The National Academies Press

Currently Skimming:

Pages 114-156

The Chapter Skim interface presents what we've algorithmically identified as the most significant single chunk of text within every page in the chapter.
Select key terms on the right to highlight them within pages of the chapter.

From page 114... ... 7-1 Chapter 7: Outcomes of Eﬀective Knowledge Management in Transit Agencies Implementing KM in a transit agency may seem overwhelming or diﬃcult for those who have not seen knowledge capture, retention, and transfer strategies successfully utilized. This chapter highlights success stories of KM implementation and use in various transit agencies, regardless of whether the transit agency considered their activities to be formal KM practices. Read the entire page →
From page 115... ... 7-2 Table 7-1: Transit Agencies Highlighted in This Chapter Type of Transit Agency KM Focus KM Strategies Utilized Small Transit Agency A Knowledge Capture Knowledge Transfer Process Mapping to Facilitate KM Knowledge-Sharing Forums Cross-Agency Knowledge Sharing Small Transit Agency B Knowledge Retention Knowledge Transfer KM Culture Utilizing Knowledge Repositories Knowledge Forums Build Top-Level and Frontline Support Small Transit Agency C KM Planning Knowledge Transfer Prepare Knowledge Networks Cross-Functional Team Building Midsize Transit Agency A Knowledge Planning Knowledge Retention Knowledge Transfer Prepare Knowledge Networks Utilize Knowledge Repositories Identify Succession Planning Needs Coordinate Mentoring Opportunities Implement Cross-Functional Team Building Midsize Transit Agency B Knowledge Retention Knowledge Transfer Mentoring Opportunities Maintain Updated SOPs Cross-Agency Knowledge Sharing Midsize Transit Agency C Knowledge Planning Knowledge Retention Knowledge Transfer Identify Succession Planning Needs Mentoring Opportunities Maintain Updated SOPs Cross-Agency Knowledge Exchange Midsize Transit Agency D Knowledge Capture Knowledge Retention Conduct Knowledge Interviews Maintain Updated SOPs Large Transit Agency A Knowledge Capture Knowledge Transfer KM Culture Process Mapping Maintain Updated SOPs (Document Management) Building Top-Level Support Large Transit Agency B KM Planning Knowledge Retention Process Mapping Whiteboarding Large Transit Agency C Knowledge Transfer Career Pathways Training Mentoring Opportunities Large Transit Agency D KM Planning Knowledge Retention Knowledge Transfer Utilizing Knowledge Repositories Identifying Succession Planning Needs Mentoring Opportunities Workforce Meetings Large Transit Agency E KM Planning Knowledge Retention Knowledge Transfer Identify Succession Planning Needs Develop Internship Program Develop Tools Maintain Updated SOPs Knowledge Capture Knowledge Retention KM Planning Knowledge Transfer KM Culture Intro to KM Read the entire page →
From page 116... ... 7-3 KM Prepares the Organization for Employee Departures Small Transit Agency A Small Transit Agency A is a county-wide transit agency that is overseen by an elected Board of Directors. Due to turnover and the resulting knowledge loss, the transit agency realized the need to begin using KM strategies to ensure that new employees would be able to carry out their job responsibilities eﬀectively. Read the entire page →
From page 117... ... 7-4 KM Strategy Overview Small Transit Agency A Transit Agency Demographics Overview of KM Strategy Use Bus Services (including deviated ﬁxed route, Dial-aRide) KM Strategies Utilized Process Mapping Knowledge-Sharing Forums Cross-Agency Knowledge Sharing 42 employees Focus of This KM Eﬀort Knowledge capture Knowledge transfer Serves rural and some suburban areas of a county Type(s) Read the entire page →
From page 118... ... 7-5 2. Select technology solutions that meet transit agency knowledge-sharing needs. Read the entire page →
From page 119... ... 7-6 KM Promotes Knowledge Sharing Across a Community Small Transit Agency B Small Transit Agency B, which operates through a private nonproﬁt organization, provides various transportation services using a broad network across a three-county region. Speciﬁcally, this network consists of Over 100 community partners 97 internal employees Over 400 volunteer bus drivers To facilitate knowledge sharing and retention across this network, Small Transit Agency B implemented knowledge repositories, as well as knowledge forums. Read the entire page →
