Seventy-four percent of organizations do not have a formal process for capturing and retaining knowledge - which, when lost, results in decreased productivity, increased risk, and money out the door.
Successful completion of the IT knowledge transfer project will result in the following outcomes:
Besides the small introduction, subscribers and consulting clients within this management domain have access to:
Minimize risk and IT costs resulting from attrition through effective knowledge transfer.
Use this template to document the knowledge transfer stakeholder power map by identifying the stakeholder’s name and role, and identifying their position on the power map.
Use this template to communicate the value and rationale for knowledge transfer to key stakeholders.
Use this tool to identify and assess the knowledge and individual risk of key knowledge holders.
Use this template to track knowledge activities, intended recipients of knowledge, and appropriate transfer tactics for each knowledge source.
Use this template as a starting point for managers to interview knowledge sources to extract information about the type of knowledge the source has.
Use this template as a starting point to build your proposed IT knowledge transfer roadmap presentation to management to obtain formal sign-off and initiate the next steps in the process.
Workshops offer an easy way to accelerate your project. If you are unable to do the project yourself, and a Guided Implementation isn't enough, we offer low-cost delivery of our project workshops. We take you through every phase of your project and ensure that you have a roadmap in place to complete your project successfully.
EXECUTIVE BRIEF
Your Challenge |
Common Obstacles |
Info-Tech’s Approach |
---|---|---|
Seventy-four percent of organizations do not have a formal process for capturing and retaining knowledge1 which, when lost, results in decreased productivity, increased risk, and money out the door. You need to:
|
|
Our client-tested methodology and project steps allow you to tailor your knowledge transfer plan to any size of organization, across industries. Successful completion of the IT knowledge transfer project will result in the following outcomes:
|
Seventy-four percent of organizations do not have a formal process for capturing and retaining knowledge which, when lost, results in decreased productivity, increased risk, and money out the door.1
Today, the value of an organization has less to do with its fixed assets and more to do with its intangible assets. Intangible assets include patents, research and development, business processes and software, employee training, and employee knowledge and capability.
People (and their knowledge and capabilities) are an organization’s competitive advantage and with the baby boomer retirement looming, organizations need to invest in capturing employee knowledge before the employees leave. Losing employees in key roles without adequate preparation for their departure has a direct impact on the bottom line in terms of disrupted productivity, severed relationships, and missed opportunities.
Knowledge Transfer (KT) is the process and tactics by which intangible assets – expertise, knowledge, and capabilities – are transferred from one stakeholder to another. A well-devised knowledge transfer plan will mitigate the risk of knowledge loss, yet as many as 74%2 of organizations have no formal approach to KT – and it’s costing them money, reputation, and time.
84%of all enterprise value on the S&P 500 is intangibles.3
$31.5 billion lost annually by Fortune 500 companies failing to share knowledge. 1
74% of organizations have no formal process for facilitating knowledge transfer. 2
1 Shedding Light on Knowledge Management, 2004, p. 46
1 | Inefficiency due to “reinvention of the wheel.” When older workers leave and don’t effectively transfer their knowledge, younger generations duplicate effort to solve problems and find solutions. |
---|---|
2 | Loss of competitive advantage. What and who you know is a tremendous source of competitive edge. Losing knowledge and/or established client relationships hurts your asset base and stifles growth, especially in terms of proprietary or unique knowledge. |
3 | Reduced capacity to innovate. Older workers know what works and what doesn’t, as well as what’s new and what’s not. They can identify the status quo faster, to make way for novel thinking. |
4 | Increased vulnerability. One thing that comes with knowledge is a deeper understanding of risk. Losing knowledge can impede your organizational ability to identify, understand, and mitigate risks. You’ll have to learn through experience all over again. |
55-60 |
67% |
78% |
$14k / minute |
---|---|---|---|
the average age of mainframe workers – making close to 50% of workers over 60.2 |
of Fortune 100 companies still use mainframes3 requiring. specialized skills and knowledge |
of CIOs report mainframe applications will remain a key asset in the next decade.1 |
is the cost of mainframe outages for an average enterprise.1 |
A system failure to a mainframe could be disastrous for organizations that haven’t effectively transferred key knowledge. Now think past the mainframe to key processes, customer/vendor relationships, legal requirements, home grown solutions etc. in your organization.
What would knowledge loss cost you in terms of financial and reputational loss?
Source: 1 Big Tech Problem as Mainframes Outlast Workforce
Source: 2 IT's most wanted: Mainframe programmers
Source: 3The State of the Mainframe, 2022
Insurance organization fails to mitigate risk of employee departure and incurs costly consequences – in the millions
INDUSTRY: Insurance
SOURCE: ITRG Member
Challenge |
Solution |
Results |
---|---|---|
|
|
|
IT knowledge transfer is a process that, at its most basic level, ensures that essential IT knowledge and capabilities don’t leave the organization – and at its most sophisticated level, drives innovation and customer service by leveraging knowledge assets.
