Knowledge is often taken for granted – until it disappears. In companies, the departure of experts is recorded organisationally, but in many cases the actual extent of knowledge loss goes unnoticed until concrete damage occurs. Knowledge is not a given: it is a critical resource – and just like any other resource, knowledge must be actively managed.
A real-life example (name changed):
At a German engineering company, an experienced employee retired after 25 years of service. The handover to his successor appeared to be formally correct: several meetings, a folder containing ‘the most important information’. At that point, no one in the company suspected that a massive risk was building up.
It was only months later that the problem became apparent: the knowledge carrier had stored process details and individual experience gained over many years exclusively in his head. Proper documentation? Nonexistent. The result was predictable: the team responsible was overwhelmed. Processes came to a standstill. Projects were delayed – simply because essential information was missing.
The consequences of such knowledge loss are not always immediately measurable, but in practice they are clearly noticeable:
The mistake many companies make is that they do not view knowledge as an asset, but rather as a given component of the company. The fact that knowledge can also disappear – unnoticed and unsecured – often remains hidden until it is too late.
However, knowledge loss is not a marginal personnel issue, but rather a business risk that has a direct impact on productivity, quality and, ultimately, the competitiveness of the company.
The first step begins with a simple but crucial question:
Who knows what – and what happens when that person leaves?
Reactive documentation is not enough to prevent knowledge loss. Companies need a systematic, proactive approach to secure knowledge as a critical production factor.
The following steps make the risk visible:
1. Identify critical knowledge and knowledge carriers
Focus on business processes and key roles where knowledge currently exists only in the minds of a few people. Documented processes are important – but it is even more important to look at the existing experiential knowledge that has never been formally recorded.
2. Structured assessment of knowledge risks
The goal: Not all knowledge is equally critical. But that is precisely what needs to be made visible.
3. Establish a knowledge risk matrix
To make knowledge loss assessable, create a knowledge risk matrix that highlights the following factors:
Only when these factors are combined do blind spots in knowledge become concrete business risks – and thus manageable priorities.
Knowledge is one of the few resources that a company can lose without it being visible in its controlling – and that is precisely what makes the risk so dangerous. Companies that establish knowledge retention as a strategic goal not only secure their processes, but also their future viability.
The crucial question is:
Due to the complexity of the topic, it is therefore advisable to seek advice in order to find the right approach for your company. We would be happy to support you in this process.