From page 120... ... 7-7 Why did this transit agency determine that these KM practices were needed? Increase and promote knowledge- sharing both internally and externally with community partners Ensure adaptability in a dynamic environment Implementation Information Key Players Board of Directors Internal Staﬀ Community Partners Key Resources for Successful Implementation Establish electronic tools for eﬀective knowledge sharing Review and update manuals on periodic basis to ensure accuracy and relevance of materials Implementation Steps Utilize Knowledge Repositories 1. Read the entire page →
From page 121... ... 7-8 Implement Knowledge-Sharing Forums 1. Plan annual knowledge-sharing meetings for all community partners. Read the entire page →
From page 122... ... 7-9 KM Promotes Employee Awareness of Transit Agency Work Small Transit Agency C Small Transit Agency C, a small urban transit agency, was encouraged to begin implementing KM strategies when it realized the negative impact the departure of a key employee, who was preparing for retirement, would have on the transit agency. Prior to this realization, the transit agency relied heavily on the specialized knowledge and skills of individual employees to ensure eﬀective operations. Read the entire page →
From page 123... ... 7-10 "I'm trying to make sure people are aware of what I do, how to do it, and how to do it without me." Why did this transit agency determine that these KM practices were needed? Ensure continuity during employee turnover Reduce risks associated with vacant positions by increasing employees' breadth of knowledge and skills Implementation Information Key Players Senior Management Employees Key Resources for Successful Implementation Leverage existing processes Utilize manuals containing written documentation and instructions Implementation Steps Prepare Knowledge Networks 1. Read the entire page →
From page 124... ... 7-11 Integrate knowledge interviews into annual personnel evaluation; use the knowledge captured for cross training. Conduct annual evaluations to determine training benchmarks and needs. Read the entire page →
From page 125... ... 7-12 KM Provides Developmental Opportunities and Employee Growth Midsize Transit Agency A Midsize Transit Agency A implemented KM strategies to retain institutional knowledge, increase eﬃciency across the transit agency, and improve consistency of individual performance. After conducting an agency-wide analysis to identify positions with pending retirements and advancement opportunities for remaining staﬀ, HR staﬀ discovered that many employees were already or soon would be eligible for retirement. Read the entire page →
From page 126... ... 7-13 KM Strategy Overview Midsize Transit Agency A Transit Agency Demographics Overview of KM Strategy Use Bus and Rail Services KM Strategies Utilized Prepare Knowledge Networks Utilize Knowledge Repositories Identify Succession Planning Needs Coordinate Mentoring Opportunities Implement CrossFunctional Team Building Knowledge planning Knowledge retention Serves a large city and surrounding suburbs Type(s) of Knowledge Explicit Tacit Why did this transit agency determine that these KM practices were needed? Read the entire page →
From page 127... ... 7-14 Utilize Knowledge Repositories 1. Establish knowledge repository (e.g., SharePoint) Read the entire page →
From page 128... ... 7-15 Greatest Challenges KM Successes Requires additional time and commitment to maintain KM tools and programs; challenge overcome by convincing senior management of the KM beneﬁts for the transit agency and its employees Employees need to devote additional time, eﬀort, and commitment to participate in succession planning and mentoring programs; challenge overcome by explaining to employees how they will beneﬁt from the programs and allowing employees suﬃcient time to participate Overcoming the belief that knowledge cannot be shared across functional areas because the knowledge or "language" is too diﬀerent; challenge overcome by promoting collaboration between and education of employees about other transit agency functional areas, focusing on the similarities, not just on the diﬀerences Providing a medium for experienced employees to pass down tacit knowledge to highpotential employees who can ﬁll atrisk positions Providing growth and development opportunities for employees who do not have college degrees or signiﬁcant formal leadership training Potential Future KM Enhancements Allocating resources to ensure the SharePoint site is maintained and updated regularly Knowledge Capture Midsize Transit Agency A: KM Provides Developmental Opportunities and Employee Growth Knowledge Retention KM Planning Knowledge Transfer KM Culture Intro to KM Read the entire page →
