Applying a
Knowledge Strategy
Dr. Scott Shaffar
March 2003
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Copyright 2003 Northrop Grumman Corporation
Agenda
§Knowledge Strategy, Process and Tools
§Synergy with Lean
§Closure
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Knowledge Strategy,
Process and Tools
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Copyright 2003 Northrop Grumman Corporation
You Need a Knowledge Strategy if…
§One of Your Key Staff Members Is Leaving and You
Don’t Know Who Would Be the Best Replacement
§Your Teams Start from Scratch
§It Takes too Long for New Employees to Become
Productive Team Members
§You Have Pockets of People Doing the Same Thing
and They Are Not Talking to Each Other
§You Realize That Your Team is Repeating the
Same Mistake
§It Takes You More Than 15 Minutes to Find a Subject
Matter Expert to Answer a Question
§You Don’t Know Precisely What Is in Your System, or
Who Worked on It
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Copyright 2003 Northrop Grumman Corporation
Knowledge Strategy – Process and Tools
§Knowledge Management
Is a Process
– Learning, Linking,
Leveraging
– And Leading
§Technology Solutions
and Communities are
Enablers
– “Linking” Knowledge
(Portals)
– People to People
(Expert Location)
– People to Documents)
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Copyright 2003 Northrop Grumman Corporation
Issue: KAX-xxx; Issue Date: 4/17/99; Status Date: 5/3/00; Team: KAX, IPCD: 74-NXXXX L4: C. Kent, x12345; L5: L. Lane, 12346
Issue
? Succinct statement of the problem
? Use Arial; font sizes no larger than 28, no smaller than 18; bold for
headings
? Use no more than 12 to 14 lines of text per page
? Reference CAR or other Quality document when applicable
? When updating, put new text in BLUE
? When closed, include “Closed” banner on first page only
– No charts can say “Preliminary” when issue is closed
Impact
? Define aircraft affected and net effect of problem
? Identify whether problem affects BAC’s assembly line
Status
? Define current actions taken
X
Y
z
568
129
+/-7Y
* * * ISSUE CLOSED * * *
Short Descriptive Title No. KAX-XXX
Issue: KAX-xxx; Issue Date: 4/17/99; Status Date: 5/3/00; Team: KAX, IPCD: 74-NXXXX L4: C. Kent, x12345; L5: L. Lane, 12346
Major Contributor
Minor Contributor
No Impact
Root Cause
Meeting Attendees
mm/ dd/ yy
John Doe,Bill Sparks, Clark Kent,
Lois Lane, Billy Batson
Root Cause Fault Tree
Under Investigation
Missing Fasteners
@ Bootstrap/Y679
Former
Product
Definition ProductDelivery
PlanningDesignDesign M.EM.E CostcenterAssy QAQA
Engineering
is Correct
Drawing
Clarity
Drawing
Clarity
Fasteners
Shown on
Main View
to Stand Out
Fasteners
Shown on
Main View
to Stand Out
Visual Aids
not
Implemented
Per Issue 141
Visual Aids
not
Implemented
Per Issue 141
Planning
Clarity
Planning
Calls out
Fasteners
Planning
Does Not
Specifically
Install Fstnrs
Planning
Not Altered
Per Issue 141
Planning
Not Altered
Per Issue 141
Did Not
See Fstrs
on Drawing
Did Not
See Fstrs
on Drawing
CC
Supervisor
CC Mechanic
Employee
Training
Did Not
See Fstrs
on Drawing
Did Not
See Fstrs
on Drawing
Did Not
See Fstrs
on Drawing
Did Not
See Fstrs
on Drawing
Did Not
See Fstrs
on Drawing
Leveraging Product Knowledge
Issues Tracking System at IS
§ Learning: Capturing Knowledge
– Issues Documented in a
Standard Format
– Indexed to Aircraft Coordinates
§ Linking: Organizing and Sharing
Knowledge
– Web Accessible
– Part of Normal Work
– Categorized by Root Cause
– Structured to Speed Access
§ Leveraging: Re-Using and
Adapting Existing Knowledge
– Creates Automated Lessons
Learned
– Supports Root Cause Analysis
& Training
KM Impact:
