What the product-based KM Framework at Bombardier Aerospace looks like

Here you can find an interesting presentation from Bombardier, the Aerospace company, which presents details of their KM Framework.

Image from wikimedia commons

Bombardier take a "Product" view of KM, and differentiate the Knowledge Workstream that runs orthogonal to the product workstream. They operate through Communities, but their communities are mostly related to aspects of product, rather than to practice areas, so are "Communities of Knowledge" rather than communities of practice.  

They mention the following 28 communities, of which only the last four are "practice" areas; the rest are either product components or engineering topics.

• Control Systems
• Propulsion
• Acoustics
• Reliability & Maintenance
• Thermodynamics
• Pneumatics
• Loads & Dynamics
• Electrical
• Avionics
• Electronic Equipment
• Electro Magnetic Comp
• Flight Deck Design
• Sciences of Flight
• System Simulation
• Stress
• Mass Properties
• Experimental
• Material and Processes
• Aircraft Structure
• Aircraft Interiors
• Airworthiness
• onfiguration Management
• Product Integration
• Aircraft Configuration
• Flight Test
• Project Management
• Program Management
• Business Process Mgmt

They mention the following roles as part of their framework

• Knowledge Owners 
• Knowledge Focal points
• Subject Matter Experts
• Community Members

And the following processes

• Knowledge capture sessions
• Internal conferences
• Peer reviews
• Decision and problem support
• Knowledge gap analysis

They have a technology base including

• Yellow Pages access to vetted experts, 
• A Knowledge base of key documents, lessons learned, knowledge briefs, projects, studies, etc.;

They have a governance system including

• A KM Governance body to ensure company wide accountability, strategic direction, priorities and budget allocations
• Guidelines, procedures and metrics to sustain customer centric K-creation, sharing and management, and to measure impact. 
• Incentivized employees to create / share knowledge – participative management, budgeted time, recognition mechanisms.

Bombardier therefore address the 4 legs on the KM table as part of a comprehensive KM Framework

Contact Knoco for help with designing your own organisational KM Framework