2023-10-10 22:00:00
In the contemporary world, the accelerating pace of technological advances, rapid changes in consumer expectations and changes in the regulatory environment have given rise to a phenomenon that is both impactful and stimulating: obsolescence.
In its broadest definition, obsolescence refers to the process by which an entity, whether a product, service, technology or knowledge, loses its original value. use over time. Obsolescence can occur for a wide variety of reasons including technological progress, changes in fashion, changes in standards, etc. Although obsolescence is generally associated with the context of manufactured products, a sector in which companies have developed various management strategies, it also impacts knowledge and skills: a law or a theory can also become obsolete. This facet of obsolescence is, however, less visible or less felt and little treated. This article therefore proposes to explore it.
Knowledge obsolescence refers to the process by which knowledge loses its relevance or usefulness. In a constantly evolving society, new knowledge is constantly generated, in quantity, and contradicts or supplants previous ones. Innovations in science and technology, new methodologies, regulatory updates and changes in market dynamics are all factors that can make knowledge obsolete. Knowledge or theory can also be disproven or proven false over time. In organizations, this phenomenon is particularly worrying because knowledge constitutes the backbone of strategy, decision-making and innovation.
Often assimilated to the obsolescence of knowledge although distinct from it, the loss of knowledge within a company is a phenomenon which also has a strong impact on it. It occurs when knowledge is permanently lost, often due to factors inherent to an organization; thus, the departure of qualified employees, poor knowledge management practices or organizational changes can lead to a loss of institutional memory. The loss of knowledge therefore relates to the availability of knowledge while the obsolescence of knowledge concerns the relevance, use value and veracity of knowledge over time. Being able to distinguish and understand the mechanisms inherent in these phenomena (how they appear and why) is crucial for organizations, as they both impact an organization’s ability to make decisions and follow a growth strategy effective.
The objective of this article is to present the phenomena of obsolescence and loss of knowledge, to distinguish them and to identify their causes.
The first section presents the phenomenon of obsolescence in general, identifies the entities that are sensitive to it and proposes a characterization of the phenomenon. This section highlights in particular that obsolescence can have an impact on “concrete” (products) or “abstract” entities such as knowledge. The article then emphasizes the obsolescence of knowledge, which it positions in relation to the loss of knowledge. Section 2 identifies what knowledge is considered essential within an organization and analyzes the respective sources of loss and obsolescence of this knowledge. The article concludes by providing an overview of the main causes of obsolescence and knowledge loss phenomena, reiterating the importance of strategies to prevent or remedy them.
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