Knowledge transfer in an organization – what is it and how can it be improved?
Knowledge transfer within an organization should be a priority, but this is not always the case. We focus on efficiency and process optimization, often forgetting the impact that knowledge management in a company can have on the OEE of the entire plant. Have you ever encountered a situation where employees who want to access information have to leave their workstations in search of documentation, colleagues, or their supervisor? Or perhaps an experienced employee left, taking with them all their knowledge of processes and bottlenecks, because no one had thought to gather and share this knowledge with others beforehand? Unfortunately, these scenarios are commonplace in manufacturing plants. So let’s see how to create a knowledge transfer system that will effectively transfer knowledge within a team.
What is knowledge transfer in an organization?
According to the Encyclopedia of Management, corporate knowledge management encompasses all activities aimed at identifying, preserving, disseminating, and utilizing the explicit and tacit knowledge of a company’s personnel in order to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of employee performance. Information transfer therefore means the process of transferring knowledge and experience—both formal and informal—between employees. The company’s knowledge base includes Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), job instructions, health and safety documentation, checklists, and best practices, as well as unwritten rules that facilitate everyday work.
What does knowledge transfer in a company usually look like? The most important information is communicated to employees during the onboarding stage and is then made available in such a way that employees can easily access it when needed. And this is where the problems begin in many companies. In addition to the materials prepared in advance, employees also gain knowledge through informal conversations and questions asked of more experienced colleagues. It often turns out that this knowledge is not standardized, and each person receives a slightly different version of it – or has to search for it on their own.
Why is knowledge transfer important?
According to research conducted by Zippia, an American recruitment and analytics portal specializing in labor market research and employment trends, companies that prioritize knowledge transfer are almost five times more likely to have access to highly engaged staff. What’s more, effective knowledge transfer within a company can lead to a 25% increase in productivity and a 35% reduction in employee turnover!
A well-organized knowledge transfer system therefore translates into real benefits for both the employees themselves and the entire organization. What are the benefits of using effective knowledge transfer methods?
What are the main challenges of knowledge transfer in a company?
Knowledge transfer within a company brings many challenges. Let’s start with the fact that in many companies, employees still focus on building individual advantage rather than team advantage. They strive to retain knowledge, for example, in order to increase their chances of internal promotion – which is completely understandable if the organization does not provide systemic support, e.g., in the form of building individual advantage precisely through sharing knowledge and ideas. Retaining knowledge creates information silos, which becomes a serious problem in the event of personnel changes.
Another major challenge is the use of paper documentation instead of modern digital tools. Here is a perfect example: let’s try to imagine the time it takes to find a definition in an online encyclopedia on the computer we are currently using and compare it to the need to reach for the relevant volume of a physical encyclopedia, which is at least a few meters away, and flip through the pages to find a specific entry. Now let’s multiply that time by the number of machine operators in the plant, and then by the number of questions that arise in their daily work. The lack of digitization of knowledge transfer translates directly into lower productivity of employees and the entire plant.
How to improve knowledge transfer?
Improving knowledge transfer within a company does not have to mean a complicated transformation. It is more a matter of organizing what we already know and how we share it.
Digitization and creation of a central knowledge base
The best way to improve knowledge transfer within a company is to digitize resources using tools such as noSilo. Our application provides employees with a space to freely create, edit, and share materials in various formats. The knowledge base can contain not only SOPs, health and safety documentation, and job instructions, but also useful guides, checklists, and video instructions. Everyone has equal access to up-to-date information, all from an application available at their workplace – without the need for time-consuming searches for help. In addition to the knowledge base, noSilo includes a competency matrix that allows you to determine whether an employee has already acquired the skills required for a given position.
When talking about manufacturing plant employees, it is worth considering not only machine operators, but also management staff. According to the IMD portal, digital knowledge management tools are also indispensable for the efficient transfer of knowledge to new leaders.
The culture of knowledge sharing
Technology is only half of the solution. The other half is the right organizational culture. It is worth promoting attitudes that encourage knowledge sharing—for example, bonus systems or greater opportunities for promotion. Developing an effective information transfer system not only allows you to keep up to date with the latest knowledge in the company, but also enables you to retain the knowledge of departing employees.
Data diversity
Not everyone absorbs information in the same way, so it is a good idea to offer employees different formats of materials in the knowledge base. These can be instructions in the form of texts, videos, checklists, best practices, tests, and even e-learning courses. Such a set allows each employee to find the best way to acquire knowledge.
Well-organized knowledge transfer is an effective way to avoid information chaos, reduce unproductive time, and truly leverage the potential of your employees.
Bibliography:
https://mfiles.pl/pl/index.php/Zarz%C4%85dzanie_wiedz%C4%85;
https://www.imd.org/blog/leadership/knowledge-transfer/;
https://www.asme.org/topics-resources/content/the-transfer-of-knowledge-is-more-important-than-ever.
She has many years of experience in the manufacturing environment, gained both in team management and in the coordination of internal processes. Her practical experience in operational and managerial work has given her a deep understanding of the challenges faced by managers and production employees – from work standardization and communication to competence development.
This experience forms the foundation on which she bases her current expert activity. In her articles, she shows how digital solutions and modern management methods can realistically support the daily work of production plants, making processes more transparent, orderly, and effective.
