Critical Know-How
The part of an organization's knowledge whose loss would directly threaten safety, quality, or continuity.
What it means
Critical know-how is a narrow but the most valuable slice of knowledge. It concerns non-standard situations, risks, and decisions with high impact.
Why it matters
Capturing everything is neither possible nor necessary. It makes sense to focus on the knowledge with the greatest impact on operations.
A real-world example
Only one person in the organization knows the procedure for safely shutting down critical equipment when two failures occur at once.
Positions where the most important operational and decision-making know-how is concentrated.
A worker whose knowledge or decision-making is irreplaceable for operations.
Mapping what critical knowledge an organization holds and where it's at risk.
An organization's ability to keep functioning without losing know-how as people change.
Deep specialist knowledge gained through years of hands-on practice in a specific field.