1. Eliminated Wastes
2. Reduced Costs
3. Increased Customer Response
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Copyright 2003 Northrop Grumman Corporation
Knowledge Strategy
§The Single Greatest
Source of Knowledge
Is Our People
§We are Focused on
Knowledge Flow
– Across Boundaries
– Rather Than Just
Knowledge Stock
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Copyright 2003 Northrop Grumman Corporation
…Leveraging Organizational Knowledge
without
Personal
Knowledge
Organizational
Knowledge
with
Sum total of
knowledge for
building customer
value by any one
individual
a knowledge strategy
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Copyright 2003 Northrop Grumman Corporation
Building Knowledge Networks
Tapping Tacit Knowledge
§ Via an IT
Solution That
Profiles Experts
via Email
§ Includes
Personal Privacy
Features
Knowing Our Talent – Xref
§ Provides
Detailed
Employee
Profiles
§ Focused on
Experiences,
Not Just Skills
Technology OrganizationsandPeople
ProcessesandPractices
CommunitiesofPractice
Technology OrganizationsandPeople
ProcessesandPractices
CommunitiesofPractice
Technology OrganizationsandandPeople
ProcessesandPractices
CommunitiesofPractice
Technology OrganizationsandPeople
ProcessesandPractices
CommunitiesofPractice
Technology OrganizationsandPeople
ProcessesandPractices
CommunitiesofPractice
§ Sharing
Knowledge
– Communities
of Practice
– Collaboration
Tools &
Environments
§ Linking Knowledge
– Enterprise Portal
– Expert Locator
– Livelink
– Learning
Managing Talent
IPT B IPT C IPT DIPT A
DM
DM
DM
DM
DM
1
2
3
4
5
§ A Process
for Tracking,
Retaining &
Developing
Talent
§ Covers Engineering & Operations
§ Being Used to Staff Programs,
Smarter and Much Faster
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Copyright 2003 Northrop Grumman Corporation
Tapping Talent – Throughout the Enterprise
We Know from a Knowledge Audit That
§People are Our Primary Source of Knowledge
§People are Our First Stop for Knowledge
§Half of Our Employees Spend 8 Hours or More per
Week Searching for Knowledge
Consequently,
§Expertise Location Is a Key Enabler for Leveraging
the Collective Tacit Knowledge of NGC
Gartner, Jan ’02
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Expert Locator System
§ Enables the Location of
Talent Throughout the
Enterprise
§ Uses Xref and Tacit
Knowledge Mail Databases
– Tacit: Taps the Most
Current Knowledge in
Our Enterprise
– Xref: Provides a
Structured Historical
Perspective, with Ties
to Products
§ Completed Pilot in 2002,
Deployment in 2003 Under
IES3
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Copyright 2003 Northrop Grumman Corporation
Expert Locator Database: Xref
Finding Experts
KM Impact:
1. We Know our Talent
2. Staffing New Programs Faster
3. Improved Career Planning
4. People Finding People? Total Accounts 12,000
? Logins/Month 4,000
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Providing Knowledge Access
§ Vision
– Livelink Is the Primary
Knowledge Repository
§ Wide Range of Usage
– Programs, Teams
– Command Media
– Customer and Supplier
Collaboration
Programs
TeamsImpact:
? Reducing Reinvention & Rework
? Reducing Search Time
? Providing Secure Collaboration
? Across the Extended Enterprise
? Enabling Work Anywhere
? Available 24/7 from the Web
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Workflow Example – Spares Process
§ Livelink Workflow Is Utilized on a Number of Key Business Processes
– Including Spare Parts Orders from Customers
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Building Communities of Practice (CoPs)
§ To Enable Sharing of Knowledge
Across Boundaries
– Builds Networks and Trust
