Irreplaceable is a risk.
Firnkern captures experience in conversation, lets the successor work with it and management confirm it – before anyone leaves.
A young software start-up from Northwestern Switzerland (Riehen, Basel)
Firnkern for:SuccessionOnboardingVocational trainingHigher education
Pilot phase: free of charge with a voucher · any number of people
Real recordings from Firnkern 2.34 in the sample company – people and data are fictional. No sound.
How people work with Firnkern
Four steps, four people – this is what it looks like in the software.
The Kern asks, Heidi tells – in her own words, one question at a time.
The conversation becomes task sheets. Each one only counts once Heidi signs it off.
Nadine asks on her phone. The answer comes only from signed-off sheets – with evidence.
Peter sees risk, phase and handover score for every role – until it says “checked”.
Real recordings from Firnkern 2.34 and 1.7 in the sample company, without a language model – people and data are fictional.
The film about Firnkern – 80 seconds, with sound and subtitles.
People and data are fictional, synthetic voice.
Why Firnkern
of an annual salary is what a staff change typically costs – recruiting, onboarding, lost productivity.
Median of 27 case studies, Boushey & Glynn (2012), Center for American Progress.Who it is for
For companies, vocational training and universities: one switch per organisation changes the terms – in the interface, in documents and in the Kern's voice.
Knowledge holder→Successor
Before someone leaves: capture knowledge in conversation, have the successor test it and management confirm it.
Mentor→Mentee
New people work their way in with the dossier of the experienced – step by step, in daily work.
Trainer→Apprentice
Learning lab with learning plan, exercises and exam simulation – from the organisation's own documents.
Lecturer→Student
Courses and groups for lectures and internships – with submissions, calendar and announcements.
Supplied questions and learning plans are templates and have not been reviewed by experts for every occupation. Firnkern never grades automatically.
Real recordings from Firnkern 2.34 (succession) and 1.7 (onboarding, vocational training, higher education; as of November 2026), each in the matching mode with its own sample data: customs succession, customs onboarding, customs and shipping apprenticeship, Talbach University – people, organisations and data are fictional.
Conversation with the Kern
No forms, no training first. The Kern asks the next question, follows up and turns the answer into a proposal for the dossier. Only what the person confirms goes into the dossier.
Sample company – people and data are fictitious.
Answer by voice or keyboard – simply drag photos, videos and documents into the conversation. Firnkern asks first where they belong.
Where an answer has gaps, it keeps asking – about exceptions, deadlines, contacts.
Every proposal arrives as a card. Only when the person confirms it does it go into the dossier – as a draft. The conversation itself stays private.
«How is the customs role doing?», «My day» or «How do I create a task sheet?» – the answer comes with «Show me».
Sample company – people and data are fictitious.
Ask the Kern
Management, successors and admins ask in their own words. The answer shows only what the person is allowed to see – and «Show me» takes them straight to the right place.
Your view
People who work with it every day want to see everything. People who only drop in now and then want one task and one button. In the «Simple» view Firnkern shows today’s most important task at the top and at most five large tiles.
Everyone can switch – on the phone and on the laptop. The admin can make «Simple» the default; switching back is always possible.
Only the presentation changes. All functions remain available under «More».
The key sentence large, the source in one line, the passages to expand.
Sample company – people and data are fictitious.
Colleague chat
Firnkern has a simple colleague chat for questions around the handover: one-to-one or in a group, with attachments. It complements existing tools such as Teams.
Connections
File shares, SharePoint, OneDrive, Confluence and Google Drive – continuously and read-only. Administration switches on each source individually. Anything read in counts as an outside hint until a person takes it into the dossier.
Launch via LTI 1.3 from Moodle, Canvas or OpenOlat; export a group as Common Cartridge.
Connect to Claude, ChatGPT or Microsoft Copilot via the open protocol MCP – read-only, confirmed knowledge only, with the rights of the signed-in person. Administration switches it on.
Four steps · with and without AI
Firnkern works on three AI levels. Level 1 runs entirely on your server, without the internet. With a language model on level 2 or 3 you get more at every step – people always decide. Choose a level and see what is added.
Conversation with transcription, dossier, check and confirmation run entirely in-house. Speech recognition and the Kern’s voice run locally. In the knowledge base you search and read the passage yourself.
No outside calls.«Ask the Kern» answers questions to the knowledge base as text, Word, PowerPoint or Excel – every statement with evidence. Plus suggestions for the dossier.
Processing in Infomaniak’s data centre in Geneva, names pseudonymised.Dossier draft from the whole conversation, improvement suggestions with reason and calculation, web search and «How others do it» – without your company data.
Processing at Anthropic in the USA – only with explicit consent, names pseudonymised.The person tells, the Kern asks follow-up questions.
View screen ↗The conversation becomes sheets.
View screen ↗The successor works only with the dossier.
View screen ↗Only management completes the handover.
View screen ↗Choose a level above: what you get is shown in light.
Whatever the AI delivers is a labelled draft – only what a person checks and releases goes into the dossier. Dossier draft, daily hint and improvement drafts also run with a local language model in-house instead of level 3.
