Attachment_9_-_Adapting_Knowledge_Mapping_Templates.pdf

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ADAPTING KNOWLEDGE MAPPING TEMPLATES TO YOUR NEEDS

Templates are an invaluable asset for knowledge mapping. By standardizing the information collected, templates make mapping faster, easier, and more consistent. They are especially valuable when mapping an entire business unit or enterprise, since maps are easier to interweave and compare when they are all based on a standard template.

APQC and other groups offer generic templates to guide knowledge mapping exercises.

While it is fine to use these templates as-is if they meet your needs, many organizations use them as starting points to create custom documents that reflect their internal terminology, structure, and knowledge mapping goals. In this article, you will learn how best-practice organizations adapt knowledge mapping templates to their needs.

APQC’S KNOWLEDGE MAP TEMPLATES

APQC offers key resources for knowledge mapping in the Knowledge Mapping Concepts and Tools collection. The collection includes commonly used templates along with descriptions and instructions for each. The most used template is for process-based knowledge mapping (Figure 1).

Excerpt from APQC’s Process-Based Knowledge Map Template

Figure 1

About This Research

In 2017-2018, APQC interviewed five organizations with best-in-class knowledge mapping programs to understand how they develop knowledge maps and leverage their insights to solve business challenges. More information can be found in APQC’s

Knowledge Mapping in Action collection.

W912CM-19-Q-0004 Attachment 9 https://www.apqc.org/knowledge-base/documents/apqc-s-process-based-knowledge-map-description-and-instructions https://www.apqc.org/knowledge-base/documents/apqc-s-process-based-knowledge-map-description-and-instructions https://www.apqc.org/knowledge-base/collections/knowledge-mapping-action-collection

This template is designed to document the knowledge required to execute a business process and its composite activities. As such, it is a good fit for organizations with clearly defined business processes that want to document the flow of knowledge within and between those processes.

However, APQC has also seen organizations adapt this template for other forms of knowledge mapping. This works because the core questions within the template—such as “What knowledge is needed?”, “Who owns this knowledge?” and “Where is this knowledge”—are integral to knowledge mapping, no matter the organizing focus.

HOW BEST-PRACTICE ORGANIZATIONS DO IT

BECHTEL

Engineering and construction company Bechtel worked with APQC to develop a custom knowledge mapping template (Figure 2) based closely on

APQC’ standard process-based knowledge map template (Figure 1). Bechtel’s knowledge mapping effort is oriented around categories of critical or at-risk knowledge held by a subject matter expert, so the KM team restructured APQC’s template to focus on these categories rather than processes and activities.

Excerpt from Bechtel’s Knowledge Map Template with Sample Categories

Figure 2

Bechtel’s KM team identifies knowledge categories through interviews with the expert being mapped and his or her colleagues. The team then prioritizes categories by evaluating the likelihood and consequences of knowledge loss for each. After a final review with the expert, the KM team adds the specific knowledge categories into the template. During knowledge mapping sessions, a member of the KM team walks the expert through each category and asks questions to complete the template.

Bechtel’s KM team also added columns to APQC’s template, including ones to capture:

the purpose or issue that the knowledge supports, when or how often the knowledge is refreshed, and

Bechtel-specific taxonomic information (document name/number).

These alterations reflect the nature of work at Bechtel as well as the goal of Bechtel’s knowledge mapping program, which is to prevent knowledge loss from expert retirements. The “purpose” question helps prioritize which expert knowledge is most important to ongoing and future business operations. The “refreshed” question allows the team to assess how often expert input is needed to keep documentation up to date.

Taxonomic information indicates exactly where documents are currently stored in the organization.

U.S. ARMY ARDEC

The U.S. Army Armament Research, Development, and Engineering Center (ARDEC) worked with APQC to develop a standard knowledge mapping template (Figure 3) to collect information from ARDEC headquarters and its seven component directorates, which function similarly to business units. The objective was to use the same template with every group in order to ensure consistent data collection.

Like Bechtel, ARDEC started with APQC’s process-based template (Figure 1). However, the cross-functional composition of each ARDEC directorate meant that multiple diverse processes were represented in each group. This made it impossible to focus knowledge mapping activities on a single process or set of processes. So instead, ARDEC organized its template around strategic business needs.

APQC and ARDEC also made the following alterations to the template:

replaced the term “knowledge” with “data” throughout the template;

included information about IT systems;

integrated risk analysis for flow, quality, and impact to more systematically evaluate gaps; and included sections on barriers and choke points.

Excerpt from a U.S. Army ARDEC Directorate Knowledge Map

Figure 3

These features reflect ARDEC’s unique knowledge environment and objectives. The KM office sits within ARDEC’s Enterprise & Systems Integration

Center and is also responsible for enterprise architecture and product lifecycle management. For this reason, it’s helpful to orient knowledge mapping toward the flow of data and information within and among IT systems. ARDEC’s goal for knowledge mapping is to identify, prevent, and close knowledge gaps across the organization. The templates help ARDEC meet this objective by allowing the KM team to collect a lot of information about knowledge loss risks and barriers in the flow of knowledge.

TRIANZ

IT and management consulting organization Trianz developed its knowledge mapping tool based on standard templates the chief knowledge officer (CKO) had used at other organizations (Figure 4). Although different from APQC’s template, Trianz’s version poses many similar questions, including who owns each knowledge asset and where it currently resides.

Trianz Knowledge Mapping Template−Sample

Figure 4

Note: Entries under the

“Knowledge Asset

Type” column are sample entries from one particular stakeholder. They vary for each stakeholder.

The template collects information about the primary knowledge assets and tools in the candidate’s business area, including:

the category/type of knowledge;

who creates the knowledge (including whether the item is created by the candidate’s group, a different internal group, or an external source);

who owns the knowledge (including internal and external sources);

where the knowledge is stored;

who currently uses the knowledge;

who is not currently using the knowledge but might do so they had easy access; and any additional comments.

Trianz’s template is simpler than those at Bechtel and ARDEC. One reason is that the organization focuses primarily on “big picture” mapping of key knowledge assets and sources. In addition, participants are responsible for filling out the template on their own (though the CKO provides instructions and guidance). Thus, it’s important for individuals unfamiliar with knowledge mapping to be able to easily navigate the template.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

When it comes to creating knowledge mapping templates, there’s no reason to re-invent the wheel. Simple templates in Microsoft Excel and other software packages are readily available and easy to use. However, best-practice organizations typically refine templates based on the knowledge environment and the goals of the knowledge mapping exercise. APQC recommends the following guidelines for updating templates.

Update terminology to reflect your organizational structure and how employees think about knowledge.

Add columns as needed to collect essential information and meet your organization’s goals for the exercise.

Remove columns if they are not needed.

Retain core knowledge mapping questions such as: Who has the knowledge? Where is it? What is it for? Who needs it?

Avoid changing the template once you start mapping, especially if the goal is to compare maps across groups or identify interdependencies.

ABOUT APQC

APQC helps organizations work smarter, faster, and with greater confidence. It is the world’s foremost authority in benchmarking, best practices, process and performance improvement, and knowledge management. APQC’s unique structure as a member-based nonprofit makes it a differentiator in the marketplace. APQC partners with more than 500 member organizations worldwide in all industries. With more than 40 years of experience, APQC remains the world’s leader in transforming organizations. Visit us at www.apqc.org, and learn how you can make best practices your practices.

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