§ We Have Established 12+ CoPs
– Knowledge Management
– Lean Advocates
– Systems Thinking
– Microsoft Access
– College Hire
– Instrumentation & Data Systems
– Quality Engineering, Offsite
Quality, Conformity Inspection,
First Article
– Materiel Pricing
– CMMI
? Strong “Pull” from
Advocates
? Owned and Led by the
Advocates
? Currently Focused on
Improving the Lean Project
Process (ETP Program)
? Created a Web Page to
Share Forms, Records and
other Key Documents
? Connecting Lean SME’s
with Advocates
? Next Task: Create an After
Action Review Process for
Lean Projects
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Copyright 2003 Northrop Grumman Corporation
CoP Example: Off-Site Quality Assurance
§ Quality Assurance Experts at
Multiple Customer Sites
– Doing the Same Job
– Isolated from Each Other
§ Members
– Hill AFB, Utah
– Tinker AFB, Oklahoma
– Whiteman AFB, Missouri
– Boeing, St. Louis, Missouri
– New Town, North Dakota
§ Knowledge Sharing Plan
Developed
– Defect Escapes, Customer
Interface
– Virtual Community Space
Created (Web Based)
? Positive Acceptance by
Community Members
– Sharing Practices, Tools,
Lessons Learned
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Improving Shared Services: Materiel
SourceView Portal
§ Retain & Share Critical
Knowledge
§ Lessons Learned
– Contract Close-Out
§ Estimating Resources
§ Sector Pricing Community
of Practice
§ Buyer’s File Cabinet
– Everything a Buyer
Needs
– Enables Work
Anywhere
Why Collaborative Offices?
Repetitive Process Knowledge Work
Functional Product Teams
Individual Team
Doing Learning
Work As a “Place” Work Anywhere
Manual Technology
1979 2002
? Modernizing Office
Spaces Can
Improve...
– Knowledge
Sharing
– Social Networks
and Trust
– Team
Productivity
– Collaboration,
Communication
– Space Utilization
– Employee
Satisfaction
Owens Corning Example
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F/A-18 Collaborative Workplace Environment
§ Reused Existing Furniture
(Limited Capital Budgets)
§ Builds Upon KM and Avionics
Pilots, Lean Team and
Materiel Layouts
§ New Layout Approach
– Created Team Areas
– Increased Community
Space
– Provided Tables for
Informal Meetings
– Provided New Carpeting
§ Implementing Program Wide
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Copyright 2003 Northrop Grumman Corporation
F-35 Collaborative Workplace Environment
§ New Furniture and Layout
– Builds Upon KM, Lean
Team, Materiel, and
F/A-18 Experiences
– Teams of 8 with Center
Collaborative Areas
§ All Employees Have Same
Personal Space
– Only Band 4 Managers
Have Offices
§ Layout Includes
Additional Collaborative
Areas
§ Created Jointly with the
Team
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Copyright 2003 Northrop Grumman Corporation
Changing Mental ModelsFrom
§ After the Fact
– Lessons Learned
– Knowledge Capture Events
§ Training
– Courses & Classrooms
– Just in Case
§ Passive Knowledge Retention
– Fingers Crossed
§ From Knowledge Capture
– Driven by Downsizing and
Retirements
§ Heads Down Work
– Command and Control
– Don’t Waste Time Talking
To
§ During Work
– After Action Reviews
– Process Imbedded Solutions
§ Learning
– Knowledge Objects
– Just in Time, Just Enough
§ Proactive Knowledge Retention
– Mentoring, Rotation
§ Knowledge Flow
– Crossing Boundaries via
Communities of Practice
§ Sharing Work
– Knowledge Cafés
– Collaborative Offices
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Copyright 2003 Northrop Grumman Corporation
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Synergy with Lean
Knowledge Management
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Copyright 2003 Northrop Grumman Corporation