Knowledge Transfer Risks: |
Knowledge Transfer Opportunities: |
---|---|
✗ Increased training and development costs when key stakeholders leave the organization. ✗ Decreased efficiency through long development cycles. ✗ Late projects that tie up IT resources longer than planned, and cost overruns that come out of the IT budget. ✗ Lost relationships with key stakeholders within and outside the organization. ✗ Inconsistent project/task execution, leading to inconsistent outcomes. ✗ IT losing its credibility due to system or project failure from lost information. ✗ Customer dissatisfaction from inconsistent service. |
✓ Mitigated risks and costs from talent leaving the organization. ✓ Business continuity through redundancies preventing service interruptions and project delays. ✓ Operational efficiency through increased productivity by never having to start projects from scratch. ✓ Increased engagement from junior staff through development planning. ✓ Innovation by capitalizing on collective knowledge. ✓ Increased ability to adapt to change and save time-to-market. ✓ IT teams that drive process improvement and improved execution. |
How you build your knowledge transfer roadmap will not change drastically based on the size of your organization; however, the scope of your initiative, tactics you employ, and your communication plan for knowledge transfer may change.
How knowledge transfer projects vary by organization size:
Small Organization |
Medium Organization |
Large Organization |
|
---|---|---|---|
Project Opportunities |
✓ Project scope is much more manageable. ✓ Communication and planning can be more manageable. ✓ Fewer knowledge sources and receivers can clarify prioritization needs. |
✓ Project scope is more manageable. ✓ Moderate budget for knowledge transfer activities. ✓ Communication and enforcement is easier. |
✓ Budget available to knowledge transfer initiatives. ✓ In-house expertise may be available. |
Project Risks |
✗ Limited resources for the project. ✗ In-house expertise is unlikely. ✗ Knowledge transfer may be informal and not documented. ✗ Limited overlap in responsibilities, resulting in fewer redundancies. |
✗ Limited staff with knowledge transfer experience for the project. ✗ Knowledge assets are less likely to be documented. ✗ Knowledge transfer may be a lower priority and difficult to generate buy-in. |
✗ More staff to manage knowledge transfer for, and much larger scope for the project. ✗ Impact of poor knowledge transfer can result in much higher costs. ✗Geographically dispersed business units make collaboration and communication difficult. ✗ Vast amounts of historical knowledge to capture. |
Explicit |
Tacit |
||
|
|
||
Types of explicit knowledge |
Types of tacit knowledge |
||
Information
|
Process
|
Skills
|
Expertise
|
Examples: reading music, building a bike, knowing the alphabet, watching a YouTube video on karate. |
Examples: playing the piano, riding a bike, reading or speaking a language, earning a black belt in karate. |
No formal knowledge transfer program exists; knowledge transfer is ad hoc, or may be conducted through an exit interview only. 74% of organizations are at level 0.1 |
|
At level one, knowledge transfer is focused around ensuring that high risk, explicit knowledge is covered for all high-risk stakeholders. |
|
Organizations have knowledge transfer plans for all high-risk knowledge to ensure redundancies exist and leverage this to drive process improvements, effectiveness, and employee engagement. |
|
Increase end-user satisfaction and create a knowledge value center by leveraging the collective knowledge to solve repeat customer issues and drive new product innovation. |
I’m an IT Leader who…
Stabilize |
…has witnessed that new employees have recently left or are preparing to leave the organization, and worries that we don’t have their knowledge captured anywhere. …previously had to cut down our IT department, and as a result there is a lack of redundancy for tasks. If someone leaves, we don’t have the information we need to continue operating effectively. …is worried that the IT department has no succession planning in place and that we’re opening ourselves up to risk. |
---|---|
Proactive |
…feels like we are losing productivity because the same problems are being solved differently multiple times. …worries that different employees have unique knowledge which is critical to performance and that they are the only ones who know about it. …has noticed that the processes people are using are different from the ones that are written down. …feels like the IT department is constantly starting projects from scratch, and employees aren’t leveraging each other’s information, which is causing inefficiencies. …feels like new employees take too long to get up to speed. …knows that we have undocumented systems and more are being built each day. |
Knowledge Culture |
…feels like we’re losing out on opportunities to innovate because we’re not sharing information, learning from others’ mistakes, or capitalizing on their successes. …notices that staff don’t have a platform to share information on a regular basis, and believes if we brought that information together, we would be able to improve customer service and drive product innovation. …wants to create a culture where employees are valued for their competencies and motivated to learn. …values knowledge and the contributions of my team. |
This blueprint can help you build a roadmap to resolve each of these pain points. However, not all organizations need to have a knowledge culture. In the next section, we will walk you through the steps of selecting your target maturity model based on your knowledge goals.
