According to a Yoobic survey, frontline workers represent 80% of the global workforce. Yet 72% of them still use paper-based materials to carry out their daily tasks. Even without recourse to artificial intelligence, the digitalisation of knowledge remains a central challenge for organisations seeking to improve efficiency, guarantee operational continuity and control costs.
Why Digitalising the Transfer of Field Knowledge Matters
Informal Know-How That Is Often Poorly Capitalised
Informal knowledge is acquired through daily experience and social interaction. This tacit knowledge accounts for more than 80% of an organisation's total knowledge base (source: Techniques Ingénieur). Its documentation and sharing prevents the deep internal dysfunctions linked to staff turnover or generational transition.
The capitalisation of informal knowledge is a growing challenge, particularly in manufacturing. According to an INSEE study in Hauts-de-France, between 43% and 50% of expert technicians will cease working by 2030. 36% of technical managers and engineers are in the same situation (source: strategie-plan.gouv). This reality creates a risk of losing critical know-how in the absence of a knowledge digitalisation strategy.
Responsiveness, Accessibility and Continuity for Operational Teams
Digitalisation makes it possible to track in real time, for each field operative, how interventions are progressing. This overall view facilitates the assignment of tasks to the right profiles for execution in the minimum amount of time. The quality of the field knowledge transfer process improves communication between team members, and between teams and management.
This process makes it possible to examine the situations that employees face in order to take appropriate decisions and ensure operational continuity. Responsiveness and personalisation in pathway management are durably strengthened as a result.
A Concrete Performance Lever for Teams
Paper-based processes and tasks generate errors, particularly during the onboarding of new employees. Without a documented reference point, errors tend to recur. The digitalisation of knowledge, tasks and procedures provides a smoother communication channel between frontline teams and the rest of the organisation. New recruits can easily access digital processes and operating procedures, accelerate their training and reduce the time needed to become fully operational. Digitalisation also allows the Learning & Development function to experiment with several formats in order to identify the most appropriate approaches for each profile.
Digital Tools That Facilitate Knowledge Transfer
Mobile Video, Microlearning and Internal Podcasts
Informal knowledge can be centralised in procedures, guides or digital knowledge bases. The aim is to create logically structured versions, with visual and engaging formats. Several complementary digital pathways lend themselves well to this purpose: short video sequences (microlearning), internal podcasts for explaining the steps of operating procedures, or quizzes for assessing the proper assimilation of knowledge.
To encourage exchange and sharing between employees, social learning elements can be integrated into training tools: forums, instant messaging and themed discussion spaces. Every employee can thus develop their behavioural and technical competencies on the basis of a rich, shared intangible capital.
Collaborative Platforms and Knowledge Libraries
Collaborative tools strengthen the quality of the field knowledge digitalisation process. They facilitate access to the organisation's professional resources and make it possible to share useful information with remote teams. A Skills Management Platform makes it possible to map key competencies, identify gaps between available and required knowledge, and structure skills development pathways.
These platforms centralise internal knowledge libraries, making procedures, best practices and experience-sharing accessible to all employees, regardless of their location.
Real-Time Skills Monitoring, Validation and Recognition
Aligning knowledge management with the long-term vision of the organisation requires anticipating future skills needs from the monitoring of frontline teams' current capabilities. This proactive approach enables the necessary adjustments in training and recruitment to maintain an optimal level of operational effectiveness.
The data visualisation features integrated into skills-tracking tools provide a real-time view of employees' qualification levels. Skills validation systems ensure that know-how remains up to date, in line with changes in roles and professional requirements.
The Key Factors for Effective Digitalisation
Involving Subject-Matter Experts in Content Creation
The transfer of competencies requires a thorough audit of employees' knowledge, skills and professional conduct, including the informally acquired knowledge of senior profiles. The IPSOS study for À Compétence Égale highlights the value of senior/junior pairings in knowledge transfer: 88% of recruiters recommend this approach for progressively reducing the working hours of experts without impacting their retirement rights.
Involving subject-matter experts guarantees the quality, relevance and impact of the content produced. They validate the learning materials, contribute modifications and ensure the accuracy of the information transmitted.
Adapting Formats to Real Field Usage
Frontline teams focus on their core responsibilities: they cannot afford time deciphering complex instructions. Memorisation differs from one individual to another, but visual information is particularly effective for a large proportion of learners: according to an Inc. article, 65% of people are visual learners.
Visual and interactive formats are essential in this context: step-by-step checklists with an associated photograph for each phase, short videos and annotated diagrams. These formats reduce the friction of learning and increase the rate at which instructions are applied in the field.
Measuring Impact and Continuously Evolving the Tools
Key performance indicators make it possible to measure the impact of the digitalisation of field knowledge. The registration and connection rate on digital platforms indicates the number of employees who are genuinely accessing the digital tools. Time spent on these resources quantifies engagement. This data makes it possible to adapt tools and processes to the real needs of employees, in a logic of continuous improvement.
