GETTING STARTED WITH KNOWLEDGE

MAPPING
In its simplest form, a knowledge map is a visual representation of an organization’s knowledge
resources. It acts as a “snapshot in time” to help the organization understand:

» what knowledge is critical to a business process or focus area,

» where that knowledge resides, and
» how knowledge flows between people and systems while doing business.
Knowledge maps are powerful tools to inventory an organization’s critical knowledge and
pinpoint areas that may be at risk. In many cases, the simple act of creating a knowledge map
reveals weak links and bottlenecks in the flow of knowledge. By articulating exactly how
knowledge moves through the organization, teams can identify improvement opportunities and
make targeted adjustments to ensure that the right knowledge reaches the right people at the
right point in the process.
In this article, you will learn how to create and use knowledge maps, the benefits of knowledge
mapping, and how to overcome common knowledge mapping barriers.

When Possible, Start with Process Mapping

Process mapping is a useful precedent activity for knowledge mapping because it ensures that
the organization understands how knowledge moves between people and systems as part of the
workflow. It is not strictly necessary to map a process when creating a knowledge map, but
doing so will help ensure that the organization is focusing on the right areas and will provide a
classification system for the knowledge being mapped.

HOW DO YOU PROCESS MAP?

Figure 1 depicts a simplified example of a cross-functional process map. Basic steps to create a
process map follow. For more information on process mapping, see Building Process Maps.

» Step 1: Identify a small team with deep knowledge of the process to be mapped; include all
functional areas that touch the process.
» Step 2: Label the functions that engage in the process you are mapping, starting with the
customer in the boxes along the left side (e.g., for a sales process this may involve sales,
sales support, marketing, and regulatory).
» Step 3: Identify the steps within the process (e.g., identify a target customer, assess the
customer’s need, and enter an order into system) and place these in the correct lanes on
the map.
» Step 4: Sequence the steps until all within the group are satisfied that the process is
adequately mapped.
» Step 5: Draw all connection lines between the steps.

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 Process Map Example

Figure 1

LINKING PROCESS MAPS TO KNOWLEDGE MAPS

Process mapping often unveils key knowledge areas to focus on when creating a knowledge
map (examples are listed in Figure 1). KM teams overlay knowledge maps on top of process
maps to identify knowledge gaps and barriers in knowledge flow within key process steps.

Creating and Using Knowledge Maps

In a nutshell, knowledge mapping involves walking an expert, process owner, or team through
key questions about their work. The goal is to understand:
1. What knowledge is required to successfully get work done?
2. Who has that knowledge, or how can it be accessed?
3. When and where is the knowledge needed?
Organizations use different kinds of knowledge maps depending on which perspectives and
details are most relevant to the goal of the exercise. For example, information about the
sources, recipients, format, and best delivery vehicles for knowledge help flesh out certain maps
and make them more useful.

CATEGORIES OF MAPS
APQC recommends seven types of maps grouped into three categories: enterprise, cross-
functional, and process- or role-explicit (Figure 2).

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 Types of Knowledge Maps

Enterprise Knowledge Maps

The largest in scope, this map is used to gauge the level of

Strategic Overview Map knowledge or expertise an organization has to meet its strategic
goals.

This map provides a broad understanding of what knowledge an

Expertise Overview Map organization has in various parts of the business and what
knowledge may be at risk.

Cross-Functional Knowledge Maps

This map is used to identify specific experts and their areas of

Expertise Tacit Map expertise. It usually works best inside a business unit or a division
with similar units.

This map helps an organization more clearly understand its

Technical/Functional
strengths and gaps within specific technical or functional
Knowledge Map
knowledge domains (e.g., ship design, component assembly).

Process- and Role-based Knowledge Maps

This map identifies the sources, recipients, locations, and formats

of knowledge within a process or domain. It is particularly useful
Process-based Map
to establish a baseline for knowledge management (KM) solutions
such as communities of practice or content management.

This map inventories the knowledge required for various jobs or

roles. It is like the functional/technical knowledge map, but it
Job/Role-based Map
includes the specific knowledge that each job role needs to be
successful.

Competency/Learning This map explicitly articulates the learning or competency needs

Needs Map associated with a business process or job role.

Figure 2

Enterprise knowledge maps offer a high-level view of an organization’s knowledge and reveal
broad areas that may be underdeveloped or at risk. Cross-functional maps help an organization
catalog its knowledge and experts in specific business units, functions, or topic domains.
Process- and role-based knowledge maps are the narrowest in scope and the most in-depth:
They outline the knowledge required to perform a job role or business process.
Thehe process-based knowledge map, which outlines knowledge assets available and required
within a business process or domain, is the most commonly used map. However, there is no
perfect knowledge map for all situations. Organizations have implemented knowledge maps in a

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 variety of ways, but having a “buffet” of choices helps the team pick and choose the aspects of
the maps that fit, tweaking each to the nuances of a given situation.