INDUSTRY: Electronics Engineering
SOURCE: KM Best Practices
Challenge | Solution | Results |
---|---|---|
|
|
|
The Info-Tech difference:
Project outcomes |
1. Approval for IT knowledge transfer project obtained |
2. Knowledge and stakeholder risks identified |
3. Tactics for individuals’ knowledge transfer identified |
4. Knowledge transfer roadmap built |
5. Knowledge transfer roadmap approved |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Info-Tech tools and templates to help you complete your project deliverables |
Project Stakeholder Register Template |
IT Knowledge Transfer Risk Assessment Tool |
IT Knowledge Identification Interview Guide Template |
Project Planning and Monitoring Tool |
IT Knowledge Transfer Roadmap Presentation Template |
IT Knowledge Transfer Project Charter Template |
IT Knowledge Transfer Plan Template |
||||
Your completed project deliverables |
IT Knowledge Transfer Plans |
IT Knowledge Transfer Roadmap Presentation |
|||
IT Knowledge Transfer Roadmap |
1. Initiate |
2. Design |
3. Implement |
|
---|---|---|---|
Phase Steps |
|
|
|
Phase Outcomes |
|
|
|
Each step of this blueprint is accompanied by supporting deliverables to help you accomplish your goals:
IT Knowledge Transfer Project Charter Establish a clear project scope, decision rights, and executive sponsorship for the project. |
IT Knowledge Transfer Risk Assessment Tool Identify and assess the knowledge and individual risk of key knowledge holders. |
||
IT Knowledge Identification Interview Guide Extract information about the type of knowledge sources have. |
IT Knowledge Transfer Roadmap Presentation Communicate IT knowledge transfer recommendations to stakeholders to gain buy-in. |
IT Knowledge Transfer Plan
Track knowledge activities, intended recipients, and appropriate transfer tactics for each knowledge source.
IT Benefits |
Business Benefits |
|
|
“ Our team has already made this critical project a priority, and we have the time and capability, but some guidance along the way would be helpful.”
“Our team knows that we need to fix a process, but we need assistance to determine where to focus. Some check-ins along the way would help keep us on track.”
“We need to hit the ground running and get this project kicked off immediately. Our team has the ability to take this over once we get a framework and strategy in place.”
“Our team does not have the time or the knowledge to take this project on. We need assistance through the entirety of this project.”
Phase 1 | Phase 2 | Phase 3 |
---|---|---|
Call #1: Structure the project. Discuss transfer maturity goal and metrics. |
Call #2: Build knowledge transfer plans. Call #3: Identify priorities & review risk assessment tool. |
Call #4: Build knowledge transfer roadmap. Determine logistics of implementation. Call #5: Determine logistics of implementation. |
A Guided Implementation (GI) is a series of calls with an Info-Tech analyst to help implement our best practices in your organization. A typical GI is five to six calls.
Contact your account representative for more information.
workshops@infotech.com 1-888-670-8889
Day 1 |
Day 2 |
Day 3 |
Day 4 |
Day 5 |
|
---|---|---|---|---|---|
Define the Current and Target State |
Identify Knowledge Priorities |
Build Knowledge Transfer Plans |
Define the Knowledge Transfer Roadmap |
Next Steps and |
|
Activities |
1.1 Have knowledge transfer fireside chat. 1.2 Identify current and target maturity. 1.3 Identify knowledge transfer metrics 1.4 Identify knowledge transfer project stakeholders |
2.1 Identify your knowledge sources. 2.2 Complete a knowledge risk assessment. 2.3 Identify knowledge sources’ level of knowledge risk. |
3.1 Build an interview guide. 3.2 Interview knowledge holders. |
4.1 Prioritize the sequence of initiatives. 4.2 Complete the project roadmap. 4.3 Prepare communication presentation. |
5.1 Complete in-progress deliverables from previous four days. 5.2 Set up review time for workshop deliverables and to discuss next steps. |
Deliverables |
|
|
|
|
Phase 1 |
Phase 2 |
Phase 3 |
---|---|---|
1.1 Obtain approval for project 1.2 Identify knowledge and stakeholder risks |
2.1 Build knowledge transfer plans 2.2 Build knowledge transfer roadmap |
3.1 Communicate your roadmap |
This phase will walk you through the following activities:
This phase involves the following participants:
Activities
1.1.1 Hold a Working Session With Key Stakeholders
1.1.2 Conduct a Current and Target State Analysis.
1.1.3 Identify Key Metrics
1.1.4 Identify Your Project Team
1.1.5 Populate an RACI
1.1.6 Build the Project Charter and Obtain Approval
Initiate Your IT Knowledge Transfer Project
The primary goal of this section is to gain a thorough understanding of the reasons why your organization should invest in knowledge transfer and to identify the specific challenges to address.
Outcomes of this step
Organizational benefits and current pain points of knowledge transfer
Don’t build your project charter in a vacuum. Involve key stakeholders to determine the desired knowledge transfer goals, target maturity and KPIs, and ultimately build the project charter.
Building the project charter as a group will help you to clarify your key messages and help secure buy-in from critical stakeholders up-front, which is key.
In order to execute on the knowledge transfer project, you will need significant involvement from your IT leadership team. The trouble is that knowledge transfer can be inherently stressful for employees as it can cause concerns around job security. Members of your IT leadership team will also be individuals who need to participate in knowledge transfer, so get them involved upfront. The working session will help stakeholders feel more engaged in the project, which is pivotal for success.
You may feel like a full project charter isn’t necessary, and depending on your organizational size, it might not be. However, the exercise of building the charter is important regardless. No matter your current climate, some level of socializing the value and plans for knowledge transfer will be necessary.
Meeting Agenda
Led by: Project Sponsor
Led by: Project Manager
Led by: Project Manager
Led by: Project Manager
Led by: Project Manager
Identify the pain points you’re experiencing with knowledge transfer and some of the benefits which you’d like to see from a program to determine the key objectives By doing so, you’ll get a holistic view of what you need to achieve.
