Scaling Beyond 50 Employees: How Manufacturers Can Conquer Documentation, Onboarding, and Process Control
Crossing the 50-employee mark is a milestone for any manufacturer. It’s a sign of growth, opportunity, and momentum. But it also marks the point where informal processes, “tribal knowledge,” and ad-hoc onboarding can no longer keep pace with the complexity of the operation.
From our recent conversations with scaling manufacturers, including a manufacturer just under 50 employees preparing for rapid expansion, the pain points are consistent:
Processes live in people’s heads instead of in shareable, standardized formats.
Onboarding takes too long and is inconsistent from one hire to the next.
Certification and compliance requirements pile on as operations grow.
Managers struggle to maintain quality control while adding new people, new shifts, and new processes.
The good news? These challenges are solvable with the right approach to documentation, training, and technology.
Why Tribal Knowledge Becomes a Liability
When a company is small, process knowledge often flows through casual conversations or on-the-job shadowing. As headcount grows, that approach breaks down:
If a key employee leaves, their expertise walks out the door.
Small variations in how tasks are performed multiply into defects, rework, or compliance risks.
Onboarding new hires requires pulling experienced employees off their own work to train them, slowing everyone down.
The Foundation: Comprehensive Process Documentation
To scale smoothly, manufacturers need to capture critical processes in a way that’s consistent, accessible, and easy to update. That means:
Identifying high-impact processes – From production workflows and quality checks to safety protocols and maintenance routines.
Using clear, standardized formats – Checklists for step-by-step execution, flowcharts for decision points, and guides for in-depth explanations.
Storing documentation in a central, digital location – So everyone is working from the same version and updates are instantly shared.
Onboarding That Actually Works
A growing team means a constant stream of new hires. A structured onboarding program keeps them productive and aligned faster:
Give them access to process checklists and SOPs on day one.
Pair them with mentors for hands-on guidance.
Track progress with certifications to confirm readiness.
Technology as a Scaling Multiplier
This is where the right tools make the difference. Modern manufacturing documentation platforms like MODocs can:
Capture SOPs directly from subject matter experts through simple conversation (no typing required).
Convert those conversations into ready-to-use checklists and process documents.
Support training and certification tracking in one place.
Our recent manufacturer conversation reinforced this: they needed a way to rapidly capture tribal knowledge, formalize it into SOPs, and build checklists their teams could follow without hunting for answers. Seeing a live demo of that process was the moment they knew it would help them scale.
Keeping Culture and Communication Strong
Don’t overlook the human side of scaling:
Reinforce core values during onboarding and in regular team communications.
Use collaboration tools to keep departments aligned as operations become more complex.
Hold structured meetings to ensure leaders are hearing from the floor and vice versa.
The Bottom Line
Reaching and moving beyond 50 employees is both an exciting and challenging phase. Manufacturers that succeed at this stage:
Preserve and share knowledge before it’s lost.
Make onboarding repeatable and efficient.
Keep communication clear and culture strong.
Leverage technology to standardize and scale processes without slowing down.
If you’re approaching this growth stage or already in it, the time to put these systems in place is now. Done right, you can grow your team, increase output, and keep quality high without burning out your best people.