Help
Help centre
Here you will find the first steps, help by role, answers to common questions and the way to our support. The detailed help is in the software itself: the «How does it work?» button shows the steps for exactly the page you are on.
There is a separate page for your IT team: For your IT.
First steps
Three steps, about 5 minutes for the installation. You need a Windows computer (Windows 10 or 11, 64-bit) on your company network that runs during working hours.
- Install. Download the setup and start it with a double-click (the download of Firnkern 1.7 follows after the final test; as a pilot company you receive the link on request). Read and accept the licence terms. If Windows or Chrome warns you on first start, the IT page explains why; check the checksum first.
- Set up your organisation. The setup assistant opens in the browser: name of the organisation, admin account, first role. It guides you through organisation, licence, access and employees. You can reopen it at any time under «Employees».
- Invite employees. Under «Employees» enter name and login, choose the right (employee, head of department or admin) and click «Invite». This creates a link that is valid for 7 days; the person chooses their own password. Send the link by e-mail, WhatsApp, SMS or QR code. If it has expired, «New link» creates a new one.
After that, employees work in the browser or on the phone. In the pilot phase you work with a pilot voucher; without a voucher, Firnkern 1.7 stays in read mode. Purchase and trial follow after the commercial register entry.
Help by role
The bullet points come from the help built into the software. There you see the exact steps for each page.
Admin
- Set up the organisation; licence key on the licence and subscription page (enter key or voucher; purchase only after the pilot phase).
- Invite employees and manage access; choose the use case (successor, mentoring, vocational training or university): this swaps the terms for people in the interface and documents, data and rights stay the same.
- Set the AI level for the whole organisation under «AI and data protection».
- Reporting and updates: reports to Firnkern and the update check stay off until you switch them on.
- «Check technology»: test microphone, transcription and reading aloud; the «Error report» is for support.
- Backup under «Employees» › «Backup».
Executive management
- Overview of all roles in all areas, the most urgent at the top.
- Risk and cost of a role: the two-futures view shows what it costs not to hand a role over in a verified way, with your assumptions, plus a budget request as a Word file.
- «More» › «Report (Word, ISO 9001)» summarises all roles you can see.
- Asking the Kern needs AI level 2 or 3; the model only sees what you may see and gives its sources.
- See the AI level and AI usage; only the admin can change them. You prompt purchases through the admin.
Manager
- Overview of the roles in your area; the next-step button jumps to the most urgent step.
- «Create role»: three questions are enough.
- Each role has a path in seven steps. Rate the risk (value 1 to 25), arrange the handover talk, hand over the outline.
- Choose test person and successor, evaluate the handover test, complete the handover.
- «Schedule»: dates counted backwards from the leaving date.
- Make-it-better board: collect improvements and follow them through six steps.
Knowledge holder / employees
- «Tell»: Firnkern asks questions about your work; you type or speak.
- «Show»: record a hand movement or your screen instead of describing it.
- «My dossier»: everything that comes out of it is here. You sign off every sheet yourself; nothing counts without your tick.
- Questions from managers, test persons or successors are answered here.
- «My tasks»: what is due today.
Successor / learners
- «My day»: what is due today in the new role. «Done – alone» or «with help»: this shows what already sits.
- If something is missing, write your question in; the answer goes into the dossier.
- «Knowledge base»: finds everything in the dossier, with its source.
- «Practise»: repeat terms and key points. The learning lab offers a study plan, practice questions and an exam simulation; only the learner sees the results.
- Test person: in the «Practical test» you work only with the dossier and enter each day how it went.
Training films for each role will follow.
Frequently asked questions
What happens without a valid licence or voucher?
Read-only mode applies: all content stays readable, printable and exportable. Capturing, editing and new roles are possible again once you enter a licence key or voucher. Data is never blocked or deleted (Terms 5.5).
Where is our data?
When Firnkern runs on your company network, the data stays with you, on the computer that runs Firnkern. The software sends nothing to Firnkern unless your admin switches it on; dossier content is never sent (Terms 10.1). Details are on the page For your IT and in the privacy notice.
Which AI levels are there?
Level 1 runs on your own computer; no content leaves your network. Level 2 is an AI service from Infomaniak (model Mistral, operated in Geneva), level 3 is Anthropic (data may be transferred to the USA). Your organisation only switches on level 2 and 3 if it wants to, with its own account at the provider. More on the page AI at Firnkern.
Does Firnkern work on a phone?
Yes, as a web app in the browser, as an icon on the home screen, with no app store. Condition: the server is reachable via https with a trusted certificate, or Firnkern runs on the computer you are working on. On a company network your IT sets up https (HTTPS on the company network). Without https the browser says «not secure» and does not release the microphone or camera.
How do I back up the data?
Firnkern backs up automatically every day and renews the daily backup every six hours. As admin, you can start a backup at any time under «Employees» › «Backup», for example before an update. Your IT includes the data folder in the company backup. Details: Backup and restore.
How do I install updates?
During the term you are entitled to all new versions. The admin installs updates; nothing is installed automatically. The update check is an option and stays off until the admin switches it on. Back up your data first. Procedure: Updates.
How long are security updates provided?
For each major version for at least five years from its market launch, free of charge, also in read-only mode (Terms B4). The end date is not yet fixed; it will be shown on the download and price pages at the start of sales.
Support
| Channels | E-mail info@firnkern.ch and the enquiry form |
|---|---|
| Hours | Monday to Friday, 9 am to 5 pm (Swiss time), excluding public holidays |
| Reply | usually within 2 working days (target). If an error substantially prevents use, we give it priority. |
Support is included during the term (Terms F1, F2). Work on the customer's network, data capture and content consulting are not included (Terms F3).
What to send when something goes wrong
- the version of the software,
- the steps that lead to the error,
- a screenshot or the diagnostic package, without confidential content (Terms 6.6). The error report (admin › «Check technology») contains no answers and no dossiers.
Found a security vulnerability?
Please do not report it through normal support, but here: Report a vulnerability.