Collect this information by:
Input | Output |
|
|
Materials | Participants |
|
|
|
|
|
How to determine your current and target state of maturity:
Input | Output |
|
|
Materials | Participants |
|
|
Depending on the level of maturity you are trying to achieve, a knowledge transfer project could take weeks, months, or even years. Your maturity level depends on the business goal you would like to achieve, and impacts who and what your roadmap targets.
The maturity levels build on one another; if you start with a project, it is possible to move from a level 0 to a level 1, and once the project is complete, you can advance to a level 2 or 3. However, it’s important to set clear boundaries upfront to limit scope creep, and it’s important to set appropriate expectations for what the project will deliver.
Goal |
Description |
Time to implement |
Benefits |
|
---|---|---|---|---|
Level 0: Accidental |
Not Prioritized |
|
N/A |
|
Level 1: Stabilize |
Risk Mitigation |
At level one, knowledge transfer is focused around ensuring that redundancies exist for explicit knowledge for:
Your high-risk knowledge is any information which is proprietary, unique, or specialized. High risk stakeholders are those individuals who are at a higher likelihood of departing the organization due to retirement or disengagement. |
0 – 6 months |
|
Goal | Description | Time to implement | Benefits | |
---|---|---|---|---|
Level 2: Proactive | Operational Efficiency | Level 2 extends Level 1. Once stabilized, you can work on KT initiatives that allow you to be more proactive and cover high risk knowledge that may not be held by those see as high risk individuals. Knowledge transfer plans must exist for ALL high risk knowledge. | 3m – 1yr |
|
Level 3: Knowledge Culture | Drive Innovation Through Knowledge | Level 3 extends Level 2.
| 1-2 years |
|
You need to ensure your knowledge transfer initiatives are having the desired effect and adjust course when necessary. Establishing an upfront list of key performance indicators that will be benchmarked and tracked is a crucial step.
Many organizations overlook the creation of KPIs for knowledge transfer because the benefits are often one step removed from the knowledge transfer itself. However, there are several metrics you can use to measure success.
Hint: Metrics will vary based on your knowledge transfer maturity goals.
Creating KPIs for knowledge transfer is a crucial step that many organizations overlook because the benefits are often one step removed from the knowledge transfer itself. However, there are several qualitative and quantitative metrics you can use to measure success depending on your maturity level goals.
Stabilize
Be Proactive
Promote Knowledge Culture
How to determine knowledge transfer metrics:
Input | Output |
|
|
Materials | Participants |
|
|
Determine Project Participants |
Pick a Project Sponsor |
|
|
The project sponsor is the main catalyst for the creation of the roadmap. They will be the one who signs off on the project roadmap. The Project Participants are the key stakeholders in your organization whose input will be pivotal to the creation of the roadmap. The project stakeholders are the senior executives who have a vested interest in knowledge transfer. Following completion of this workshop, you will present your roadmap to these individuals for approval. |
How to define the knowledge transfer project team:
Project Stakeholder Register Template
Input | Output |
|
|
Materials | Participants |
|
|
If your IT leadership team isn’t on board, you’re in serious trouble! IT leaders will not only be highly involved in the knowledge transfer project, but they also may be participants, so it’s essential that you get their buy-in for the project upfront.
Document the results in the Project Stakeholder Register Template; use this as a guide to help structure your communication with stakeholders based on where they fall on the grid.
How to Manage: |
Focus on increasing these stakeholders’ level of support!
|
Capitalize on champions to drive the project/change.
|
How to Manage: |
|
How to Manage: |
Pick your battles – focus on your noise makers first, and then move on to your blockers.
|
Leverage this group where possible to help socialize the program and to help encourage dissenters to support.
|
How to Manage: |
Role |
Project Role |
|
---|---|---|
Required |
CIO |
Will often play the role of project sponsor and should be involved in key decision points. |
IT Managers Directors |
Assist in the identification of high-risk stakeholders and knowledge and will be heavily involved in the development of each transfer plan. |
|
Project Manager |
Should be in charge of leading the development and execution of the project. |
|
Business Analysts |
Responsible for knowledge transfer elicitation analysis and validation for the knowledge transfer project. |
|
Situational |
Technical Lead |
Responsible for solution design where required for knowledge transfer tactics. |
HR |
Will aid in the identification of high-risk stakeholders or help with communication and stakeholder management. |
|
Legal |
Organizations that are subject to knowledge confidentiality, Sarbanes-Oxley, federal rules, etc. may need legal to participate in planning. |
Apps MGR |
Dev. MGR |
Infra MGR |
|
---|---|---|---|
Build the project charter |
R |
R |
I |
Identify IT stakeholders |
R |
R |
I |
Identify high risk stakeholders |
R |
A | R |
Identify high risk knowledge |
I | C | C |
Validate prioritized stakeholders |
I | C | R |
Interview key stakeholders |
R | R | A |
Identify knowledge transfer tactics for individuals |
C | C | A |
Communicate knowledge transfer goals |
C | R | A |
Build the knowledge transfer roadmap |
C | R | A |
Approve knowledge transfer roadmap |
C | R | C |
How to define RACI for the project team:
Responsible: The one responsible for getting the job done.