Rule answer without language modelSuggestion by the language model · Level 2 · model
What the levels cost and which data leave your company: see «Data and AI». The images come from the sample company – people and data are invented.
Data and AI
Choose operation and AI tier. The picture shows where Firnkern runs, what the AI can do, what it costs and which data leaves your organisation.
Where does Firnkern run?
AI level
What the AI can do
Speech recognition (transcription while telling) and the Kern’s voice run on your server – without the internet. No language model.
What it costs
Included in the licence.
What the AI can do
A compact language model in Infomaniak’s data centre in Geneva: suggestions for the dossier, «Ask the Kern» – and, if you wish, transcription.
What it costs
Your own Infomaniak account, pay per use. Firnkern charges no surcharge.
What the AI can do
A large language model from Anthropic (servers in the USA) for demanding drafts and «Ask the Kern».
What it costs
Your own Anthropic account, pay per use. Firnkern charges no surcharge.
AI credit via Firnkern (packs of CHF 20 / 50 / 100 / 300 / 1,000 for the company, valid 12 months, purchase price + 15 %, minimum top-up CHF 20): planned, not yet available. Guide value per role and year (assumption based on fictitious pilot data, no promise): transcription about CHF 5, level 2 with transcription about CHF 5.50, level 3 about CHF 11.
What leaves your organisation?
Nothing. Even the licence key is checked locally.
For transcription and suggestions: audio (only with the person's consent) and text, names pseudonymised. According to Infomaniak not used for training.
Text to Anthropic in the USA, names pseudonymised – only with explicit consent.
Your data lives in your instance in a data centre in Switzerland; there are no AI calls to the outside.
As tier 2: audio only with consent, text pseudonymised, processed at Infomaniak in Geneva.
Text to Anthropic in the USA, names pseudonymised – only with explicit consent.
More than a dossier
Firnkern does not only secure what one person knows. It makes the knowledge of the whole organisation findable, suggests improvements and helps people learn. This is how it looks – in the fictional sample company.
Knowledge base
Read in dossiers, SOPs, training material and transcripts. Firnkern finds the passage, shows the source – and flags it when two sources contradict each other. Search works without AI too.
Make it better
Telling the story brings detours and exceptions to light. Firnkern turns them into suggestions – and takes every improvement through six steps until it measurably works. If it does not, it goes back.
Ask the Kern
The answer as text, Word, PowerPoint or Excel – with evidence and only from what you may see. From AI tier 2.
Two futures
A twelve-month loss calendar based on your management's assumptions – and the budget request as a Word document.
Learning
Your dossier and documents become a learning path. Beginner first, then advanced, then expert – the next level opens once the previous one is mastered. Only the learner sees the results.
How long is a long-term supplier declaration valid at most?
Try it · sample company, fictitious
Beginner, advanced, expert per learning goal – can be switched off if you don’t need it.
Multiple choice, true/false, matching, sequence, case task, gap text, flashcard – with exam simulation.
For apprentices, internships and universities: courses and groups with submissions, calendar and announcements.
Firnkern never grades automatically. Rubrics and grades stay with the trainer or lecturer.
Evidence and IT
What happens during a handover anyway becomes evidence. Firnkern prepares the documents – audit and certification remain with your company.
Who handed over what, who verified, who confirmed.
Which knowledge the company has secured – and where it is missing.
With names that can be hidden for sharing.
Every sign-off with date, person and version.
Templates for your evidence – Firnkern is not certified and does not make anything «ISO compliant».
User name, email or single sign-on – the admin chooses.
Web app with an icon on the home screen. Stay signed in as long as the admin allows.
Reports to Firnkern only after preview and approval by your admin – names, emails and paths are replaced.
One minute per role
Choose your role. Each film shows in one minute what changes for you – for management, team leads, HR, quality, IT and the person passing on their knowledge.
All people are fictional, voices are synthetic. Subtitles available.
Before you compare prices
Replacing an employee typically costs 21 % of an annual salary – recruiting, onboarding, lost productivity (median of 27 case studies, excluding executive and physician positions; Boushey & Glynn 2012). Enter your roles with their salaries – simply overwrite the example values.
Example calculation with your assumptions, not a promise. Firnkern does not prevent departures and does not replace onboarding; it aims to reduce the part caused by missing knowledge. For executive positions the same study reports much higher costs (up to 213 %).
Source: Boushey, H. & Glynn, S. J. (2012). There Are Significant Business Costs to Replacing Employees. Center for American Progress.
Pricing
You pay an annual licence depending on the size of your company. Handovers are included; each further handover uses a token. All features, any number of people.
