As part of the CTI blog series “Knowledge management via process management”, we introduce Probst’s building block model and report on our experiences with the individual building blocks of
knowledge identification, knowledge acquisition, knowledge development, knowledge distribution (knowledge transfer), knowledge utilization and knowledge retention based on practical use cases from our consulting practice. This article on knowledge distribution is the fifth article in this series.
Knowledge distribution
In line with the saying “Knowledge is the only commodity that increases when it is shared” (Marie von Ebner-Eschenbach), the distribution of knowledge within a company also plays a key role and has a major impact on the company’s success. Particularly in situations in which companies undergo a high degree of transformation, such as in dynamically growing start-ups or when internationalizing the business, this knowledge often has to be distributed to a rapidly growing group of employees in a short space of time.
But how can the process of knowledge distribution be supported both technically and organizationally? How does certain knowledge reach target persons and how can a sensible and systematic distribution of knowledge be achieved within the organization?
Use case: Knowledge transfer within the company
In a pharmaceutical trading company, there are various logistical process variants in the wholesale area. However, the knowledge for this is contained in various legacy warehouse management systems (WMS). In addition, each national company has its own WMS system. In order to achieve standardization and establish the same work processes across different countries, the different countries must first be compared with each other and the current degree of standardization and, above all, the deviations must be assessed. This is where process documentation can provide the decisive added value for the implementation of such a project and at the same time ensure that existing knowledge is transferred.
By developing and documenting a generally valid standard process in which the best functioning processes from different countries are combined, working methods can be aligned, harmonized and ultimately standardized globally. The advantage of this is that everyone can benefit from the best practices of others. You can then incorporate these into your own processes and establish new standards. The distribution of knowledge via process documentation creates the conditions for this.
It is fundamentally important to differentiate between personnel and material knowledge carriers. The primary goal of a company should be to make the accumulated knowledge available throughout the company as far as possible.
Our offer
CTI CONSULTING supports you in identifying, developing, acquiring, distributing, utilizing and preserving your company-specific knowledge. Through the interdisciplinary collaboration of different skills, we achieve the ideal balance for you between schedule, budget and a sustainable target architecture.
In addition, CTI CONSULTING offers you comprehensive knowledge in the field of process management and can support you in the various stages of setting up process management. CTI CONSULTING accompanies you from process mapping, modeling and evaluation of your business processes to implementation. We always aim to support the establishment of process management by linking it with various knowledge management measures, thus ensuring that your knowledge is available within the company regardless of who is involved.
Read the other blog articles on this topic!