Accountable: Only one person can be accountable for each task.
Consulted: Involvement through input of knowledge and information.
Informed: Receiving information about process execution and quality.
Input | Output |
|
|
Materials | Participants |
|
|
Build the project charter and obtain sign-off from your project sponsor. Use your organization’s project charter if one exists. If not, customize Info-Tech’s IT Knowledge Transfer Project Charter Template to suit your needs.
Activities
1.2.1 Identify Knowledge Sources
1.2.2 Complete a Knowledge Risk Assessment
1.2.3 Review the Prioritized List of Knowledge Sources
The primary goal of this section is to identify who your primary risk targets are for knowledge transfer.
Outcomes of this step
Throughout this section, we will walk through the following 3 activities in the tool to determine where you need to focus attention for your knowledge transfer roadmap based on knowledge value and likelihood of departure.
1. Identify Knowledge Sources
Create a list of knowledge sources for whom you will be conducting the analysis, and identify which sources currently have a transfer plan in place.
2. Value of Knowledge
Consider the type of knowledge held by each identified knowledge source and determine the level of risk based on the knowledge:
3. Likelihood of Departure
Identify the knowledge source’s risk of leaving the organization based on their:
This tool contains sensitive information. Do not share this tool with knowledge sources. The BA and Project Manager, and potentially the project sponsor, should be the only ones who see the completed tool.
Identify Key Roles
Hold a meeting with your IT Leadership team, or meet with members individually, and ask these questions to identify key roles:
Key roles include:
This step is meant to help speed up and simplify the process for large IT organizations. IT organizations with fewer than 30 people, or organizations looking to build a knowledge culture, can opt to skip this step and include all members of the IT team. This way, everyone is considered and you can prioritize accordingly.
Input | Output |
|
|
Materials | Participants |
|
|
Legend:
1. Document knowledge source information (name, department, and manager).
2. Select the current state of knowledge transfer plans for each knowledge source.
Once you have identified key roles, conduct a sanity check and ask – “did we miss anybody?” For example:
Municipal government learns the importance of thorough knowledge source identification after losing key stakeholder
INDUSTRY: Government
Challenge |
Solution |
Results |
|
|
|
Risk Parameter | Description | How to Collect this Data: |
Age Cohort |
| For those people on your shortlist, pull some hard demographic data. Compile a report that breaks down employees into age-based demographic groups. Flag those over the age of 50 – they’re in the “retirement zone” and could decide to leave at any time. Check to see which stakeholders identified fall into the “over 50” age demographic. Document this information in the IT Knowledge Transfer Risk Assessment Tool. |
150% of an employee’s base salary and benefits is the estimated cost of turnover according to The Society of Human Resource Professionals.1
1McLean & Company, Make the Case for Employee Engagement
Risk Parameter | Description | How to Collect this Data: |
Engagement | An engaged stakeholder is energized and passionate about their work, leading them to exert discretionary effort to drive organizational performance (lowest risk). An almost engaged stakeholder is generally passionate about their work. At times they exert discretionary effort to help achieve organizational goals. Indifferent employees are satisfied, comfortable, and generally able to meet minimum expectations. They see their work as “just a job,” prioritizing their needs before organizational goals. Disengaged employees have little interest in their job and the organization and often display negative attitudes (highest risk). | Option 1: The optimal approach for determining employee engagement is through an engagement survey. See McLean & Company for more details. Option 2: Ask the identified stakeholder’s manager to provide an assessment of their engagement either independently or via a meeting. |
Engaged employees are five times more likely than disengaged employees to agree that they are committed to their organization.1
1Source: McLean & Company, N = 13683
Risk Parameter | Description | How to Collect this Data: |
Criticality | Roles that are critical to the continuation of business and cannot be left vacant without risking business operations. Would the role, if vacant, create system, function, or process failure for the organization? | Option 1: (preferred) Meet with IT managers/directors over the phone or directly and review each of the identified reports to determine the risk. Option 2: Send the IT mangers/directors the list of their direct reports, and ask them to evaluate their knowledge type risk independently and return the information to you. Option 3: (if necessary) Review individual job descriptions independently, and use your judgment to come up with a rating for each. Send the assessment to the stakeholders’ managers for validation. |
Availability | Refers to level of redundancy both within and outside of the organization. Information which is highly available is considered lower risk. Key questions to consider include: does this individual have specialized, unique, or proprietary expertise? Are there internal redundancies? |
Complete a Tab 3 assessment for each of your identified Knowledge Sources. The Knowledge Source tab will pre-populate with information from Tab 2 of the tool. For each knowledge source, you will determine their likelihood of departure and degree of knowledge risk.
Likelihood of departure:
Degree of knowledge risk is based on:
Input | Output |
|
|
Materials | Participants |
|
|
Knowledge sources have been separated into the three maturity levels (Stabilize, Proactive, and Knowledge Culture) and prioritized within each level.
Focus first on your stabilize groups, and based on your target maturity goal, move on to your proactive and knowledge culture groups respectively.
