Elevator

Expertise in enterprises organized through its individual competencies, organizational capabilities, or commoditized resources it can bring to bear.

Concerns

Enterprises may not put an emphasis on expertise.  This is sometimes referred to as the business as usual approach.  There is little in the growth of the competencies through reduced training, limited career progression,, and under-hiring.  Capabilities are based in heuristics and tacit knowledge rather than formalized processes and captured knowledge.  The commoditized resources from the marketplace may be obsolete and old. Even when expertise is acknowledged this can be without any form of closure.  Relying on external expertise, without transferring the expertise inhouse, reduces this closure with the expertise of the enterprise as it shares the expertise between internal and external competencies, capabilities, and resources.  These two concerns (1) Business as Usual and (2) Lack of Closure need to always be taken into account.

Guidelines

Expertise needs to be managed as a source of competitive advantage. This is organized through its individuals (competencies), organization (capabilities), or its access to assets (resources). In general resources influence the growth of competencies, which lead to greater capabilities. Managing and organizing expertise through resources, competencies, and capabilities is as source of competitive advantage over other firms.

[Back to Enterprise Design Guidelines]