From page 129... ... 7-16 KM Helps Improve Quality of Services Provided Midsize Transit Agency B Midsize Transit Agency B implemented knowledge retention and transfer strategies to ensure that employees across the transit agency have the knowledge needed to eﬀectively carry out the transit agency's mission while serving the local community. Speciﬁcally, Midsize Transit Agency B aimed to use KM to overcome the following challenges that it was experiencing: Newly hired bus operators lacked necessary knowledge regarding the region served and the local neighborhoods Lack of clear, consistent, and up-to-date documentation for new employees, or employees in new roles, that provided information on how and why to carry out various job responsibilities Time and resources wasted on solving problems or issues that other transit agencies in the state may have already addressed. Read the entire page →
From page 130... ... 7-17 KM Strategy Overview Midsize Transit Agency B Transit Agency Demographics Overview of KM Strategy Use Bus, Rail, and Van Services KM Strategies Utilized Mentoring Opportunities Maintain Updated SOPs Cross-Agency Knowledge Sharing Over 1,000 employees Focus of This KM Eﬀort Knowledge retention Knowledge transfer Serves ﬁve counties consisting of nearly 2 million people Type(s) of Knowledge Explicit Tacit Why did this transit agency determine that these KM practices were needed? Read the entire page →
From page 131... ... 7-18 Maintain SOPs 1. Meet with the leads of each transit agency function to initiate the development, updating, and documentation of SOPs. Read the entire page →
From page 132... ... 7-19 KM Improves Organizational Culture and Employee Development Midsize Transit Agency C Midsize Transit Agency C implemented a KM program to overcome challenges associated with pending retirements. Given that 60% of Midsize Transit Agency C's workforce is eligible to retire within the next seven years, the transit agency is at risk of losing a signiﬁcant level of institutional knowledge. Read the entire page →
From page 133... ... 7-20 Similarly, Midsize Transit Agency C is in the process of developing more comprehensive procedural manuals. Employees are reviewing manuals periodically to ensure they are up-to-date. Read the entire page →
From page 134... ... 7-21 Key Players HR Staﬀ Executive Leadership Consultants Key Resources for Successful Implementation Include KM and human capital initiatives in the strategic plan Dedicated staﬀ for developing, implementing, and sustaining programs Implementation Steps Implement Succession Planning – Leadership Development and General Employee Development Programs 1. Incorporate the succession planning program within transit agency strategic or business plans; develop and assign tasks that must be carried out during a given timeframe to meet succession planning goals consistent with strategic or business plans. Read the entire page →
From page 135... ... 7-22 7. Partner experienced employees with less experienced employees and encourage two-way mentoring. Read the entire page →
From page 136... ... 7-23 tracks when courses and events for various initiatives occur Diﬃculty ensuring at least 80% employee participation required for strategic plan completion; challenge overcome by making participation mandatory and tracking attendance Employees who are uninterested in management positions do not want to participate; challenge overcome by communicating beneﬁts to all employees and their managers Group activities mix employees from various departments and functions, providing those employees opportunities to have open dialogue with others they normally would not communicate with, thus improving trust and collaboration across the transit agency as a whole. Initiatives produced overall improvement in the transit agency's organizational culture by breaking down silos and stimulating information sharing, joint problem solving, and collaboration. Read the entire page →
From page 137... ... 7-24 KM Mitigates Risk and Improves Service Delivery Midsize Transit Agency D Midsize Transit Agency D implemented KM strategies to mitigate risk associated with employee turnover. Prior to implementing KM, employees typically shared knowledge verbally. Read the entire page →
From page 138... ... 7-25 KM Strategy Overview Midsize Transit Agency D Transit Agency Demographics Overview of KM Strategy Use Bus Services KM Strategies Utilized Conduct Knowledge Interviews Maintain Updated SOPs Under 200 employees Focus of This KM Eﬀort Knowledge capture Knowledge retention Serves a large city and surrounding metropolitan area Type(s) of Knowledge Explicit Tacit Why did this transit agency determine that these KM practices were needed? Read the entire page →
