Knowledge transfer is moving knowledge, skills and context from one person or team to another so the receiver can do the work. It happens through documentation, training, shadowing, mentoring and capturing knowledge as work happens. It matters most when people leave, change roles or hand over a project.
Types of knowledge transfer
| Type | Good for | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Documentation | Explicit knowledge | Process guides, handover documents |
| Training | Standard skills | Courses, workshops |
| Shadowing and mentoring | Tacit knowledge | Successor works alongside expert |
| Communities of practice | Shared problems | Regular peer sessions |
| Capture during work | Decisions and context | Decision logs, memory tools |
A 5-step process
- Identify what knowledge matters and who has it.
- Prioritize by risk: what breaks first if lost.
- Choose methods per area.
- Transfer with scheduled sessions.
- Verify that the receiver can do the work.
Use our knowledge transfer plan template to run it.
Examples
- A retiring engineer explains why a plant's maintenance schedule differs from the manual.
- An IT services team takes over an application in a KT phase.
- A sales lead introduces a successor to key customers before leaving.
Barriers
- Time pressure in the notice period
- Tacit knowledge that is hard to explain
- No owner for the process
- Starting too late
Where Reattend fits
Reattend reduces how much has to be transferred at the end by remembering decisions and commitments as work happens. Successors can ask questions with named sources, and, on Business, exit interviews become handoff documents.
Frequently asked questions
What is knowledge transfer?
Knowledge transfer is the process of moving knowledge, skills and context from one person, team or organization to another, so that the receiver can use it to do the work.
What are the types of knowledge transfer?
Common types are documentation, training, mentoring and shadowing, communities of practice, and capture of knowledge during work. They suit different kinds of knowledge, from written procedures to tacit judgment.
What does KT mean in IT?
KT means knowledge transfer. In IT services, a KT phase is when a team taking over a system or project learns it from the outgoing team through sessions, documents and supervised work.
What are the barriers to knowledge transfer?
Lack of time, knowledge that is hard to put into words, low trust, no incentive to share, poor tools, and starting too late.