Enterprise BPM framework: Process Oriented Knowledge Management

by Mr. Frank Luyckx in group ARIS BPM Blog
Posted: 2010-03-23
5236 views | 1 comments | category: Business Process Management

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knowledge management

By capturing unstructured data (e.g., comments, FAQ, past experiences, user documentation) in a process, you can create a shared repository for knowledge management. Additionally, you can begin to link past experiences and best practices within the business processes.

The supply of timely and efficient user support mechanisms (e.g. Help Desk, on-line assistance for user documentation, key user organization, etc.) will make smooth work execution possible and can even help you to not make the same mistake twice.

The business process can be the basis of the central knowledge management repository; the following information can be linked to the business processes:

1. The relevant work instructions, business forms and e-learning modules

2. The BPM models and BPM Information contained within the BPM framework

3. The linkage to the DMS (Document Management Systems)

4. Searching for the relevant information by search and retrieval systems

5. Sharing of relevant experiences, FAQ and virtual communities

6. Linkage of expert systems and knowledge database

7. The persons who have experience with the execution of the process

8. Build communication groups with push-emails and groupware solutions

9. Who can access the information connected to the processes (intellectual capital management)

10. The current process performance information and the related benchmark information

Knowledge itself is not manageable. What is manageable are the processes necessary to encourage the sharing of knowledge and the development of intellectual capital assets.Knowledge management requires a procedure that may be used by all members of the organization to share their process knowledge and experiences. Therefore it must be possible to provide new documentation within the knowledge management repository.

The BPM Training and BPM certification program

The E2E process knowledge and BPM skills are a prerequisite for the success of BPM. The BPM training program should be based on the E2E process flows and the process oriented knowledge management environment to utilize the benefits of BPM. To make sure the BPM training program is adjusted to the knowledge which is required to execute the E2E processes, a skills matrix can be used.

Figure; Skills matrix

The skill matrix will define the required skills/knowledge for every role within the E2E processes. Based on the skill matrix, the BPM training program can be defined.

The business processes will be used as guidance through the training course. The processes are explained and voice recording of the explanation can be done (blended learning). By using the blended learning methodologies via the intranet the trainings can also be used for new hires.

Additional exercises at the end of a process can insure the understanding of the E2E process. The employees also have to be trained in understanding of the BPM strategy, BPM objectives, BPM methodology and the BPM tool usage.

In order to get an overview of the available skills and resources within the organization a BPM certification program should be set-up. All the employees will be assigned to the different roles within the skill matrix and a BPM training and BPM certification program will be defined. The knowledge gap analysis will give a good insight in quality and the availability of the current employees

The BPM trainings program and the skills matrix must be managed by the BPM governance organization and aligned with the current Learning Management environment. The current Learning Management environment can be utilized to monitor the progress of the BPM certification program.

The BPM certifications can be done via an on-line exam, these options should be discussed with the training coordinator.

Based on the resource capacity requirements and the BPM certification program, the required HRM resource and hiring plan can be defined and aligned with the HRM department.

Comments

by Mr. Geert van der Molen on Fri, 2011/09/02 - 12:31pm

Dear Mr. Luyckx,

A very interesing article. With respect I comment having practical experience with knowledge management and training in technical companies, less with object oriented BPM software (though I have experience using methodologies and different notation formats for process description and practical experience with making them).

We help our customers gaining more return on knowledge. Knowledge is a combination of tacit knowledge and explicit knowledge. Knowledge is only usefull when used (practiced) by people. I agree that knowledge can not be managed directly, but of course the way people share knowledge, learn and have access to knowledge (experienced people and explicit knowledge) can be managed. BPM can be very usefull in order to make people understand interdependencies between activities within the process chain/the extended enterprise. The method you propose is interesting and recognisible but focusses on BPM and BPM training. In order to gain more return on knowledge a good balance is needed between strategy, content and systems.

I would like to share our experience with you about every day practical problems implementing means and tools for knowledge management with our customers. Management is often interested in process and process control, but for 'workers' processes are not a very usefull daily aid in getting the job done. Of course this is dependent on the type of industry (type of processes), user group and maturity of the organization.

In our experience access to relevant work instructions, and business forms for the most part is facilitated using DMS or CMS + ERP (e.g. S.A.P.). Access to e-learning modules is facilitated by LMS (Learning Management) systems. As for training people a blended way of learning is needed in order to be succesfull. For each customer use situations and content differ. A thorough analysis of user groups and use (use cases) is needed. BPM software can be very usefull here. In my opinion organization, team work and ... discipline is key to success (often the focus is to much on IT and most of the IT professionals don't communicate very well with the workforce).

Linking Document Management Systems to ERP systems (e.g. S.A.P.) and BPM systems in practice is reletively 'terra incognita' as far as my experience is concerned. Of course there are integrated solutions, but each system vendor has its strengths and in practice you have to connect systems of different vendors (SOA). Implementing is in the first place organizing. BPM is of use here.

As for searching relevant information by search and retrieval systems: every body wants a 'company Google' (I never have seen a good one), also here a thorough analysis (by use cases and scenarios) is needed in order to structure company knowledge, otherwise there is no focus for improvement (we do not understand the universe...). Sometimes people not only need to find documents: they have to be sure they found the only right document. Here BPM is very usefull in order to relate the details to the objectives and target groups on the different levels in the process hiërarchy.

Expert systems and knowledge databases can be linked to processes, but will also be accessed via the company portal. In fact BPM should be accessible via the company portal.

As for finding the persons who have experience with the execution of the process ('yellow pages') I think this is very suitable for realising within both BPM and ERP system: from process to people and vice versa.

As for the building of communication groups with push-emails and groupware solutions: here social media might be more apt. Naturally it is a good idea to facilitate communication on process improvement within the BPM application.

I would like to meet you in order to share experience and find out how we can make more use of ARIS software for knowledge management in Dutch companies. I have built a BPM model of the maintance processes for a customer (electricity plants) where process descriptions are made for both data management (S.A.P. ERP) and document management.

Regards,

Geert van der Molen (Eluxis)