Knowledge management​
Tools
The first step in mapping the process is to establish the inputs and process flow map. Some key definitions are therefore required to ensure that there is consistency in approach. Once a process map has been outlined, as in the example below, depending on complexity, the activity may be segmented (the highlighted areas of the process map) to help drive focus and not overwhelm the team.
It is important to ensure that the translation of the process map to knowledge inputs and outputs is done in a consistent fashion. Generation of clear terms and terminology will ensure this occurs (see table of Key KM dimensions).
The outputs from the mapping process are then translated to the tool.
In the opinion of the KM group the process mapping is best done as a team to ensure that there is broad investment in the exercise and that assumptions and divergence of source are captured early on.
| Dimension name | Definition | Values |
|---|---|---|
| activity id and name | what is the task that needs to be done? | process identifier and name (verb-noun format) |
| knowledge inputs | what knowledge is needed for the process step? | name the specific knowledge needed for the step |
| knowledge outputs | for which process steps will this knowledge asset be an input? | other activity id and names |
| knowledge type | what type of knowledge asset? | tacit – come from a person explicit – captured in a document or data system |
| knowledge source | where and how the knowledge is stored | formal – curated centrally informal – curated locally personal – need to talk to someone |
Once a map has been constructed it is then translated into the spreadsheet tool (available here).
It is useful to do this stepwise:
- translate the map into the tool (grey cells in this example)
- Assign the type and source of the knowledge
- score the criticality and flow
- Detail the knowledge output and any notes for clarity
When scoring note any assumptions made so that the outcome can be more clearly understood when returning to the data at a later stage.
The tool will automatically calculate the knowledge gap assessment based on these inputs and colour code the outcomes in the spreadsheet.
The data can be used to produce a series of heat maps which can be filtered across many dimensions so that bottlenecks can be investigated to understand the root cause and subsequently strategies developed to address or mitigate them. Further discussion on potential solutions and mitigations are presented in the paper. These are classified across the four key groups of people, process, content and technology.
Although the tool does not currently translate the outcomes to the process map, the team producing the paper updated their map to illustrate how the scoring starts to produce a visual heat map of the gap assessment conducted.
The data can be used to produce a series of heat maps which can be filtered across many dimensions so that bottlenecks can be investigated to understand the root cause and subsequently strategies developed to address or mitigate them. Further discussion on potential solutions and mitigations are presented in the paper. These are classified across the four key groups of people, process, content and technology.
Although the tool does not currently translate the outcomes to the process map, the team producing the paper updated their map to illustrate how the scoring starts to produce a visual heat map of the gap assessment conducted.
Although the tool does not currently translate the outcomes to the process map, the team producing the paper updated their map to illustrate how the scoring starts to produce a visual heat map of the gap assessment conducted.
