# Digitizing Institutional Knowledge w/ Yushiro Kato

- Show: [The Manufacturing Executive](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive)
- Published: 2023-11-28
- Length: 22m
- Episode: 181
- Page: https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2023-11-28-digitizing-institutional-knowledge-w-yushiro-kato
- Listen: https://www.spreaker.com/show/the-manufacturing-executive#episode-5b8adb21-097f-4596-b60d-5d84b9f378f2

## Summary

Yushiro Kato, Founder & CEO of CADDi, explains how his company addresses the loss of institutional knowledge as baby boomers retire from manufacturing. He details CADDi's two core services: a platform for matching buyers with suppliers for custom parts, and CADDiDraw, an AI-powered drawing management platform that digitizes analog engineering data. Kato argues that digitizing drawings and procurement data improves efficiency, security, and cost negotiation by making tribal knowledge accessible to new employees. He advises manufacturers to start small by digitizing their most critical asset—their drawings—to preserve decision-making records and avoid reinventing the wheel.

## Chapters

- [0:36](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2023-11-28-digitizing-institutional-knowledge-w-yushiro-kato#t=36) Introduction: Yushiro Kato and CADDi's Mission
- [2:03](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2023-11-28-digitizing-institutional-knowledge-w-yushiro-kato#t=123) Kato's Background at McKinsey and Founding CADDi
- [5:48](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2023-11-28-digitizing-institutional-knowledge-w-yushiro-kato#t=348) The Case for Digitizing Analog Manufacturing Data
- [8:58](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2023-11-28-digitizing-institutional-knowledge-w-yushiro-kato#t=538) Risks of Losing Institutional Knowledge with Retiring Boomers
- [14:34](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2023-11-28-digitizing-institutional-knowledge-w-yushiro-kato#t=874) How CADDiDraw Uses AI to Manage Drawings and Costs
- [20:49](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-manufacturing-executive/2023-11-28-digitizing-institutional-knowledge-w-yushiro-kato#t=1249) Advice for Manufacturers Starting Their Digitization Journey

## Topics

- [Connected products & IoT](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/connected-products-and-iot)
- [Manufacturing partners & offshoring](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/manufacturing-partners)
- [Leadership, teams & culture](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/leadership-and-culture)
- [Design for manufacturing & NPI](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/design-for-manufacturing)
- [AI & machine learning](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/topic/ai-and-machine-learning)

## Most relevant to

companies scaling up

## Mentioned

- CADDi (company)
- CADDiDraw (product)
- McKinsey (company)
- Apple (company)
- Gorilla 76 (company)
- Industrial Marketing Summit (other)

## Related episodes from other shows

- [199: Leveraging the Data You Already Have to Solve Your Manufacturing Challenges with Yushiro Kato, Founder & CEO of CADDi](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2024-08-20-199-leveraging-the-data-you-already-have-to-solve-your-manufacturing-challenges) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [BONUS: How Manufacturers Should Prepare for an AI Implementation featuring CADDi's Aaron Lober](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2025-11-21-bonus-how-manufacturers-should-prepare-for-an-ai-implementation-featuring-caddis) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [206: How Maintenance Leaders and Frontline Workers Can Drive Digital Transformation with Nick Haase, Co-Founder of MaintainX](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/manufacturing-happy-hour/2024-10-08-206-how-maintenance-leaders-and-frontline-workers-can-drive-digital-transformati) (Manufacturing Happy Hour)
- [AI, Digital Transformation, and Innovations with Arch Systems Cofounder and CEO, Andrew Scheuermann](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/ems-c-level/2024-11-14-ai-digital-transformation-and-innovations-with-arch-systems-cofounder-and-ceo-an) (EMS@C-LEVEL)
- [#062 - How a hardware SaaS company wants to help you not get lost in your data during product development, with Michael Corr of Duro Labs, USA](https://hardwarepodcasts.com/podcast/the-hardware-entrepreneur/2018-09-26-062-how-a-hardware-saas-company-wants-to-help-you-not-get-lost-in-your-data-duri) (The Hardware Entrepreneur)

## Citing this page

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