While attending site visits for APQC’s “Transferring and Applying Critical Knowledge” study, I’ve been thinking about how KM is practiced in scientific, technical, and engineering organizations vs. other types of firms. Obviously the types of content and expertise being shared are different, but I think there may be some unique elements in how technical employees want to capture, share, and access knowledge compared to—say—consultants or HR staff.

Last month I interviewed Jeff Moffa, vice president of Emergent Systems, about his organization’s Auros KM software, which is specifically designed for engineering-focused organizations. Auros has features for collaboration and expertise management, but what makes it special is how it aligns with technical and engineering workflows. The software does a lot of behind-the-scenes work to filter knowledge contributions, identify potential inconsistencies, and then deliver the right information to the right people at the right moment in their work. Perhaps the most interesting feature is the ability to integrate it with CAD and similar software so that knowledge gets translated into key parameters and rule checks in the design environment. Employees can review the knowledge directly, but the know-how is also used to restrain the actual designs, ensuring that users adhere to proven practices and avoid common mistakes.

To learn more, check out my case study: Integrating Knowledge into Engineering Workflows with Emergent Systems' Auros

Has your organization used Auros? What software and tools have you used to capture and share engineering knowledge, and how well did they work? Let me know in the comments. APQC is tossing around the idea of a research project focused on KM in technical/engineering organizations—so if you have any more general feedback on that topic I’d love to hear that as well.