Sequential Prioritization Orange line Level 1: Stabilize Blue Line Level 2: Proactive Green Line Level 3: Knowledge Culture |
Each pie chart indicates which of the stakeholders in that risk column currently has knowledge transfer plans. |
Each individual also has their own status ball on whether they currently have a knowledge transfer plan. |
Identify knowledge sources to focus on for the knowledge transfer roadmap. Review the IT Knowledge Transfer Map on Tab 5 to determine where to focus your knowledge transfer efforts
Input | Output |
|
|
Materials | Participants |
|
|
Phase 1 |
Phase 2 |
Phase 3 |
---|---|---|
1.1 Obtain approval for project 1.2 Identify knowledge and stakeholder risks |
2.1 Build knowledge transfer plans 2.2 Build knowledge transfer roadmap |
3.1 Communicate your roadmap |
This phase will walk you through the following activities:
This phase involves the following participants:
Define what knowledge needs to be transferred |
Each knowledge source has unique information which needs to be transferred. Chances are you don’t know what you don’t know. The first step is therefore to interview knowledge sources to find out. |
Identify the knowledge receiver |
Depending on who the information is going to, the knowledge transfer tactic you employ will differ. Before deciding on the knowledge receiver and tactic, consider three key factors:
|
Identify which knowledge transfer tactics you will use for each knowledge asset |
Not all tactics are good in every situation. Always keep the “knowledge type” (information, process, skills, and expertise), knowledge sources’ engagement level, and the knowledge receiver in mind as you select tactics. |
This tool is built to accommodate up to 30 knowledge items; Info-Tech recommends focusing on the top 10-15 items.
These steps should be completed by the BA or IT Manager. The BA is helpful to have around because they can learn about the tactics and answer any questions about the tactics that the managers might have when completing the template.
Activities
2.1.1 Interview Knowledge Sources to Uncover Key Knowledge Items
2.1.2 Identify When to use Knowledge Transfer Tactics
2.1.3 Build Individual Knowledge Transfer Plans
The primary goal of this section is to build an interview guide and interview knowledge sources to identify key knowledge assets.
Outcomes of this step
The first step is for managers to interview knowledge sources in order to extract information about the type of knowledge the source has.
Meet with the knowledge sources and work with them to identify essential knowledge. Use the following questions as guidance:
Input | Output |
|
|
Materials | Participants |
|
|
Input | Output |
|
|
Materials | Participants |
|
|
Interviews provide an opportunity to meet one-on-one with key stakeholders to document key knowledge assets. Interviews can be used for explicit and tacit information, and in particular, capture processes, rules, coding information, best practices, etc.
Knowledge Types Information Process Skills Expertise | Dependencies Training: Minimal Technology Support: N/A Process Development: Minimal Duration: Annual | Participants Business analysts Knowledge source | Materials Interview guide Notepad Pen |
Business process mapping refers to building a flow chart diagram of the sequence of actions which defines what a business does. The flow chart defines exactly what a process does and the specific succession of steps including all inputs, outputs, flows, and linkages. Process maps are a powerful tool to frame requirements in the context of the complete solution.
Benefits:
How to get started:
Knowledge Types Information Process Skills Expertise | Dependencies Training: Minimal Technology Support: N/A Process Development: Minimal Duration: Annual | Participants Business analysts Knowledge source | Materials Whiteboard / flip-chart paper Marker |
Use case diagrams are a common transfer tactic where the BA maps out step-by-step how an employee completes a project or uses a system. Use cases show what a system or project does rather than how it does it. Use cases are frequently used by product managers and developers.
Benefits:
How to get started:
Knowledge Types Information Process Skills Expertise | Dependencies Training: Minimal Technology Support: N/A Process Development: Minimal Duration: Annual | Participants Business analysts Knowledge source | Materials Whiteboard / flip-chart paper Marker |
Job shadowing is a working arrangement where the “knowledge receiver” learns how to do a job by observing an experienced employee complete key tasks throughout their normal workday.
Benefits:
How to get started:
Knowledge Types Information Process Skills Expertise | Dependencies Training: Required Technology Support: N/A Process Development:Required Duration:Ongoing | Participants BA IT manager Knowledge source and receiver | Materials N/A |
Meeting or workshop where peers from different teams share their experiences and knowledge with individuals or teams that require help with a specific challenge or problem.
Benefits:
How to get started:
Knowledge Types Information Process Skills Expertise | Dependencies Training: Minimal Technology Support: N/A Process Development:Required Duration:Ongoing | Participants Knowledge sources Knowledge receiver BA to build a skill repository | Materials Intranet |
A half- to full-day exercise where an outgoing leader facilitates a knowledge transfer of key insights they have learned along the way and any high-profile knowledge they may have.
Benefits:
How to get started:
Knowledge Types Information Process Skills Expertise | Dependencies Training: Required Technology Support: Some Process Development: Some Duration:Ongoing | Participants IT leader Incoming IT team Key stakeholders | Materials Meeting space Video conferencing (as needed) |
Action Review is a team-based discussion at the end of a project or step to review how the activity went and what can be done differently next time. It is ideal for transferring expertise and skills.
