A Paradigm Shift: From Business to Knowledge Processes

Abstract

In the last recent years, as a consequence of the increasing exchange of information and collaborative decision among knowledge workers (e.g. analysts, researchers�), the interest on Knowledge Processes have risen. Those process are quite flexible, neither standard, nor structured, and it is basically the experience, knowledge and intuition of the workers that drive them to success. Nowadays, those Knowledge Processes are the �hidden intelligence� in companies which is formed by the tacit knowledge of individuals, undocumented factual and procedural (�how to�) knowledge which is essential for competent performance, and tediously learned by experience and example. This intelligence marks the productivity of knowledge workers and critically determines the eventual success or failure of a corporation in the knowledge society. Unfortunately, Knowledge Processes cannot be managed following the standard Business Process Management paradigm because the nature of both kinds of processes is dramatically different. In this scenario, a shift towards a new paradigm in business processes, which also supports these Knowledge Processes, seems to be more and clearer, providing means for a better understanding of Knowledge Processes that allows validating such processes and improving performance and quality of service, eventually easing computation from the human perspective.