The Knowledge Dimension of Production Transfer

PurposeEven companies with many years of experience in production transfer tend to focus much attention on planning the physical move and on the explicit knowledge associated with normal production. At best management is aware of the challenges of capturing the tacit individual and collective knowledge having been developed over years in the production unit to be transferred. The purpose of this paper is to develop a model for capturing this hidden knowledge as a basis for supporting an accelerated learning on the new site.MethodologyThe guiding principle states that hidden knowledge can only be captured in the course of acting important incidents. Three case studies illustrate and support the developed model.FindingsThe case studies show that the classification of the model can be used in practice and provide a comprehensive picture of hidden knowledge to be developed in the new site.Research implicationsThe model and its practical application will show a way to operationalise hidden knowledge in a production shop floor. It opens a new route for capturing hidden knowledge.Practical implicationsAn evaluation session in the management group of one of the case companies was held half a year after the transfer. The management group admitted that the transfer and initial production in the new site would have benefited significantly, if the developed model had been applied extensively in the preparation phase.OriginalityThe combination of theories on technology in use and case studies has lead to develop a model for classifying activities in a production unit and subsequently for capturing the necessary knowledge, especially the hidden part.