentation keeps pace with constant change. Too often, it doesn’t. Processes evolve on the fly, and no one has time to stop and document updates while making real-time adjustments.
Tribal knowledge is a vital asset, enabling experienced employees to perform tasks faster and more efficiently. When unexpected downtime strikes, and it always does, these experts are the first to restore operations quickly. But what happens when they’re unavailable? The team turns to documentation. In these critical moments, outdated or incomplete SOPs slow everything down. Worse, much of that tribal knowledge remains locked in employees’ minds, rather than being shared in a way that benefits the entire team.
Creating and maintaining documentation feels like a burden most employees avoid. They’re happy to explain a process to a co-worker because it’s quick and effortless. But ask them to sit down and write it out in a standardized format? Forget it. That’s exactly where we set out to make a difference.
Our app transforms documentation into a seamless, natural process, just as easy as explaining something to a colleague. Designed for the fast-paced, continuous improvement environment of modern manufacturing, it eliminates the hassle of writing SOPs while ensuring updates happen effortlessly, right at the point of work. No more breaking workflow to update documents at a computer, just quick, simple, and standardized documentation that evolves with your processes.
Our Story
It all started in 2024 with a simple phone call to the Social Security Administration. Like many, we struggled with confusing government forms and unclear instructions. After receiving an explanation over the phone, an associate remarked how helpful it would be if the information were turned into a clear, professional process document, something they could actually follow to get the job done.
That moment sparked an idea. What if we could take a simple explanation and instantly transform it into a professional document? With our background in manufacturing, we quickly realized this wasn’t just a government paperwork problem, it was a massive challenge for the industry. Manufacturing thrives on process efficiency, yet documentation often lags behind. Experts carry invaluable tribal knowledge, processes change constantly, and large workforces with high turnover need modern tools to keep up.
On the shop floor, workers don’t have time to step away, sit in an office, and manually document every change. Instead, knowledge is shared through conversations, quick explanations, and hands-on training. But what happens when that information isn't captured? It’s lost.
The consequences are enormous. The Department of Energy estimated that in 2023, U.S. manufacturers lost over $700 million due to unplanned downtime caused by missing or poor documentation, and that number only grew in 2024. Factor in wasted materials and quality issues from improper machine setup, and the total losses climb well past $1 billion annually.
This is the problem we set out to solve.
MODocs: A Technical Writer in Your Pocket
MODocs transforms process documentation by making it as easy as having a conversation. Now, instead of setting aside time to write a SOP, your team members can speak naturally, add images, and instantly generate consistent, professional documentation. With our proprietary AI technology, these recordings are converted into clear, structured steps, sub-steps, reasoning, and headers, turning spoken knowledge into polished, actionable documents.
The benefits don’t stop there. Updates are just as effortless. Instead of hunting down outdated SOPs, simply record changes as they happen, and MODocs automatically generates a new version. Documents are instantly available across the entire team, ensuring no process is left outdated.
We designed MODocs to eliminate the burden of documentation, making it effortless to capture tribal knowledge, keep SOPs up to date, and reduce the risks of missing or inaccurate information. With MODocs, better documentation isn’t a chore, it’s a seamless part of your workflow.
MODocs Has Officially Launched!
We’re thrilled to announce the launch of MODocs, the ultimate documentation solution for manufacturing teams. Our platform is now live on the web, with a native iPhone app designed for seamless, on-the-go documentation. Android users aren’t left behind, our web platform delivers full functionality on any device, with a native Android app coming soon.
Our goal is simple: every team member should have the power to create, manage, and access SOPs and auto-generated checklists effortlessly. Whether on the shop floor, in the office, or on the go, MODocs ensures that critical process knowledge is captured, maintained, and instantly available.
“Our goal is simple: every team member should have the power to create, manage, and access SOPs and auto-generated checklists effortlessly.”
