Networks: Compete on Knowledge with CoPs

How many opportunities for improvement has your organization missed because vital knowledge was never shared?

In this report, APQC President Carla O'Dell reveals the new competitive advantage—a special class of communities of practice known as networks. An expansion of traditional communities of practice, networks are organization-wide forums for knowledge sharing among functional practitioners. These networks are integrated into the workflow and produce bottom-line results in industries demanding exceptional speed and accuracy.

Using case examples from Air Products and Chemicals, BHP Billiton, Buckman Laboratories International, Chevron, Fluor, and Halliburton, O'Dell explains how best-practice organizations leverage networks to maintain their industry-leading status and examines the cultural and technological enablers of thriving networks.