**4.3 Activities of knowledge acquisition and learning**

The entire process by which the organization acquires knowledge from its experience and learn, begins with the detection and analysis of each event, and ends one the actions oriented to its correction or improvement are executed. The various activities that are part of this process of organizational learning are the following:



The entire process by which the organization acquires knowledge from its experience and learn, begins with the detection and analysis of each event, and ends one the actions oriented to its correction or improvement are executed. The various activities that are part of

analyzing. **Act. C** Fulfillment event report. The incident is described fulfillment for it an event

the evaluation.

Event detection and communication of it, usually by email, to BuUnCoor of the person who detects.

report, which is done by BuUnCoor following an

established electronic format.

The BuUnCoor makes a preliminary analysis of the event and determines if it satisfies the criteria for reporting and

The BuUnCoor send by email the event to the GeCoorPr.

The BuUnCoor responsible for the evaluation determines and assigns the root causes and propose corrective and improvement actions to make, indicating: action number, description, priority, if require give training, the limit date of execution and the unit responsible for do it.

The end of the evaluation implies that the event becomes opened setting the valuation date, from this point it will proceed to execute the actions set out to correct it.

When the BuUnCoor responsible for the evaluation indicates that it has finished (when all the actions must be implemented have been registered), the event and the whole of its information associated is sent to BuUnCoor of the units responsible for execution of the actions.

The GeCoorPr performs control activities and monitoring the execution of actions to avoid unwarranted delays and coordinating the process.

and inform to the GeCoorPr.

the process.

The responsible for performing actions, execute them in time, indicating the date and documentation of closing,

Once has closed the last action assigned to the event, it is considered closed (set status to closed) and terminates

The GeCoorPr records the event, identifies the direct cause and assigns the unit responsible for the evaluation, sending the recorded event to BuUnCoor responsible for

**4.3 Activities of knowledge acquisition and learning** 

this process of organizational learning are the following:

**Activity code Name Description** 

communication of the

verification of criteria.

sending to BuUnCoor

causes and proposed

record evaluation date and pass on to the open

sending actions to BuUnCoor Resp. Exec.

actions by units.

closing the last action.

Table 2. Activities of the knowledge acquisition and learning process

**Act. A** Detection and

**Act. B** Initial analysis and

event.

**Act. D** Sending the event report to GeCoorPr

Resp. Eval.

**Act. E** Event record and

**Act. F** Identification of root

**Act. G** End of the evaluation:

state.

**Act. H** End of the evaluation:

**Act. I** Control and monitoring activities.

**Act. J** Execution and closing

**Act. K** Closing event when

actions

**Activity code Automation process**  Act. E The event is sent to BuUnCoor Resp. Eval. when the incident is recorded in the database. Act. G The state of the event is changed as opened and the valuation date is set, when the BuUnCoor Resp. Eval. indicates that has completed its evaluation. Act. H It is automatically sent the record of the event and the actions that are determined to take to the BuUnCoor Rep. Exec. (may be several), once the BuUnCoor Resp. Eval. indicates that it has finished it. Act. J Are reported (by sending a message) to GeCoorPr when is registered the closing date of each action. Act. K It changes the state of the event to the closed state when the closing date is assigned to the last action.

Part of the activities outlined can be automated at least partially by the system itself triggering (from the database manager) processes that are associated with certain events:

Table 3. Activities which trigger automation processes

Figure 3 shows the flowchart of the process which has been described, indicating in grey colour the activities that are partially automated.

#### **4.4 Model specification of organizational learning**

The process of knowledge acquisition and organizational learning from the analysis of operational experience can be modeled formally applying the theory of Petri nets. This technical of specification is used with the purpose of any organization can develop and implement the process through an information system that helps to realize an efficient management of workflow and the issues analyzed.

The Petri net model presented allows to specify a complex organizational process, of structured type, with a high level of detail, both with respect to the activities that should be considered as the flow of information and communication that occur.

The organizational learning model presented has been implemented successfully in Nuclenor, company with 400 employees that manages the nuclear power plant of St. Mª de Garoña in Spain. The results achieved reveal a high degree of involvement of company staff in the communication of events and their active participation in all phases. For reasons of confidentiality does not provide specific data of the company in this regard, although it is an intensive program in knowledge management, both for the number of events analyzed (knowledge creation) as the quantity of actions implemented (organizational improvement) and knowledge sharing.

The experiences analyzed are a shared knowledge base that is available to all departments and personnel of the company, so that in the resolution of any problem or incident go first to the existing knowledge base and take into consideration the results derived from the analysis of similar operational experiences. By the importance of enhancing the security and efficiency of the installation, being an industrial company which is part of an strategic sector, this knowledge base also includes experiences reported by other Spanish and

Assessment of Operational Experience as Strategy

for Knowledge Acquisition and Learning in Organizations 143

Based on the analysis performed in the preceding paragraphs, is presented below the workflow model that specifies the organizational learning process described in this chapter.

Fig. 4. Model for knowledge acquisition and organizational learning

or extend the knowledge base of the organization.

This chapter has been addressed the organizational learning as one of the key approaches of knowledge management. Knowledge and learning are closely related, the organizational learning is the ability of the organization, from existing knowledge, create new knowledge

The organizations are complex systems in which the concept of learning can be applied to persons (individual learning) working teams (group learning) and organizations themselves

**5. Conclusion** 

international nuclear plants, so that the incidents could be applied to the nuclear plant are analyzed with the purpose of learn from the experience of other companies in the sector and avoid similar situations in the future.

The system now constitutes a program of organizational learning and continuous improvement for the company, which provides periodic evaluation of a set of performance indicators in the various departments and areas of the company (installation security, risk and health of people, internal management and environment).


Fig. 3. Process diagram of knowledge acquisition and organizational learning

international nuclear plants, so that the incidents could be applied to the nuclear plant are analyzed with the purpose of learn from the experience of other companies in the sector and

The system now constitutes a program of organizational learning and continuous improvement for the company, which provides periodic evaluation of a set of performance indicators in the various departments and areas of the company (installation security, risk

avoid similar situations in the future.

and health of people, internal management and environment).

Fig. 3. Process diagram of knowledge acquisition and organizational learning

Based on the analysis performed in the preceding paragraphs, is presented below the workflow model that specifies the organizational learning process described in this chapter.

Fig. 4. Model for knowledge acquisition and organizational learning
