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

Abstract

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 gaps become identified. By asking the employees in a survey about knowledge management a main problem was clearly identified: the leaving expert issue. There are various situations why experts are leaving. In an academic environment like DLR, for instance, doctoral students leave after graduation. 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. 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. In addition, a Lessons Learned research project at DLR debriefs project members about their experiences in multidisciplinary projects. The results indicate relevant circumstances and actions that support knowledge transfer through collaboration. An overview of the different approaches for knowledge transfer when experts are leaving will be given.