The expert is leaving - the knowledge is lost? DLR's Knowledge management solution for the leaving expert issue.

Paper number

IAC-15,D5,2,5,x30071

Author

Mr. Uwe Knodt, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt e.V. (DLR), Germany

Coauthor

Dr. Evelina Dineva, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, Germany

Coauthor

Mr. Björn Nagel, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt, Germany

Year

2015

Abstract

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Since four years the German Aerospace Centre (DLR, Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt) reorganizes its knowledge management processes. In the project “Establishing an integrated knowledge management system" (EIWis) critical knowledge management gaps become recognized. By asking the employees in a survey about knowledge management a main problem was clearly identified: the leaving expert issue.
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There are various situations why experts are leaving. In an academic environment like at DLR for instance doctoral students leave after they have reached their goal. But leaving employees always leave with the knowledge they have achieved. Each case means a specific relationship between the expert and the organization, while the expert is leaving and after departure.  This shows the necessity for different approaches for knowledge sharing. A comprehensive knowledge perspective can help to avoid problems when an expert is leaving, but cannot replace the engagement with the subject.
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Together with the human resources department EIWis developed a transfer process for leaving employees. After intensive testing three main components were chosen for the knowledge transfer at DLR: Expert Debriefing, Story Telling and the Computer-based Knowledge Transfer. An overview of the different approaches for knowledge transfer when experts are leaving will be given.

Abstract document

IAC-15,D5,2,5,x30071.brief.pdf

Manuscript document

IAC-15,D5,2,5,x30071.pdf (🔒 authorized access only).

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