Mogema: Process Knowledge Secured with an Interim Consultant

For years, Mogema had accumulated process knowledge that was not documented anywhere. Internally, there was no capacity to address this.

Symbol provided an interim consultant who extracted the knowledge from the factory and converted it into structured work instructions. Result: ongoing projects were brought to the same level of detail as new projects, without disrupting daily operations.

Challenge

Process knowledge of ongoing projects not documented

Approach

Interim consultant deployed for knowledge extraction and work instructions

Result

Ongoing projects fully documented at process level

About Mogema

Mogema (Aalberts AM) is a Dutch high-tech specialist in machining, welding, assembly, and vacuum technology. The company specialises in the production of fully qualified, large, and precise machine frames, vacuum chambers, and mechatronic subsystems. Mogema’s clients operate in demanding high-tech markets where precision and quality assurance are not an option but a requirement. New projects at Mogema are prepared and documented in detail. However, for ongoing projects, this level of detail had been lost.

The Challenge

New projects at Mogema are prepared in detail and fully documented. However, ongoing projects had been running on autopilot for years: the knowledge resided with the people in the factory, not on paper. QHSE Manager Mark Prins wanted to bring these ongoing projects to the same level of detail as new projects, but there was insufficient internal capacity to address this.

The problem was not the quality of the processes themselves, but the lack of a structured description. Knowledge that resides solely in people’s heads is vulnerable and not scalable.

Our Approach

Symbol provided an interim consultant who worked as a process analyst in Mogema’s Legacy team, alongside a senior quality engineer and an experienced process engineer.

What was specifically done:

Process knowledge made independent and structured
Work instructions aligned with the required level of detail
Collaboration within a multidisciplinary Legacy team for quality assurance

Broader Organisational Impact

In addition to the interim deployment, Symbol’s training approach also aligns well with Mogema’s practices. Richard Bosman, Process Engineer at Aalberts advanced mechatronics / Mogema, completed the Black Belt training with Symbol and particularly highlights the combination of clear theory, practical exercises, and personal coaching as distinctive. The guidance helped him to keep assignments focused, recognise pitfalls, and ensure improvements truly made an impact in daily work.

“I can recommend an interim consultant to any organisation with a specific assignment.”

Results

Measure	Before	After	Improvement
Documentation of ongoing projects	Not documented	Fully documented	Secured
Detail level of work instructions	Lower than new projects	Aligned	Up to standard
Knowledge retention in organisation	Only in employees’ heads	Recorded and transferable	Structured
Internal capacity of Legacy team	Insufficient	Fully operational	Resolved

Process knowledge that for years resided only in people’s heads is now transferable and scalable
Ongoing projects now operate at the same documentation level as new projects, which structurally strengthens quality assurance.

Lessons Learned

Knowledge that resides only in people’s heads is vulnerable. Mogema demonstrates that even in a high-tech environment with stringent quality requirements, ongoing processes can remain undocumented for years. An external perspective and targeted capacity are sometimes enough to quickly rectify this.

The second insight: an interim consultant works best within a structured context. Mark Prins is clear: the interim consultant was successful partly due to collaboration with experienced internal colleagues. Good upfront guidance determines the outcome.

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Do you recognise this in your organisation?

Knowledge that resides with people but is not documented. Processes that run but are not documented. Insufficient internal capacity to address this.

Symbol provides interim consultants who can be deployed quickly and add immediate value. Contact us for a no-obligation consultation.

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