Pilot phase: companies test free of charge with a voucher. Prices apply after the pilot phase – introductory prices, subject to change. Become a pilot company
1–9 employees
incl. 1 handover · each further CHF 99
CHF 99 / year
Pre-registerGet a pilot voucher
10–49 employees
incl. 2 handovers · each further CHF 190
CHF 490 / year
Pre-registerGet a pilot voucher
50–249 employees
incl. 2 handovers · each further CHF 490 · pack of 3 CHF 1,290
CHF 1490 / year
Pre-registerGet a pilot voucher
250+ employees
incl. 3 handovers · each further CHF 690 · pack of 10 CHF 5,900
CHF 2900 / year
Pre-registerGet a pilot voucher
Put yourself on the list: we will write to you as soon as Firnkern can be bought – or take part in the pilot phase free of charge.
| Use | Token | Small/Compact | Medium/Large |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apprenticeship | 1 apprentice × 1 training year | CHF 60 | CHF 120 |
| Mentoring | 1 pair × 1 programme year | CHF 90 | CHF 190 |
University (course licence per semester, no base licence): up to 30 students CHF 390 · up to 100 CHF 890 · up to 300 CHF 1,900. Reusing a dossier for the next cohort: free.
Term discounts apply to the base licence; tokens without discount (except packs). Token prices in CHF; EUR ×0.94 · USD ×1.10 · GBP ×0.87. A trial will be available once sales open; until then, companies test with a pilot voucher. AI is not included: your own AI account or AI credit via Firnkern (planned, not yet available). You can buy after the pilot phase (once Firnkern GmbH is entered in the commercial register) – get notified. Corporate groups and whole universities: request a quote.
The licence includes all features. This is only added if it suits your organisation.
from CHF 1,490 / day
remote CHF 1,490 · on site CHF 2,500
When does it make sense? When you want to start quickly and safely.
AI via Firnkern (planned, not yet available): credit by usage, packs from CHF 20. There is no fixed starting credit per licence.
Prices plus VAT where applicable.
Introductory prices; they apply after the pilot phase, subject to change; plus VAT where applicable. Other currencies rounded. Offer for businesses and organisations only, not for consumers.
A token stands for one handover: a role is captured, tested by the successor and confirmed by management. Depending on size, the base licence includes 1 to 3 handovers; each further one uses a token. Tokens are valid for 24 months. The number of people involved does not matter.
From Firnkern 1.7 the certificate carries a handover proof: licence no., token, role no. and verification code. At firnkern.com/en/verify anyone can see whether a proof is genuine. The verification code is not a seal or a certification; it says nothing about the content of the dossier. The download of Firnkern 1.7 follows after the final test.
In the pilot phase with a pilot voucher: free of charge, any number of people, in your own company with your own data. Apply under Become a pilot company. Without a voucher you can see Firnkern in the tour and in the training films. A free trial will only be available once sales open.
You can buy after the pilot phase, once Firnkern GmbH is entered in the commercial register. Put yourself on the list and we will write to you. Until then: become a pilot company (with a voucher, free of charge).
Buy further tokens individually or as a pack (Medium: pack of 3, Large: pack of 10). If your company grows, you switch base licence pro rata for the remaining term.
There is no tacit renewal. Without a new licence Firnkern switches to read-only mode: everything stays readable, printable and exportable.
Level 1 runs in-house without internet. From level 2 you use your own account with the provider; Firnkern charges no surcharge. Planned, not yet available: AI credit via Firnkern in packs from CHF 20, at purchase price + 15 %.
Only businesses, organisations, educational institutions and public bodies that use Firnkern for their professional activity. We do not contract with consumers (Terms 1.2).
During the term you receive all new versions. We provide security updates for each major version free of charge for at least five years from its market launch – also in read-only mode (Terms B4).
By email and enquiry form, Monday to Friday 9:00 to 17:00 (Swiss time). We usually reply within 2 working days (target). More in the help.
Pilot
We are looking for pilot companies of every size – from a trade business to a company with more than 250 employees. You receive a licence voucher and use Firnkern in your own company. We receive your feedback.
| Size of your company | Voucher | Pilot duration |
|---|---|---|
| Small business, 1–9 employees | Small licence | 1–2 months |
| 10–49 employees | Compact licence | 3 months |
| 50–99 employees | Medium licence | 3–4 months |
| 100–250 employees | Medium licence | 4–6 months |
| over 250 employees | Large licence | 6 months |
Guide values – we set the tier and duration together.
With a measurement record, reference permission and your own statement: 25% discount on the first annual licence. A purchase is only possible after Firnkern GmbH has been entered in the commercial register. In the course films all people are fictitious and the voices are synthetic.
What Firnkern does not do – and what is still pending.
"Unersetzlich ist ein Risiko." (Irreplaceable is a risk.) – passing on experience when only one person in the team has it
By Marco Grieshaber, in German; an English edition is the goal. Every statement is referenced with author, year and page; every chapter opens with a scene and ends with a tool. Plus 30 templates and a complete sample dossier of a customs role. The book names no product; the method also works with paper and folders.
We keep your e-mail only for this one message and delete it afterwards, at the latest after 24 months.
The manuscript is complete; publisher and publication date are not yet fixed.
Write us a few lines. You will get a personal reply – in German or English.
E-mail is quickest. Or use the form – we will reply personally.
Monday to Friday, 9:00 to 17:00 (Swiss time). We usually reply within 2 working days (target). Please report vulnerabilities to security@firnkern.com.