RISK AND GAP ANALYSIS

One of the most important steps when creating a knowledge map is to identify knowledge risks
and gaps. APQC offers a simple tool called the Knowledge Loss Risk Matrix to prioritize
knowledge areas that have the greatest likelihood and consequences of knowledge loss.
Gap analysis involves identifying discrepancies between how knowledge currently flows and
how it should flow. To perform a gap analysis, team members should ask themselves the
following questions:

» What critical knowledge is missing or not available when needed?

» What (or who) hinders the flow of knowledge? Why?
» What (or who) enhances the flow of knowledge? Why?
» What are the next steps for the knowledge map? (What is it going to be used for?)
As the team identifies knowledge gaps, it is especially important to determine why those gaps
exist. The answers to these questions usually point to specific steps the organization can take to
improve the flow of knowledge in the process or domain under consideration.

To learn more, see Analyzing Knowledge Risks and Gaps.

Knowledge Mapping Benefits

Figure 3 lists key benefits of knowledge mapping.

Knowledge Mapping Benefits

1. Bring together stakeholders to think

critically about the knowledge involved in
their work

2. Surface areas where critical knowledge Connect people who have not
may be at risk historically collaborated

Exchange knowledge across previously

3. Identify opportunities to: impervious boundaries

Transfer knowledge from more to less

experienced employees

Figure 3

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 Additionally, knowledge mapping techniques are relatively easy to apply, even by teams with
minimal experience. This is especially true when compared with improvement methodologies
such as Six Sigma and Kaizan, which require significant participant training.

To learn more, see How Knowledge Mapping Solves Business Problems.

Barriers to Effective Knowledge Mapping

Despite the inherent value of mapping organizational knowledge, certain barriers may impede
the effectiveness of this technique.
One such barrier is when the team conducting the mapping exercise does not understand the
knowledge flow processes inside the organization. For example:

» Do functions and business units work independently?

» Are people who create knowledge able to easily collect and store that knowledge, or do
they tend to hoard it?
» Does the organization have commonly accepted processes to validate content and
expertise?
» Do people tend to distrust knowledge created by others or embrace it?
Without a clear sense of all of the knowledge flow components, knowledge mapping is tough
because the team may miss important steps.
Another barrier is not having the right team members on a knowledge mapping team—the
players must understand the business processes, strategic business goals, and have a good
sense of what knowledge assets are needed. For detailed knowledge mapping, a skilled
facilitator can help participants determine what information and expertise should be included
on the map.
A third barrier is the classic “knowledge is power” syndrome that exists in many organizations.
In such cases, employees are reluctant to share their knowledge with the rest of the
organization because they feel threatened that sharing might lessen their importance as an
employee.
A fourth common hurdle is the failure to understand the end goal. Often, this involves not
having a plan to collect, validate, store, and reuse the knowledge about each business process
once it is collected. Knowledge has a shelf life and requires constant updating and validating.
Creating a map for the sake of doing so is not worth the time or effort. Instead, the team needs
to map so that it can create more efficient processes, protect and replicate critical knowledge,
improve access to intellectual capital, and ultimately improve performance for the customer.
All these hurdles can be overcome by articulating the “why” behind knowledge mapping. Clearly
explain to participants that the knowledge map is a tool that will allow the organization to see
where critical knowledge and knowledge flow barriers lie. This helps teams accomplish tasks
more effectively, avoid rework and errors, and position themselves for future stability and
success.

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 Using Knowledge Maps and Keeping Them Current
Knowledge mapping is a useful exercise, but it is not an end in itself. It is a tool, like a roadmap,
that helps you chart a course from point A to point B more efficiently. To get real long-term
value from knowledge mapping, an organization must use the maps as jumping-off points to
identify gaps and implement KM tools and approaches designed to improve the flow of
knowledge.
Furthermore, it’s important to recognize that knowledge mapping is a dynamic activity.
Knowledge maps may become dated as processes evolve, new employees replace older experts,
and new goals emerge. Teams should review their knowledge maps regularly in order to chart
any changes that affect the flow of knowledge and look for new gaps to address.

To learn more about using knowledge maps, see How Knowledge Mapping Drives Knowledge
Strategy and How Knowledge Mapping Drives Knowledge Transfer.

ABOUT APQC
APQC helps organizations work smarter, faster, and with greater confidence. It is the world’s
foremost authority in benchmarking, best practices, process and performance improvement,
and knowledge management. APQC’s unique structure as a member-based nonprofit makes it a
differentiator in the marketplace. APQC partners with more than 500 member organizations
worldwide in all industries. With more than 40 years of experience, APQC remains the world’s
leader in transforming organizations. Visit us at www.apqc.org, and learn how you can make
best practices your practices.

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