PROLEARN Framework for Process-Oriented Learning and Knowledge Work

Given the importance of an organisation’s human capital to business success, aligning training and competency development with business needs is a key challenge. Many companies did initiate in the past knowledge management activities or founded corporate universities as the organization intended to help companies to face this challenge. In this deliverable, we talk about knowledge work and learning management as a concept to increase business performance through a better short- and long-term learning approach for people at management level. The aim is to provide a guideline for corporate users based on our and others' experiences of implementing solutions for knowledge work and learning. This is connected to many forms and methods of learning: formal learning processes, informal learning, team learning, collaboration, social networking, community building etc. In many companies, managers think that knowledge work can be supported solely by offering courses and enabling to access content on demand. In this deliverable this aspect (ACQUIRING knowledge) will not be in focus as it is more the job of a training department to manage courses and catalogues. Instead we focus on APPLYING knowledge. The concept of knowledge work management comes into place, when companies see the ability of their employees to APPLY their education and knowledge as a strategic instrument to create competitiveness and look for tools to provide learning and knowledge at workplace on demand and fitting to the individual needs. And this objective is very actual as the globalization creates pressure on companies and the knowledge and experience of the employees gets the most important differentiator to competitors – leading to better innovation, faster processes, higher productivity and lower costs. In this deliverable, an overall approach and guideline for companies will be provided on how to implement knowledge work management and provide learning according to the needs in business and resulting from business processes.