Key Features of MODocs
🔹 Voice-to-Process Steps
Say it, and MODocs transforms it into structured documentation. Our platform captures conversational explanations, supporting industry-specific terminology, and converts them into clear, concise steps and sub-steps. It also records the why behind each step, highlights warnings or alerts, and adds essential background information to ensure processes are fully documented.
🔹 Text-to-Process Steps
Prefer typing? No problem. Users can quickly enter rough process notes on a computer or tablet, and MODocs applies our same patent-pending AI tools as with voice, to format and structure the information just like the voice input method. No more disjointed, inconsistent SOPs, everything stays standardized.
🔹 Effortless Version Control
Processes evolve, and so should your documentation. With MODocs, updating SOPs is as simple as re-recording a change. Users can edit specific sections with voice input and modify steps, sub-steps, and reasoning without overhauling an entire document. Keeping documentation up to date has never been easier.
🔹 Image Support for Visual Clarity
A picture is worth a thousand words, especially in manufacturing. MODocs allows users to attach images directly to steps, whether pulling from an image library or capturing a photo on the spot. No need to fuss with formatting, MODocs seamlessly integrates visuals into the final document for instant clarity.
🔹 Document & Checklist Export
Turn SOPs into action. With a single click, export documentation as a process control document or an interactive checklist for operators. Easily upload updated SOPs into your existing document control system or use MODocs’ built-in version control. Checklists help ensure teams follow every step correctly, marking off tasks as they go.
MODocs webapp documentation creation toolkit.
Use Case: Reducing Downtime with Instant SOP Updates
Imagine a mid-sized precision machining company that runs multiple CNC machines to produce high-tolerance components. Their production team relies on standard operating procedures (SOPs) to set up machines, run jobs, and perform maintenance. However, their biggest challenge is keeping these SOPs up to date, especially when processes change due to equipment upgrades, new materials, or efficiency improvements.
The Problem
One afternoon, a senior machinist discovers a better setup method that reduces scrap rate and improves efficiency. He quickly explains the adjustment to a few team members, but the SOP remains outdated. A week later, during a shift change, a newer operator follows the old instructions, leading to misaligned parts, wasted materials, and unexpected downtime.
How MODocs Solves It
With MODocs, the machinist records his explanation on the spot, describing the improved setup while working on the machine. The app instantly converts his input into a structured, standardized SOP update, adding images and relevant warnings. Once saved, the new version is immediately available to the entire team, ensuring that everyone follows the latest best practices.
The Impact
✅ No lost knowledge—process improvements are captured instantly.
✅ Reduced downtime—operators always have access to the latest procedures.
✅ Increased efficiency—team members follow the most optimized workflows.
✅ Better training—new employees ramp up faster with accurate, up-to-date SOPs.
This is just one way MODocs empowers manufacturing teams to document processes effortlessly, eliminate outdated SOPs, and prevent costly mistakes. With MODocs, your team’s expertise never gets lost, it gets shared.
A New Era of Manufacturing Documentation
MODocs eliminates the pain of documentation, making it a seamless part of your workflow. No more lost tribal knowledge. No more outdated SOPs. No more wasted time. Just clear, professional, standardized documentation, created in minutes, updated instantly, and available to the entire team when and where they need it.
We know that AI-driven tools can raise concerns, especially when it comes to critical manufacturing processes. MODocs isn’t here to replace human expertise, it’s built to amplify it. Your team’s knowledge remains at the core; our AI simply structures, formats, and organizes it into clear, accessible SOPs. The result? Faster documentation, fewer errors, and a team that can focus on execution rather than paperwork.
“Faster documentation, fewer errors, and a team that can focus on execution rather than paperwork.”
Even in our own operations, MODocs has already transformed how we document processes. What once took hours of manual work now happens effortlessly. As we roll it out with early customers, we’re seeing firsthand how it saves time, reduces errors, and ensures no critical knowledge slips through the cracks.
Start Documenting Smarter Today
Ready to eliminate documentation headaches? Get started with MODocs and see the difference. Sign up today and give your team the power of effortless, real-time documentation, because better processes start with better documentation.