Insight
3 min read
On the shop floor of a machine builder, paper work instructions quickly fall out of step with reality. A revision in the CAD system does not automatically reach the technician standing at the machine an hour later. Baseboard Pro, a startup from Hellendoorn in Overijssel, is building software that closes that gap: a single platform where work instructions, quality checks and bills of materials come together and always reflect the current situation.
The company was founded in 2023 by Jasper Admiraal, a production engineer by background, and Frank Koornstra, a software engineer and architect. Admiraal knows the shop floor from the inside; Koornstra previously built complex backend systems. That combination defines the approach: Baseboard Pro is not a generic documentation tool, but software tailored to the specific logic of the manufacturing industry.
The focus is on what the sector calls high mix, low volume, high complexity: companies that produce in small series but with considerable variation and technical depth. It is precisely there that standard software falls short and errors caused by outdated instructions are most costly.
The core of the platform is straightforward to describe: operators receive step-by-step work instructions on their screen, with integrated quality checks built in. They no longer work with a printed manual that may already be two revisions old, but with instructions that are centrally managed and always display the most recent version on the shop floor.
Built into that workflow is direct feedback: an operator who notices something or identifies a deviation can immediately report it via the work instruction itself. That notification arrives in real time with the engineer or production planner. This closes the loop between design and execution, without the need for separate communication channels or meetings.
The system also records the so-called as-built status: the actual condition of a machine as it was built, not as it was supposed to be on paper. For machine builders that provide service and maintenance or produce variants of machines, that information is valuable.
Baseboard Pro explicitly does not position itself as a replacement for the systems that manufacturers already use. The platform integrates with CAD, PDM and PLM environments on the engineering side, and with ERP systems on the logistics side. As a result, instructions and bills of materials do not need to be maintained in two places: changes in the source system propagate to the shop floor.
For the work instructions themselves, the platform supports multiple media formats. In addition to text, videos, audio clips and PDF documents can be added, making it easier to explain complex operations to operators with varying backgrounds. The system also includes AI-assisted functionality for drafting work instructions, although that feature is not central to the broader proposition.
Baseboard Pro delivers its software as a cloud-based SaaS product, meaning that manufacturers do not need to set up their own server infrastructure.
SMEs in the manufacturing industry are the primary target group. This is a segment where the digitalisation of production processes lags behind what larger manufacturers have been doing for years, even though the complexity of the work is no less demanding. Many of these companies still work with printed work folders or distribute instructions via shared drives, with all the associated risks when a product is modified.
Hellendoorn, where Baseboard Pro is based, lies at the heart of a region with a strong tradition in precision engineering and machine building. Twente and the Achterhoek are home to dozens of SME manufacturers that fit precisely the profile the startup serves. That geographic proximity gives the company access to potential customers and a direct feel for the shop floor.
For the Dutch manufacturing industry, which is increasingly seeking its competitive position through complexity and customisation rather than volume, tools that streamline knowledge management and quality assurance are relevant. Baseboard Pro is one of the young software companies attempting to fill that gap, with an approach built closely around the day-to-day practice of the assembly technician.
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