Why is Knowledge Management Important to Solution Architecture?

Knowledge-driven Solution Architecture fuels faster innovation, reduces rework, and optimises resource allocation, and that’s just for starters.

The Bibliothèque Schœlcher, located in Fort-de-France, Martinique, was built in 1887 and opened in 1893. It was named after Victor Schoelcher, a Slavery abolitionist who donated his collection of 10,000 books to the library. To this day, entry to the Bibliothèque Schœlcher is still free of charge.

The Bibliothèque is square, the intention being that all 10,000 books could be seen from the centre of the room. It was a deliberate design decision by the Building Architect, Pierre-Henri Picq, to make knowledge easier to find because it isn’t hidden away in a corner.

In the ever-evolving landscape of Business and Architecture practice, the pivotal role of effective knowledge management cannot be overstated.

As industries continually adapt to the changing demands of technology, market trends, and customer expectations, the ability to manage and utilise knowledge becomes not just an asset but a necessity for success.

This article explores the integral ways Knowledge Management is crucial to a thriving Architecture practice and how it applies universally to Businesses of all sizes.

Firstly, knowledge management serves as the cornerstone of information accessibility. In an Architecture practice, where precision and timely decisions are paramount, having immediate access to the correct information is indispensable. This extends beyond Architecture into all realms of Business, facilitating strategic planning and informed decision-making at every level.

Secondly, the dynamic nature of Architecture, with its unique blend of creativity and technicality, underscores the need for continuous learning and adaptation. Knowledge management plays a vital role here, enabling Architects to assimilate lessons from past projects and refine strategies and approaches for future endeavours.

Innovation, a key driver in Architecture and Business, is further fuelled by effective knowledge management. It encourages the sharing of ideas, fostering an environment where innovation is not just encouraged but is a natural outcome of collective thinking.

Risk management, especially in Architecture, involves foreseeing potential challenges and devising strategies to mitigate them. Knowledge management is instrumental in identifying these risks, ensuring that businesses and practices can navigate transformations smoothly and efficiently.

The engagement and alignment of employees with organisational goals are critical in any transformation. Knowledge management aids in this by clarifying objectives and disseminating the understanding needed for employees to contribute meaningfully to the transformation process.

Efficiency and productivity are the bedrock of any successful business or Architecture practice. Knowledge management enhances these aspects by streamlining processes and reducing redundancies, ensuring that the practice survives and thrives.

The overall objectives of Knowledge Management are,

Holistic: It should address all aspects of knowledge management, from creation and capture to retrieval and application.
Sustainable: It should be designed to be used and maintained long-term.
User-centric: It should be easy to use and accessible to everyone who needs it.
Agile: It should be able to adapt to changing needs and technologies.

As the Objectives suggest, for a Solution Architecture practice to thrive on knowledge management, it needs to address two key aspects:

1. Capturing and sharing architectural knowledge:

Design decisions and rationale: Document key design decisions made during the solution architecture process, along with the rationale behind those choices. This includes considering both technical and non-technical factors like business goals, feasibility, and security.
Patterns and best practices: Capture and share commonly used design patterns and best practices within the practice. This can be done through internal wikis, code repositories with documented examples, or knowledge-sharing sessions.
Lessons learned: Collect and share lessons learned from successful and unsuccessful projects. This allows architects to learn from each other’s experiences and avoid repeating mistakes.
Architecting expertise: Encourage mentorship and knowledge sharing between senior and junior architects. Senior architects can guide juniors through complex design decisions and share their expertise.

2. Making knowledge accessible and usable:

Clear and concise documentation: Document solutions in a clear and concise way, using diagrams, visuals, and plain language. This makes the knowledge accessible to Architects with different levels of expertise.
Effective tagging and search: Tag Architectural assets with relevant keywords and categories to enable efficient search and retrieval.
Version control: Implement version control for documentation and design artefacts to track changes and maintain historical context.
Collaboration tools: Use collaboration tools like wikis, forums, and chat platforms to facilitate knowledge sharing and discussions among architects.
Continuous improvement: Encourage architects to review and update existing knowledge based on new experiences and technological advancements.

Here are some additional tips for effective knowledge management in Solution Architecture:

Integrate KM with existing tools and processes: Don’t create a separate silo for knowledge management. Instead, integrate it with existing tools and processes that Architects already use.
Make it easy to contribute: Design the system to be easy for Architects to contribute their knowledge. This could involve short forms, templates, or incentives for knowledge sharing.
Promote a culture of learning and sharing: Create a culture within the practice where learning and sharing knowledge are valued and encouraged. This can be done through recognition programs, knowledge-sharing events, and informal discussions.

By implementing these practices, Solution Architecture teams can develop a library that enables them to deliver better solutions faster and more efficiently.

Getting Started

In the following section, we will discuss some of the tools and techniques that exist today but this section will not be extensive as we will delve deeper in future articles.

ArchVault

One of the tools I have developed to promote better knowledge management within architecture is the ArchVault, an Obsidian Vault that I’ve configured for immediate use with little additional configuration. Obsidian can take a lot of time to set up, so ArchVault was developed to reduce that time.

In essence, the ArchVault is a collection of files in Markdown format. Still, by using simple Bi-directional links, the knowledge in the Markdown files can be linked directly to other Markdown files no matter which folder they reside in. Unlike hyperlinks that only link point A to point B, Bi-directional links allow two-way interactions between related knowledge.

The intention is that with ArchVault, Obsidian is used as the editor, the Git-based repository is used for version control, and the Fork & Pull model is used for collaboration.

Alternatives to Obsidian

Obsidian, in this way, meets all of the objectives of Knowledge Management but is far from perfect, which is why I wrote about Capacities and explored Visual Modelling with Scrintal and Heptabase. What was my problem with using Obsidian?

One of the key limitations of Obsidian is that it doesn’t automatically store knowledge in a Git Repository. This means you need to manually push updated Markdown files to a Git Repo before sharing them with others. If, unfortunately, you lose the device where your Obsidian Vault resides and haven’t pushed a copy of your work, it can result in significant rewriting efforts, especially if you haven’t performed a push in a while.

Certainly, while numerous community-made plugins can help bridge some of these gaps in Obsidian’s functionality, it’s worth noting that this approach primarily caters to those who are technically inclined. It may not serve as a comprehensive solution for an enterprise-wide implementation, where usability is a priority for individuals across various technical skill levels.

Scrintal and the Large Language Model Graph

Scrintal is one of the Visual Note-taking Apps ready to step out of the Personal Knowledge Management realm into Enterprise grade Knowledge Management. It is feature-complete and robust and supports multiple users simultaneously.

I built a Knowledge Repository of all my notes on Large Language Models using Scrintal partly to get to know the tool and partly to understand whether it would meet all the Objectives of an enterprise-grade Knowledge Management tool.

My Large Language Model Knowledge Graph was built using Scrintal.

Could I Imagine a whole Enterprise using Scrintal as its default Knowledge Management tool? No, as I’m uncertain how it would perform at such a scale. Scrintal still needs to be proven in this regard. For smaller teams, perhaps even an Architecture practice, Scrintal will safely supply all your Knowledge Management needs and will be one of the Tools I will feature moving forward.

Next Steps

In subsequent articles for Future Architecture, I will focus on the various steps to create a Knowledge Resposity for an Architecture Practice.