A Method for Knowledge Management and Communication Within and Across Multidisciplinary Teams
Don Flynn, Erin Brown, Rebekah Krieg
The use of knowledge management (KM) and communication
tools in an applied scientific arena where research is performed
and knowledge must be managed within and across
multidisciplinary teams and organizations is a challenge.
Teams of scientists and engineers from up to 17 different
technical specialties required knowledge management tools for
developing multiple environmental impact statements under
challenging circumstances. Factors that contributed to the
success of the KM tools included 1) pairing of project staff with
Knowledge Systems staff to determine system requirements, 2)
the use of the tools by the team as they were being developed
thus allowing many opportunities for feedback and interaction,
3) developing the tools to approximate the overall project
structure and work flow already in place, 4) providing
immediate assistance to the project team as they learned to use
the new KM tools, and 5) replacing earlier practices with the
new KM approach by “burning the bridges” to past practices
after the team had learned to use the new KM tools. Full Text
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