Benefits:
How to get started:
Knowledge Types Information Process Skills Expertise | Dependencies Training:Minimal Technology Support: Minimal Process Development: Some Duration:Ongoing | Participants IT unit/group Any related IT stakeholder impacted by or involved in a project. | Materials Meeting space Video conferencing (as needed) |
Mentoring can be a formal program where management sets schedules and expectations. It can also be informal through an environment for open dialogue where staff is encouraged to seek advice and guidance, and to share their knowledge with more novice members of the organization.
Benefits:
How to get started:
Creating a mentorship program is a full project in itself. For full details on how to set up a mentorship program, see McLean & Company’s Build a Mentoring Program.
Knowledge Types Information Process Skills Expertise | Dependencies Training: Required Technology Support: N/a Process Development:Required Duration:Ongoing | Participants IT unit/group | Materials Meeting space Video conferencing (as needed) Documentation |
Knowledge sources use anecdotal examples to highlight a specific point and pass on information, experience, and ideas through narrative.
Benefits:
How to get started:
Knowledge Types Information Process Skills Expertise | Dependencies Training: Required Technology Support: Some Process Development:Required Duration:Ongoing | Participants Knowledge source Knowledge receiver Videographer (where applicable) | Materials Meeting space Video conferencing (as needed) Documentation |
Job share exists when at least two people share the knowledge and responsibilities of two job roles.
Benefits:
How to get started:
Knowledge Types Information Process Skills Expertise | Dependencies Training: Some Technology Support: Minimal Process Development:Required Duration:Ongoing | Participants IT manager HR Employees | Materials Job descriptions |
Communities of practice are working groups of individuals who engage in a process of regularly sharing information with each other across different parts of the organization by focusing on common purpose and working practices. These groups meet on a regular basis to work together on problem solving, to gain information, ask for help and assets, and share opinions and best practices.
Benefits:
How to get started:
Knowledge Types Information Process Skills Expertise | Dependencies Training:Required Technology Support: Required Process Development:Required Duration:Ongoing | Participants Employees BA (to assist in establishing) IT managers (rewards and recognition) | Materials TBD |
This table shows the relative strengths and weaknesses of each knowledge transfer tactic compared to four different knowledge types.
Not all techniques are effective for types of knowledge; it is important to use a healthy mixture of techniques to optimize effectiveness.
Very strong = Very effective
Strong = Effective
Medium = Somewhat effective
Weak = Minimally effective
Very weak = Not effective
Knowledge Type | ||||
Tactic | Explicit | Tacit | ||
Information | Process | Skills | Expertise | |
Interviews | Very strong | Strong | Strong | Strong |
Process mapping | Medium | Very strong | Very weak | Very weak |
Use cases | Medium | Very strong | Very weak | Very weak |
Job shadow | Very weak | Medium | Very strong | Very strong |
Peer assist | Strong | Medium | Very strong | Very strong |
Action review | Medium | Medium | Strong | Weak |
Mentoring | Weak | Weak | Strong | Very strong |
Transition workshop | Strong | Strong | Strong | Strong |
Story telling | Weak | Weak | Strong | Very strong |
Job share | Weak | Weak | Very strong | Very strong |
Communities of practice | Strong | Weak | Very strong | Very strong |
Level of Engagement | ||
Tactic | Disengaged/ Indifferent | Almost Engaged - Engaged |
Interviews | Yes | Yes |
Process mapping | Yes | Yes |
Use cases | Yes | Yes |
Job shadow | No | Yes |
Peer assist | Yes | Yes |
Action review | Yes | Yes |
Mentoring | No | Yes |
Transition workshop | Yes | Yes |
Story telling | No | Yes |
Job share | Maybe | Yes |
Communities of practice | Maybe | Yes |
When considering which tactics to employ, it’s important to consider the knowledge holder’s level of engagement. Employees whom you would identify as being disengaged may not make good candidates for job shadowing, mentoring, or other tactics where they are required to do additional work or are asked to influence others.
Knowledge transfer can be controversial for all employees as it can cause feelings of job insecurity. It’s essential that motivations for knowledge transfer are communicated effectively.
Pay particular attention to your communication style with disengaged and indifferent employees, communicate frequently, and tie communication back to what’s in it for them.
Putting disengaged employees in a position where they are mentoring others can be a risk. Their negativity could influence others not to participate as well or negate the work you’re doing to create a positive knowledge sharing culture.
There is a wide variety of different collaboration tools available to enable interpersonal and team connections for work-related purposes. Familiarize yourself with all types of collaboration tools to understand what is available to help facilitate knowledge transfer.
Collaboration Tools |
|||
Content Management |
Real Time Communication |
Community Collaboration |
Social Collaboration |
Tools for collaborating around documents. They store content and allow for easy sharing and editing, e.g. content repositories and version control. Can be used for:
|
Tools that enable real-time employee interactions. They permit “on-demand” workplace communication, e.g. IM, video and web conferencing. Can be used for:
|
Tools that allow teams and communities to come together and share ideas or collaborate on projects, e.g. team portals, discussion boards, and ideation tools. Can be used for:
|
Social tools borrow concepts from consumer social media and apply them to the employee-centric context, e.g. employee profiles, activity streams, and microblogging. Can be used for:
|
For more information on Collaboration Tools and how to use them, see Info-Tech’s Establish a Communication and Collaboration System Strategy.
