Knowledge Capture

We hear a lot about "knowledge management" these days. Much of it has to do with the mechanical tasks of capturing, cataloguing and storing data (oops - knowledge) for future use.

Time and again I run into people and companies who are interested in capturing data but really haven't thought about what they will do with it. Back in March 2006 I was keynote speaker for the Electric Utilities Cost Group (EUCG) meeting in Anaheim, CA. I spoke on "Energy Information for the Future": http://finance.abc11tv.com/abc?ID=3264978&Account=wtvd&Page=NewsRead

In that speech I challenged the executives present to consider what they want to use data for. On its own, data is of little value. However, if it feeds some sort of decision process or knowledge use (not base) then it generates value. I suggested that they might want to consider the future uses of the information they are gathering before spending a lot of effort on defining data elements. After all, data elements lead to the creation of useful information which in turn is turned into knowledge through its intelligent use.

I've advised clients to consider what use they've had from old data sets before spending good money on converting it to some new format for use in a new system. If they haven't used it before, what makes them think they'll use it now or in the future? For those few who have tried to use the data they have I've asked if it was useful. Invariably they had a lot of work to do with it before it could be used. Data was missing, inaccurate or incomplete. In many cases the data only told part of the story - key elements were missing that could have turned that data into useful information. Unfortunately, the data was often useless.

One cause of today's labor crunch (in addition to the lack of skilled people to hire) is the fact that the skilled ones are going (retiring, etc). Are we capturing their knowledge or are we just saying farewell and letting them go. As they leave a tremendous wealth of information and knowledge is leaving too.

Again, I've heard many lament that the knowledge base is eroding but few have told me that they are doing something about it. Do knowledge management systems work? Perhaps. But are they just capturing data or are they capturing real knowledge?

One "system" for capturing useful information and making use of it at the same time is RCM - reliability centered maintenance. It requires the use of your best (often some of your most senior) people and challenges them to make decisions about future work requirements using their knowledge. It captures their decisions in a logic diagram (database) and records the results in an auditable format. Put those decisions to work in your maintenance and operations and you are making excellent use of the knowledge those workers have / had.

RCM has another benefit besides capturing the knowledge and wisdom in decisions by your best people - it produces a set of decisions that is invariably less work to implement than your current programs of maintenance. That saves you on future labor - it helps to solve part of the problem created when people leave and can't be replaced. Do less work! It takes fewer people.

Why wait until the talent has retired? Put it to good use and turning knowledge into useful and helpful decisions for the future.