People talking in a machine shop Source: ProShop

Don’t Let It Walk Out the Door: Capturing Institutional Knowledge in Your Shop

July 17, 2025 |

Whether you're a job shop owner or a manufacturing leader, this session will give you the tools to protect your know-how and future-proof your operations.

The most valuable data in your shop might not live in your dashboards — it lives in your people.

Every day, your team is generating insights during setups, changeovers, inspections, machine hiccups and customer calls. But if you’re not capturing that institutional knowledge, you’re building a business that’s vulnerable to turnover, vacations and burnout.

In this live webinar, Paul Van Metre (co-founder, ProShop ERP) and Mike Payne (president, Hill Manufacturing & Fabrication) will share how Hill moved beyond memory and whiteboards to build a scalable knowledge system — one that documents setups, tracks performance and brings process visibility to the whole team.

Whether you're a job shop owner or a manufacturing leader, this session will give you the tools to protect your know-how and future-proof your operations.

Agenda: 

  • What institutional knowledge is and why it’s your biggest liability if left undocumented
  • Practical ways to start capturing operator feedback, setup notes and more
  • How ProShop ERP helps turn informal insights into formal processes
  • What happens when your shop stops surviving on experience and starts building for longevity
Presenter 1

Presenter 1:

Paul Van Metre

Co-founder, ProShop ERP

Paul is a cofounder of ProShop ERP, a web-based and paperless ERP/MES/QMS system specifically designed for the metalworking industry. They partner with shops who seek to push the edge of technology by going completely paperless, strengthening their ISO or AS9100 systems, combining all their shop software into one system, and building robust business processes to achieve high rates of growth, profitability and performance.

Presenter 2

Presenter 2:

Mike Payne

President and Owner, Hill Manufacturing & Fabrication

Mike Payne is a seasoned entrepreneur with over 20 years of experience starting, funding and growing companies across Oklahoma. After a successful career in software focused on manufacturers, he followed his passion and acquired Hill Manufacturing, a precision CNC and fabrication shop. As president, Mike leads with a mission to deliver quality parts. On time. Every time. He’s also a podcast host (MakingChips and Buy the Numbers), sharing practical insights from his journey to help others grow lasting, resilient businesses.

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