From page 139... ... 7-26 Conduct Knowledge Interviews 1. Conduct interviews with managerial and supervisory staﬀ to capture knowledge regarding their job activities and duties. Read the entire page →
From page 140... ... 7-27 KM Maintains Consistency and Continuity Large Transit Agency A Large Transit Agency A began initiating knowledge capture, transfer, and culture-support activities to improve consistency and continuity of knowledge. Previously, this transit agency was facing the following challenges due to a lack of KM: Multiple, uncontrolled versions of documents Inconsistencies and confusion in employees' understanding and application of knowledge and information Loss of institutional knowledge due to turnover Lack of knowledge retention and sharing by experienced employees To overcome these challenges, Large Transit Agency A implemented process mapping and document management. Read the entire page →
From page 141... ... 7-28 KM Strategy Overview Large Transit Agency A Transit Agency Demographics Overview of KM Strategy Use Bus and Rail Services KM Strategies Utilized Process Mapping Maintain Updated SOPs (Document Management) Building Top-Level Support Over 11,000 employees Focus of This KM Eﬀort KM culture Knowledge capture Knowledge transfer Serves a major city and its 40 surrounding suburbs Type(s) Read the entire page →
From page 142... ... 7-29 1. Create a charter document related to the initiative being implemented. Read the entire page →
From page 143... ... 7-30 KM Ensures Process Documentation and Establishes Accountability Large Transit Agency B Large Transit Agency B implemented a KM program to formally track and document information regarding processes. Previously, Large Transit Agency B performed KM informally, creating binders and how-to guides of basic information for various HR processes. Read the entire page →
From page 144... ... 7-31 KM Strategy Overview Large Transit Agency B Transit Agency Demographics Overview of KM Strategy Use Bus, Rail, and Ferry Services KM Strategies Utilized Process Mapping Whiteboarding Over 6,000 employees Focus of This KM Eﬀort KM planning Knowledge retention Serves a major metropolitan area Type(s) of Knowledge Explicit Tacit Why did this transit agency determine that these KM practices were needed? Read the entire page →
From page 145... ... 7-32 Conduct Whiteboarding 1. Utilize whiteboards to document employees' current workload. Read the entire page →
From page 146... ... 7-33 KM Provides Broad Transit Perspective and Career Growth Large Transit Agency C Large Transit Agency C is in the process of implementing KM initiatives that will allow it to adjust its training and development strategies to meet the needs of today's workforce. In the past, the transit agency assigned individuals at all levels of the organization to activities that helped ensure that they gained knowledge on all aspects of transit agency job responsibilities, including those carried out by frontline employees. Read the entire page →
From page 147... ... 7-34 Knowledge Capture Knowledge Retention KM Planning Knowledge Transfer KM Culture Intro to KM KM Strategy Overview Large Transit Agency C Transit Agency Demographics Overview of KM Strategy Use Bus and Rail Services KM Strategies Utilized Career Pathways Training Mentoring Opportunities Over 9,000 employees Focus of This KM Eﬀort Knowledge transfer Serves a major metropolitan area Type(s) of Knowledge Explicit Tacit Why did this transit agency determine that these KM practices were needed? Read the entire page →
From page 148... ... 7-35 Knowledge Capture Knowledge Retention KM Planning Knowledge Transfer KM Culture Intro to KM career path. Read the entire page →
From page 149... ... 7-36 Knowledge Capture Knowledge Retention KM Planning Knowledge Transfer KM Culture Intro to KM knowledge gained. Read the entire page →
From page 150... ... 7-37 KM Helps Prepare for Upcoming Retirements Large Transit Agency D Large Transit Agency D is implementing KM to better retain and transfer knowledge, particularly in light of upcoming retirements. Speciﬁcally, Large Transit Agency D faced the following challenges prior to implementation of KM strategies: Low turnover, resulting in many senior leaders approaching retirement without younger employees in place to take over their jobs Departments working in silos and associated segmentation of knowledge Inconsistent methods of retaining and sharing maintenance-related knowledge To overcome these issues and prepare for the upcoming retirements, Large Transit Agency D implemented succession planning, mentoring, knowledge repositories, and workforce meetings. Read the entire page →
