APQC CONNECT 2026, our Process & Knowledge Management Conference is coming back to Houston April 22-23. We asked our breakout speakers to talk about different themes and topics they’ll be presenting at this year’s conference for a series of blog posts. Our second in this series has speakers discussing the biggest disconnect between people, process and knowledge.
Where do you see the biggest disconnects between people, process, and knowledge—and what’s your approach to closing them?
Lance Bradshaw — Director, HR Workforce Transformation, Intermountain Health: The biggest disconnects usually occur where ownership is unclear and work crosses functional boundaries. People may understand their role, but not how their work fits into a broader process. Processes may exist, but live in documentation that no one uses. Knowledge may be captured, but not accessible at the moment decisions are being made.
Our approach to closing these gaps starts with making work visible. We map processes end to end, identify where handoffs break down, and bring the right stakeholders into the room early. From there, we focus on co-design rather than handoffs. HR does not design in isolation. We partner with IT, operations, and leaders who actually live the process day to day.
We also pay close attention to how knowledge is surfaced and reused. Technology plays a role, but governance, clarity, and behavior matter just as much. When people understand why a process exists, how it connects to outcomes, and where to find the information they need, alignment improves and friction decreases.
Ellen Crowley and Shashank Agarwal — Sr. Enablement Program Manager, AWS and Sr. Technical Program Manager: In an organization as large as AWS, bridging gaps across organizational silos is a critical business value driver. Another large disconnect is duplication of content, systems and tools which slow the flow of knowledge. To close this gap, our KM system is not limited to business untit or role but captures knowledge acorss organizational silos. We expect gen AI enhanchemetns to content discovery to further close this gap. Also, the need to bridge KM goals with broader organizational goals. We are partnering with sentior business leaders to provide top down support for KM contribution activities.
Klaudia Mintus — Architect-Process Excellence; KK Group: The biggest disconnects stem from communication gaps. To address this, we established communities and councils that enable discussion, knowledge sharing, and decision-making, helping better connect people, processes, and knowledge.
Andrea Gilbert — Assistant Superintendent/Converse County School District #1: The biggest disconnect I've seen is the myth that "doing the work" and "managing knowledge about the work" are two separate things. Too often, people think process documentation and knowledge capture are chores you do after the real work—if you ever get to them. That mindset creates a cycle in which processes get lost, knowledge isn't valued, and people end up reinventing the wheel because they don't know what's already been done.
Another big gap shows up during leadership transitions. We've had (and still have) key processes that only exist in someone's head, compliance that depends on one person remembering, and strategic efforts that lose steam when a leader leaves. The knowledge walks out the door, and the next person spends months just trying to figure out what to do, let alone why it matters.
We've tackled these gaps by starting with strategic alignment. Instead of treating KM/PM as side projects, we're weaving them into everything we already do—accreditation, planning, compliance, and daily work. Our strategic plan now makes process and knowledge management a core part of how we define organizational success.
We also used language and frameworks our staff already knew. By connecting KM/PM to things like professional learning communities and accreditation standards, we made it clear this wasn't "one more thing"—it was about making their current work easier. That gave us immediate buy-in.
Finally, we've built a unified model with four parts: People (dedicated roles and training), Process (standardized workflows), Content (a centralized, searchable hub), and Technology (tools that help instead of hinder). Each piece strengthens the others, so fixing one gap lifts the whole system.
Lindsay Brown — Director, Process & Project Management; WECU: One of the biggest disconnects I see between people, process, and knowledge happens when improvement efforts are designed separately from how work actually gets done. Leaders define processes in a bubble, knowledge lives in isolated tools or teams, and the people closest to the work aren’t engaged in shaping solutions. When that happens, process feels imposed, knowledge feels inaccessible, and people disengage.
Our approach to closing these gaps has been to intentionally meet teams in the flow of their work. We’ve embedded process thinking into existing project and planning frameworks—using simple tools to clarify problems, surface knowledge early, and invite collaboration. We focus on asking the right questions, respecting frontline expertise, and sharing insights visually so knowledge is easier to access and act on.
By building trust first and integrating process and knowledge where decisions are already being made, we’ve seen skepticism turn into engagement. Over time, that alignment helps people experience process not as extra work, but as an enabler—and that’s where real connection and flow begin.
Brad "Nick" DeWitt — Converse County School District #1: In completing some processes, there have been departments and buildings that work in a silo which has allowed groups to complete tasks in their own way sometimes causing issues in other areas due to lack of communication or procedures. This often causes additional work for other areas.
Rebecka Isaksson — KnowFlow Value: I see a great risk in many people gravitating towards the easy fix: do nothing and tech will solve every problem for you. This has ´never been true and it is most definitely not true with Gen AI and Agentic AI. On the contrary it is more vital than ever that we get our content in order and that we connect people with experts and expertise, to stay agile and growth-minded.
Neil Hopkins — Department of the Navy: Communication. It's a two way street. Often times I find people disgruntled on the 'they said' aspects. All it takes is a phone call, a desk visit. Never belabor the feelings and get them figured out immediately. When communications break down, much more than just talking begins to cease.
Genevieve Caplette — Director of Transformation, Michelin: Across our work at Michelin Connected Fleet, the biggest disconnects tend to show up in three predictable places: people, process, and knowledge. While each disconnect has its own challenges, they often overlap — which means our approach has to be both systemic and human. My approach to closing the gap: 1. Create shared visibility through process mapping 2. Clarify ownership using RACI-like conversations (without needing the whole framework) 3. Use consistent channels for updates so everyone receives the same message 4. Invite employees into problem‑solving, not just into execution
Tyson Simmons — Operations Architect - Pinnacle: I see the biggest disconnects between people and process in silos and handoffs, where teams are so focused on individual tasks that they lose sight of the whole. I also see many knowledge disconnects when a process lives only in an individual’s head.
My approach to closing these gaps is to take a wholistic view of the entire process and value stream. By stepping back and understanding the flow end‑to‑end, I can identify silos and barriers, bottlenecks, unnecessary handoffs, and gaps in shared knowledge.