KM Enabling Lean
Look at
the Task &
its Quality
Record
Info. Flow &
its Time
Record
Info. Flow &
its Time
Eliminate
Info That is
Waste
Eliminate
Info That is
Waste
Optimize
Remaining
Info. Flow
Optimize
Remaining
Info. Flow
Redesign
Any Tools
Redesign
Any Tools
Look at
the Task &
its Motions
Record
Each Motion
& its Time
Record
Each Motion
& its Time
Eliminate
Motions that
are Waste
Eliminate
Motions that
are Waste
Optimize
Remaining
Motions
Optimize
Remaining
Motions
Redesign
Any Tools
Redesign
Any Tools
Material Information
Factory Office
An Air Combat Systems Knowledge Audit
Showed that 50% of Our Employees Spend 8
Hours or More Each Week Searching for
Knowledge – That Costs Us ~$150M Each Year
KM
5 Principles
? Value
? Value Stream
? Flow
? Pull
? Perfection
7 Wastes
? Waiting
? Inventory
? Processing
? Transportation
? Over Production
? Defective Product
? Unnecessary Movement
7 Tactics
? Discover
? Capture
? Organize
? Share
? Adapt
? Use
? Create
3 Principles
? Learning
? Linking
? Leveraging
Both Strive for:
Lower Cost,
Better Products,
Faster Cycle Times
Systematic
Removal of
Non-Value
Activities
Enables
Sharing
and
Reuse
Lean
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Copyright 2003 Northrop Grumman Corporation
KM and Lean – A Product View
KM
Lean Mfg.
Lean Mfg.
KM
Time
Maturity
ValueValue
Product MaturityProduct Maturity Innovation
Performanc
e/Productiv
ity
Time/Cost Reduction
? Lean Mfg. Has the Greatest Impact
on Value Through Eliminating
Waste and Time Reductions in
Production
? Lean Enterprise Has the Most Life
Cycle Impact on Product Cost,
Quality While Also Creating Value
for the Enterprise
? Early in the Product Maturity
Cycle, KM Has the Greatest
Impact on Value Through
Innovation
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Copyright 2003 Northrop Grumman Corporation
KM and Lean are Symbiotic
KM Helping Lean
§ Majority of NGC Work Is
Knowledge Work
– The Means of Productivity
Exists Predominately in the
Minds of Our Employees
– KM Focuses on the Flow of
Knowledge
– Knowledge Is Needed to
Perform
§ Enables Continuous Learning
About Lean
– Lean Advocate Community of
Practice
§ Helps Transfer Process & Systems
to Accelerate Movement Towards a
Common Operating Model
– Lean Project Planning
Knowledge Base
Lean Helping KM
§ Lean Enterprise Provides a
Structure That Can Utilize and
Enable KM
– Emphasizes Focus on the
Customer and Value Stream
§ Lean Projects Often Involve
Knowledge Challenges
– Provides a Venue for Applying
KM
§ Lean Enterprise Enables Learning
Culture
– Lean Events Create Emergent
Learning Opportunities
§ At NGC, KM is Part of the Lean
Deployment Learning Modules
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Copyright 2003 Northrop Grumman Corporation
Knowledge
Management
Office
Five “S”
Shop & Lab
Five “S”
Applying
Acquisition
Excellence
Process
Architecture
Lean
Thinking
Value
Stream
Mapping
Design for
Six Sigma
Applying
Six Sigma
Product Focus
26
Lean Learning
Modules
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Copyright 2003 Northrop Grumman Corporation
#####-###
Closure
Knowledge Management
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Copyright 2003 Northrop Grumman Corporation
Summary: Applying a Knowledge Strategy
§Focused on Flowing
Knowledge Across The
Enterprise
§Providing People
Centric Solutions
§Strong Synergy with
Lean
§Applied Across the
Enterprise, Including
Operations
Contact Information
Scott Shaffar, Ph.D.
Project Manager
Knowledge Management
Integrated Systems Sector
Northrop Grumman Corporation
One Hornet Way, Mail Stop 9E20/W7
El Segundo, CA 90245-2804
Telephone: 310-863-7242
Email: shaffsc@mail.northgrum.com