From page 151... ... 7-38 KM Strategy Overview Large Transit Agency D Transit Agency Demographics Overview of KM Strategy Use Bus, Rail, and Streetcar Services KM Strategies Utilized Utilizing Knowledge Repositories Identifying Succession Planning Needs Mentoring Opportunities Workforce Meetings Over 14,000 employees Focus of This KM Eﬀort KM planning Knowledge retention Knowledge transfer Serves a major city and surrounding suburbs Type(s) of Knowledge Explicit Tacit Why did this transit agency determine that these KM practices were needed? Read the entire page →
From page 152... ... 7-39 Utilize a Knowledge Repository 1. Establish document management system for all maintenance-related documents (e.g., SharePoint) Read the entire page →
From page 153... ... 7-40 KM Helps Improve Eﬃciency Large Transit Agency E Prior to implementing KM, Large Transit Agency E employees were having trouble completing their heavy workloads. Employees were unable to share work assignments with others to more evenly distribute the workload because other employees often did not have the knowledge needed to help on the work assignment. Read the entire page →
From page 154... ... 7-41 departing the transit agency to ensure that they are accurate and up-to-date to prevent knowledge loss. While the current SOPs only cover "how" to carry out processes, procedures, and protocols, Large Transit Agency E is developing more high-level SOPs that will be accessible agency-wide and cover the "why" behind processes, procedures, and protocols. Read the entire page →
From page 155... ... 7-42 1. Encourage upcoming retirees to participate in DROP to mitigate the risk of losing institutional knowledge and inform upcoming retirees of the program's federal payments as incentive. Read the entire page →
From page 156... ... 7-43 Greatest Challenges KM Successes Signiﬁcant time and resources are required to develop and implement an eﬀective internship program; challenge overcome by scaling back transit-agency-wide internship program and implementing it only within selected departments or functional areas Diﬃcult to obtain buy-in for developing internship program; challenge overcome by developing program guide covering full scope of program administration, as well as beneﬁts for the transit agency Retirees do not always take advantage of the DROP program due to lack of policy on how to use it eﬀectively; challenge overcome by illuminating the beneﬁts of participating in DROP and planning for the use of DROP well in advance of expected retiree departure date Tools may be too advanced or diﬃcult for employees to use; challenge overcome by developing written documentation and tutorials on how to use them SOPs are often not consistent with how processes, procedures, and protocols are carried out in day-to-day transit activities; challenge overcome by verifying the validity of SOPs through periodic ﬁeld observations of Many more projects can be successfully completed as a result of assistance from interns Macros and tools save a substantial amount of time in completing tasks while allowing other employees to see how processes are conducted and learn about the work DROP allowed for smooth and successful knowledge transfer and transition from a retiree to a potential replacement candidate Fully documented and validated SOPs provide for job performance consistency and successful outcomes Knowledge Capture Large Transit Agency E: KM Helps Improve Eﬃciency Knowledge Retention KM Planning Knowledge Transfer KM Culture Intro to KM tasks performed To facilitate an internship program's success, a transit agency must eﬀectively structure it and maximize the use of the intern's time and skills. A transit agency that is committed to having a successful intern program needs to identify appropriate staﬀ member(s) Read the entire page →

From page 114...

... 7-1 Chapter 7: Outcomes of Eﬀective Knowledge Management in Transit Agencies Implementing KM in a transit agency may seem overwhelming or diﬃcult for those who have not seen knowledge capture, retention, and transfer strategies successfully utilized. This chapter highlights success stories of KM implementation and use in various transit agencies, regardless of whether the transit agency considered their activities to be formal KM practices.