KCS Principles and Core Concepts

This document is intended to describe the principles and core concepts of Knowledge-Centered Service (KCS).

KCS is a proven methodology for integrating the use, validation, improvement, and creation of knowledge into the workflow. Inherent in the methodology is a process of continuous improvement that is based on the experience of those doing the work and the patterns that emerge from knowledge reuse. KCS is very different from the traditional knowledge engineering approach, which is based on the concepts of knowledge from a few for the use of many. KCS is a many-to-many model. Its elegance stems from the fact that it is demand-driven and self-correcting, because it is based on the academic concepts of double loop learning.

KCS creates tremendous value for any information- or knowledge-intensive business. This document provides a description of the four fundamental principles and the ten core concepts of KCS.  While the KCS Practices document is quite prescriptive, the techniques listed there are offered as an example of how some organizations have successfully adopted the methodology. These techniques are sometimes mistaken as the only way to implement KCS. Turns out there are many ways to implement the principles, core concepts, and Practices. The techniques are an example of how KCS works at the operational level; they are in no way meant to describe the only way to be successful with KCS. 

If we want to maximize our realized benefits, the fundamental principles and core concepts of KCS are not negotiable. Our hope is that these principles and concepts will provide guidance on whether or not a practice or technique aligns with KCS. As organizations embrace KCS, they must make decisions on how to approach certain challenges - some of which may be unique to their business or institution. The principles and concepts are the criteria by which we can test how well specific practices and techniques align with the KCS philosophy. 

KCS Principles and Core Concepts by Consortium for Service Innovation is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial-NoDerivatives 4.0 International License.