Developments in human resources, skills, and knowledge

In 2015, the ISO 9001 standard incorporated requirements regarding the management of knowledge specific to each organization, grouped under a section titled, somewhat ambiguously, “Organizational Knowledge.” In the English version, the section title is in the singular: “Organizational knowledge,” which is less confusing.

It must be acknowledged that, in the absence of precise and auditable requirements, companies and auditors have tended to overlook these requirements—for example, by conflating them with the individual competencies typically outlined in job descriptions as knowledge, know-how, and interpersonal skills.

As a result, the collective dimension of knowledge—such as that derived from lessons learned from completed projects or contracts—may have been overlooked or, at the very least, underemphasized relative to its importance.