Lessons captured or lessons learned? What is it worth to avoid a mistake? How many times does an organization have to learn the same lesson? Even a rough estimate of the costs in lives and dollars in an organization shows how valuable an effective lessons-learned process can be. What prevents organizations from optimizing and reusing these valuable lessons to reduce risks, lessen costs, minimize reinvention, and improve key business processes? The very name of this knowledge-sharing approach implies that knowledge is being reused—that each lesson drives an action designed to improve a policy, procedure, process, or practice for future users. Unfortunately, this is often not the case. Many organizations have lessons learned processes in place, but most admit that what they actually have are lessons that have been captured but not yet applied. Hear the
results of a recent APQC benchmarking study on lessons learned strategies and processes including examples from three best-practice organizations—Credit Suisse, U.S. Army ARDEC, and U.S. Army Center for Lessons Learned (CALL).