Visual Search = TL;DR to Training | Camera-Up Parts ID

Camera-up beats manuals, LMS modules, and “ask-a-guru.”

Quick Summary

• Manuals and LMS don’t fix the moment of truth—instant identification does.
• Visual + OCR + semantic search gives a shortlist in seconds, even with worn labels.
• Put the result where decisions happen: tech tablets and ERP/EAM approvals.
• Outcomes: faster time-to-identify, fewer wrong picks, cleaner data.

Table of Contents

• Why Training Isn’t the Bottleneck

• How Visual Search Works (in plain language)

• Where It Lives (Tech & Approvals)

• What to Measure in 30 Days

• Start Small: Two-Week Pilot

• No-BS Callouts

• Final Thoughts

• Further Reading

Why Training Isn’t the Bottleneck

• New techs don’t fail from lack of theory—they fail while hunting SKUs.

• Veteran techs still guess on look-alikes and variants.

• The fix: a faster front door to the right record, not more modules.

How Visual Search Works (in plain language)

• Photo → shortlist: image match narrows viable candidates despite grime.

• OCR rescue: any surviving characters/codes become search signals.

• One-hint disambiguation: add “24V”, “M25 thread”, or “left-hand” to lock it.

• Prompted next attribute: “Check connector angle” to separate look-alikes.

Where It Lives (Tech & Approvals)

• Tech tablet: shortlist, part photos, spec nudge, Use Alternative action.

• Approvals (ERP/EAM): OEM vs approved alternative with price, lead time, lifecycle; audit trail preserved.

What to Measure in 30 Days

• Median seconds-to-identify (before/after).

• Wrong-pick rate and returns.

• % of approvals where an approved alternative was considered.

• Rush buys avoided (one-liners in work orders).

Start Small: Two-Week Pilot

• Pick one painful category (e.g., electrical spares).

• Enable 10 techs; capture 50 real searches.

• Review edge-case photos weekly; add one FFF note where confusion recurs.

No-BS Callouts

• Training doesn’t beat instant feedback.

• Exact text search fails on dirty reality.

• If Visual Search isn’t visible in approvals, the win gets lost downstream.

Final Thoughts

Visual Search is the TL;DR for training: a camera, one hint, a correct pick. Put it where people decide and you’ll trade classroom time for uptime.

Further Reading

• On our blog: A Successful Strategy for Fast and Accurate Spare Part Search (Visual Search hub).

• External: McKinsey—A smarter way to digitize frontline operations (practical wins vs. heavy rollout).

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