Through APQC membership, Bombardier’s knowledge management (KM) team has tapped into a wealth of proven best practices, benchmarking findings, case studies, measurement tools, frameworks, and peer experience to quickly launch and grow a first-class KM program supporting 28 knowledge networks.
We asked Marco Beaulieu, head of knowledge management, Bombardier Academy, and Nathalie de Preux, knowledge management advisor, what they find most valuable about APQC membership.
What tools, expertise, services or information do you use most?
De Preux: We have looked at all of APQC’s KM case studies, and they have been gold for us. We see how other companies apply KM concepts, metrics, and initiatives, and that has given us a basis for our own KM initiatives and a baseline from which we can start measuring.
APQC’s Resource Library summarizes it all for us in one place, and I can find exactly the parts that are relevant to us. We get targeted information that is exactly what we need because it’s specific to our KM practice.
We know that what we are reading there has been benchmarked, checked, and revised. It’s a very trustworthy source of high-level information.
Describe an effort that benefitted from your APQC membership.
Beaulieu: APQC’s Levels of Knowledge Management Maturity® model was especially helpful in generating the real-world, step-by-step methodologies we needed. Our team read a lot and adapted certain methodologies for our own environment within the engineering group. We have followed this foundation for the rollout of our KM practice across the organization.
How would you justify your APQC membership to someone?
De Preux: Implementing a KM strategy requires a culture change. To install this culture change requires gathering solid arguments to make people aware of what KM is and what the value is for each one of them, as well as for the organization as a whole.
APQC articles are an invaluable source for me to build valuable business case presentations and create awareness among my colleagues. Being a member of APQC gives you access to the latest thinking in our domain from different angles and industries.
It also gives you the possibility of comparing what you are doing with your peers and companies in similar industries. It is the best source to build your ‘KM evangelist’ toolset.