What I am going to talk is something not particular or unique in an Information Technology firm. However, one needs to understand why Knowledge Transfer Sessions or Programs, which are mostly known by their acronym- KT are so key in an Information Technology company’s working.
In an IT company, employees are assigned to different clients(or accounts)or short or long term projects. This is done based on their Technical skills- e.g knowledge of a programming language like Java,C++,Python, Dot Net etc.
Or one could be an expert in some kind of a Packaged tool like SAP, Oracle ERP like SCM, HR, Financials etc.
There are also domain experts- experts in Banking/Insurance/Clinicals, or Manufacturing/Sales/Purchase etc.
We even have Engineers and Doctors in some companies.
Now, when these guys start working on a certain project, they gain knowledge- Technical, as well as how the client systems move. They also come to know of different functional aspects of how their clients work. For e.g- Someone working for a Financial client will come to know how and when banks settle certain ledgers, how Loan accounts work, what are the different transactions associated with a current account etc.
Ideally, everyone will keep on working forever in their places and jobs. However, people do change their companies and projects. Some do this suddenly, without much or almost no notice period. In such cases, one can’t do much.
However, in cases, where one is leaving a company on notice period of may be 1/2 or more months, one can plan a knowledge transfer from such an employee.
This helps gather the chunks of knowledge that apart from the basic skills of that employee; are the ones that he or she has acquired over his or her stint with that client.
If such knowledge is missed, at times, there could be potential issues.
For e.g- If in a Healthcare product, if a person has knowledge about setting certain Testing workflows in a product, and such a knowledge is missed, it could potentially cause problems later on. It could even lead to a loss of business, or customer (In Healthcare, likely to be a patient).
But if the sessions are well planned, all such knowledge can be transferred in a good manner.
It is important to also have hands on where the KT recipient gets to perform certain potential real life problems and can ask the KT giver any questions before that person leaves the company.
KT sessions can also be done in cases where one needs to have backup of certain resources. This is a good means to build expertise of certain people in certain areas as well.
Knowledge of different people also grows since one will have questions about different things, and the other person can answer or will search for suitable answers.
To summarize, Knowledge Transfer or KT sessions or Programs are something the IT firms can’t do without, and need to be successfully planned and executed.
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This is something we as Knowledge Management professionals work along with the help of the HR. Some of the IT companies as you mentioned have a formal KT session with their immediate mentee or even a mentor. The critical knowledge required for the project is noted in an interview format either documented or recorded as podcast. Hence all the tacit knowledge is captured before an employee exits the org.
Moving a step further, we see that we do not have to wait until employee resigns, its a continuous process of knowledge capture and knowledge leveling sessions, so that everybody is on same page and everyone in the team knows all tasks.
@gautamdotcom
Yes a continuous learning and backup formation process is the best strategy to reduce risks and also share knowledge.
Study and learning is never ending process, see the world and you understand that reduce the risk of poverty is by education, by knowledge even medicine is knowledge, are you aware that most of the poor people are uneducated, why because no money and why no money because their family are not educated, its like a circle, mentioned here that projects and interview are also way of knowledge and for doing good interview I say we need to study, everybody in the same boat now, we have to team up to learn and teach so we all do our tasks and that do a better work and better world too. Do you think that is true or not? we need to backup each other and help each other in life and work and family and love and everything in life needs knowledge and that is needed to transfer in a way that make it right and pwoering the people that are having it. nice move in writing a risky and high need work.