Knowledge Management-Converting Expertise Into Processes and Systems: Lessons from the Mature Industry

摘要

Knowledge, on the face of it is an intangible asset for the organization. The need of managing knowledge is paramount in the software industry where ad-hocism is still at its highest. Software engineering attempts to systematize at least some amount of expertise (an intangible) into a process (which is more tangible). Practical experience suggests that dependence on people is a norm rather than exception. However, with systematic efforts of documenting the process and the expertise, it is many a time possible to reduce this dependence substantially. Process, then becomes an asset, which can produce produce products of substantial value. Lessons can be learnt from process evolution and process maturing of the conventional engineering industry. Rigor of process implementation has two sides as usual. These are acceptability of the specified rigor for process implementation and predictability of the outcome of defined processes. More the rigor, lesser is likelihood of acceptability by the people. This refinement of process of production than the product itself has created the ability to perform the same task at a much lower skill and knowledge level. The mechanism to institutionalize knowledge should not depend on the 'kind' of knowledge but should be more general purpose than that. Converting knowledge into easy to follow process is the proposed answer to the knowledge management.