DIN SPEC 91443 – Interview on the new standard for systematic knowledge management for SMEs
With DIN SPEC 91443, the standard for knowledge management for small and medium-sized enterprises, published in July 2021, the statements of ISO 9001:2008 and ISO 30401 regarding the handling of knowledge in companies have been detailed. DIN SPEC 91443 specifies guidelines for the implementation, planning, control and further development of systematic knowledge management activities and can thus form a bridging function to ISO30401 for companies wishing to introduce a comprehensive knowledge management system.
Dr. Maik H. Wagner, Managing Partner of the Institut für Wissensökonomie, management consultant and DIN/ISO expert for knowledge management, was consortium leader for the creation of DIN SPEC 91443. We asked him about this standard:
Which goals should be achieved when creating DIN SPEC 91443?
Dr. Maik H. Wagner: On the one hand, DIN ISO 30401 Knowledge Management Systems - Requirements should be made more accessible for German SMEs. The requirement of the standard seem to be abstract at first and second glance. When presenting ISO 30401 to the German professional audience in 2019, the experts present therefore considered formulating essential requirements of the standard more clearly and combining them with knowledge management models that are known and proven in Germany. This should provide SMEs in particular with low-threshold access to the topic.
What particular challenges were there in creating the standard?
Dr. Maik H. Wagner: First of all, a common mindset had to be created in the consortium for the requirements of DIN ISO 30401, so that the ISO 30401 requirements could be converted into more comprehensible guidelines for DIN SPEC 91443. That was intellectually very interesting. Subsequently, the methods and models established in Germany then had to be conceptually linked to it. In addition, the consortium consisted of academics and practitioners in the field of knowledge management as well as representatives of SMEs. Here, different interests and perspectives had to be integrated with each other. Stefan Becker from ViCon, by the way, played an extremely constructive role here as an SME representative and standards expert.
How should DIN SPEC 91443 be classified? What are the differences to DIN ISO 30401?
Dr. Maik H. Wagner: First of all, a common mindset had to be created in the consortium for the requirements of DIN ISO 30401, so that the ISO 30401 requirements could be converted into more comprehensible guidelines for DIN SPEC 91443. That was intellectually very interesting. Subsequently, the methods and models established in Germany then had to be conceptually linked to it. In addition, the consortium consisted of academics and practitioners in the field of knowledge management as well as representatives of SMEs. Here, different interests and perspectives had to be integrated with each other. Stefan Becker from ViCon, by the way, played an extremely constructive role here as an SME representative and standards expert.
What is the greatest benefit for SMEs?
Dr. Maik H. Wagner: DIN SPEC 91443 is a free document that can be easily downloaded from Beuth-Verlag. The DIN SPEC is the result of intensive work by a group of people with great expertise. The quality of the document is very high; if I may say so as a co-responsible person. So you get a high-quality document for the introduction and implementation of systematic activities with which the resource knowledge can be better exploited. In addition, DIN 91443 opens the door to DIN ISO 30401, which can be used to signal (certified) to the market that success-critical knowledge in the company is managed professionally and in a customer-oriented manner. Heart, what more do you want?