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PLCScribe User Manual

Version 2.0 — March 2026

1. What is PLCScribe?

PLCScribe is an AI-assisted equipment documentation platform. It captures operational knowledge from subject matter experts (SMEs) through guided voice interviews, then turns that knowledge into professional operations manuals and Q&A transcripts.

All documentation goes through a mandatory supervisor sign-off before it can be used operationally. This maker/checker process ensures accuracy and assigns clear accountability — a critical safeguard for industrial and safety-critical environments.

Core workflow at a glance

  1. SME completes an AI-guided interview about a piece of equipment
  2. Supervisor reviews and edits responses, then signs off
  3. Approved documentation is generated — clean, watermark-free
  4. Team can query the knowledge via the AI chatbot

2. User Roles

PLCScribe has two primary roles. Your role determines what actions you can take.

Subject Matter Expert (SME)

The person with hands-on knowledge of the equipment. Invited by a supervisor to complete interviews.

  • Create and conduct interviews
  • Edit their own responses before and after completion
  • Download documents (marked DRAFT until supervisor approves)
  • Ask the AI chatbot questions about completed interviews

Supervisor

Responsible for reviewing and approving interview documentation before it is used operationally.

  • All SME capabilities, plus:
  • View all team interviews
  • Edit any SME response
  • Approve or request revisions on completed interviews
  • Invite SMEs and manage the team
  • Configure branding for generated documents
  • Manage billing and subscription

3. Running an Interview

Creating an interview

  1. From your Dashboard, click New Interview
  2. Enter the equipment name, location, and your details as the SME
  3. Optionally add metadata — model number, department, certifications, etc.
  4. Click Start Interview

Conducting the interview

The AI interviewer will ask you structured questions about your equipment across key topic areas: overview, operation, maintenance, safety, and troubleshooting.

  • Real-time mode (recommended): Speak naturally — your voice is transcribed live as you answer
  • Manual mode: Type your answers, or record a clip and have it transcribed
  • The interview auto-saves every 30 seconds — your progress is never lost
  • A progress indicator shows how many of the core topics have been covered

Pausing and resuming

You do not need to complete an interview in one sitting.

  • Click the Pause button at any time to save and exit
  • The interview appears as Paused on your Dashboard
  • Click Open to resume exactly where you left off
  • You can have multiple paused interviews running simultaneously

Editing responses

Any SME answer can be edited — both during and after the interview.

  • In the Full Transcript, click the blue Edit button next to any SME answer
  • Make your changes and click Save Changes
  • The original transcription is preserved and visible via "View original"
  • Edited entries are labelled SME Edited or Supervisor Edited for traceability
  • Supervisors can edit any answer; SMEs can only edit their own

Completing the interview

When the AI determines all key topics have been covered, it will prompt you to complete the interview.

  1. A confirmation modal shows your progress and lists any topics still uncovered
  2. Click Yes — Complete the Interview to finalise
  3. The interview moves to Completed status
  4. Your supervisor receives an email asking them to review and sign off
  5. The interview enters Pending Sign-off state — see Section 4

4. Supervisor Sign-off

⚠ This step is mandatory. Documentation must not be used operationally until a supervisor has signed off.

Why sign-off is required

Equipment documentation can affect the safety of personnel and the integrity of plant operations. A second-person check (maker/checker) ensures that:

  • Transcription errors have been corrected
  • Technical details are accurate and complete
  • The document is fit for the intended operational purpose
  • Accountability is clearly assigned before release

Until approved, all documents carry a DRAFT watermark and a warning notice. See Section 4.4.

How to approve (Supervisors only)

  1. Open the interview from your Dashboard — look for the amber Awaiting sign-off badge
  2. Read through the Full Transcript. Edit any answers if needed (see Section 3.4)
  3. When satisfied, click Approve & Sign Off
  4. A modal appears with the liability notice — read it carefully
  5. Click Yes — I approve this interview to confirm
  6. The interview switches to a green Approved badge. The SME is notified by email
  7. Future documents generated from this interview will have no watermark

Liability notice: By approving, the supervisor accepts full responsibility for the accuracy and fitness for use of the documentation. PLCScribe bears no liability for any outcomes arising from use of approved documentation.

Requesting revisions

If the interview needs corrections before it can be approved:

  1. Click Request Revisions
  2. Type feedback for the SME in the text box (optional but recommended)
  3. Click Send Revision Request
  4. The interview moves to a red Needs Revision state
  5. The SME receives an email with your feedback and a link to edit
  6. Once the SME has made changes, you can return to review and approve

Note: Supervisors can also edit responses directly without going through the revision cycle — use this for minor corrections.

DRAFT watermark

Any interview that has not been approved carries DRAFT markings everywhere:

  • Interview page: A faint diagonal DRAFT watermark is tiled across the Full Transcript panel
  • DOCX documents: A bold amber warning box at the top of every document reads "DRAFT — AWAITING SUPERVISOR SIGN-OFF — DO NOT USE OPERATIONALLY"
  • PDF documents: The same warning box plus a diagonal DRAFT watermark across every page

Once a supervisor approves, all newly generated documents are clean — no warnings, no watermark.

5. Generating Documents

Document types

Operations Manual

DOCX or PDF

An AI-structured document organised into sections — overview, operation, maintenance, safety procedures, and troubleshooting. Includes all metadata and optionally your company logo and branding.

Q&A Transcript

DOCX or PDF

A verbatim record of every question asked by the AI and every answer given by the SME, in interview order. Useful as an audit trail or reference document.

Draft vs approved documents

FeatureDraft (pending sign-off)Approved
Warning box at topYes — bold amber boxNo
Diagonal watermark (PDF)Yes — every pageNo
Approved for operational useNoYes
Can be downloadedYes (for review only)Yes

6. Asking Questions (AI Chatbot)

Once an interview is completed, you can ask the AI natural-language questions about that equipment — it answers using only the knowledge captured in the interview.

  1. From the Dashboard, find a completed interview and click Ask Questions
  2. Type your question in plain English, e.g. "What are the startup steps?" or "What should I check if the machine overheats?"
  3. The AI responds with information drawn from the SME's answers
  4. The chatbot is accessible regardless of approval status, but treat responses from unapproved interviews as preliminary

The chatbot does not have internet access and only knows what was captured in the interview.

7. Managing Your Team

Supervisors can invite SMEs and manage their access from Dashboard → Manage Team.

  • Click Invite SME and enter their email address
  • They receive an invitation link to create their account
  • Once they join, their interviews are automatically linked to your supervisor account
  • You can view, edit, and approve all interviews created by your team members
  • Team members can be deactivated from the Manage Team page

8. Safety & Liability Notice

Important — read before use

  • PLCScribe uses AI to capture and structure equipment knowledge. AI-generated content may contain errors or omissions.
  • Do not use any PLCScribe-generated document for operational, safety-critical, maintenance, or training purposes until a supervisor has approved it.
  • Draft documents (those bearing the DRAFT watermark) must not be acted upon or treated as authoritative guidance.
  • The approving supervisor takes full responsibility for confirming that the documentation is accurate, complete, and safe for its intended use.
  • Once a supervisor approves an interview, PLCScribe bears no liability of any kind for injury, death, property damage, equipment failure, regulatory breach, or financial loss arising from the use of that documentation.

Full terms are available in the Terms of Service, specifically Section 8A — Mandatory Supervisor Sign-off & Safety Obligation.

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