Wherever possible, ask employees about their personal learning styles. It’s likely that a collaborative compromise will have to be struck for knowledge transfer to work well.
We will use the IT Knowledge Transfer Plans as the foundation for building your knowledge transfer roadmap.
The Strength Level column will indicate how well matched the tactic is to the type of knowledge.
Input | Output |
|
|
Materials | Participants |
|
|
Activities
2.2.1 Merge Your Knowledge Transfer Plans
2.2.2 Define Knowledge Transfer Initiatives’ Timeframes
The goal of this step is to build the logistics of the knowledge transfer roadmap to prepare to communicate it to key stakeholders.
Outcomes of this step
Depending on the desired state of maturity, the number of initiatives your organization has will vary and there could be a lengthy number of tasks and subtasks required to reach your organization knowledge transfer target state. The best way to plan, organize, and manage all of them is with a project roadmap.
Populate the task column of the Project Planning and Monitoring Tool. See the following slides for more details on how to do this.
Effort by Stakeholder | |||||
Tactic | Business Analyst | IT Manager | Knowledge Holder | Knowledge Receiver | |
Interviews | Medium | N/A | Low | Low | These tactics require the least amount of effort, especially for organizations that are already using these tactics for a traditional requirements gathering process. |
Process Mapping | Medium | N/A | Low | Low | |
Use Cases | Medium | N/A | Low | Low | |
Job Shadow | Medium | Medium | Medium | Medium | These tactics generally require more involvement from IT management and the BA in tandem for preparation. They will also require ongoing effort for all stakeholders. Stakeholder buy-in is key for success. |
Peer Assist | Medium | Medium | Medium | Medium | |
Action Review | Low | Medium | Medium | Low | |
Mentoring | Medium | High | High | Medium | |
Transition Workshop | Medium | Low | Medium | Low | |
Story Telling | Medium | Medium | Low | Low | |
Job Share | Medium | High | Medium | Medium | |
Communities of Practice | High | Medium | Medium | Medium |
Implementation Dependencies | |||||
Tactic | Training | Technology Support | Process Development | Duration | |
Interviews | Minimal | N/A | Minimal | Annual | Start your knowledge transfer project here to get quick wins for explicit knowledge. |
Process Mapping | Minimal | N/A | Minimal | Annual | |
Use Cases | Minimal | N/A | Minimal | Annual | |
Job Shadow | Required | N/A | Required | Ongoing | Don’t change too much too quickly or try to introduce all of the tactics at once. Focus on 1-2 key tactics and spend a significant amount of time upfront building an effective process and rolling it out. Leverage the effectiveness of the initial tactics to push these initiatives forward. |
Peer Assist | Minimal | N/A | Required | Ongoing | |
Action Review | Minimal | Minimal | Some | Ongoing | |
Mentoring | Required | N/A | Required | Ongoing | |
Transition Workshop | Required | Some | Some | Ongoing | |
Story Telling | Some | Required | Required | Ongoing | |
Job Share | Some | Minimal | Required | Ongoing | |
Communities of Practice | Required | Required | Required | Ongoing |
Input | Output |
| |
Materials | Participants |
|
|
Input | Output |
|
|
Materials | Participants |
|
|
Phase 1 | Phase 2 | Phase 3 |
---|---|---|
1.1 Obtain approval for project 1.2 Identify knowledge and stakeholder risks | 2.1 Build knowledge transfer plans 2.2 Build knowledge transfer roadmap | 3.1 Communicate your roadmap |
This phase will walk you through the following activities:
This phase involves the following participants:
Activities
3.1.1 Prepare IT Knowledge Transfer Roadmap Presentation
The goal of this step is to be ready to communicate the roadmap with the project team, project sponsor, and other key stakeholders.
Outcomes of this step
Obtain approval for the IT Knowledge Transfer Roadmap by customizing Info-Tech’s IT Knowledge Transfer Roadmap Presentation Template designed to effectively convey your key messages. Tailor the template to suit your needs.
It includes:
The support of IT leadership is critical to the success of your roadmap roll-out. Remind them of the project benefits and impact them hard with the risks/pain points.
Know your audience:
Input | Output |
|
|
Materials | Participants |
|
|
Babcock, Pamela. “Shedding Light on Knowledge Management.” HR Magazine, 1 May 2004.
King, Rachael. "Big Tech Problem as Mainframes Outlast Workforce." Bloomberg, 3 Aug. 2010. Web.
Krill, Paul. “IT’s Most Wanted: Mainframe Programmers.” IDG Communications, Inc. 1 December 2011.
McLean & Company. “Mitigate the Risk of Baby Boomer Retirement with Scalable Succession Planning.” 7 March 2016.
McLean & Company. “Make the Case For Employee Engagement.” McLean and Company. 27 March 2014.
PwC. “15th Annual Global CEO Survey: Delivering Results Growth and Value in a Volatile World.” PwC, 2012.
Rocket Software, Inc. “Rocket Software 2022 Survey Report: The State of the Mainframe.” Rocket Software, Inc. January 2022. Accessed 30 April 2022.
Ross, Jenna. “Intangible Assets: A Hidden but Crucial Driver of Company Value.” Visual Capitalist, 11 February 2020. Accessed 2 May 2022.