In the late 1980s, Panasonic, a well-known Japanese consumer electronics company struggled to develop a commercial bread maker. Despite having access to top-tier engineers and written documentation, they just couldn’t replicate the ideal loaf of bread. The turning point came when one of their engineers apprenticed with a master baker to learn the subtle techniques that made all the difference. This is what happened.
Observation and imitation
Initially, the engineer spent time observing the master baker at work. The engineer watched closely to see how the baker handled dough, adjusted kneading techniques, and monitored the baking process, which wasn’t documented but crucial to making high-quality bread.
Kneading Technique
A critical insight came from understanding the kneading technique the baker used. The process of kneading dough to develop gluten was much more nuanced than the company had previously accounted for. The engineer learned that the precise rhythm, pressure, and duration of kneading were essential to achieving the right dough consistency something not easily written down or captured in a standard manual.
Timing and Temperature Control
The master baker emphasized how subtle adjustments to timing and temperature at various stages (mixing, proofing, and baking) could dramatically impact the final product. These intuitive adjustments, based on the baker's experience, became an important part of the eventual product design in Panasonic’s bread maker. The bread maker was eventually equipped with controls that allowed for temperature and timing adjustments to mimic the baker's mastery.
Hands-On Learning
The engineer didn’t just observe but also participated in the bread-making process. By working alongside the baker, the engineer gained first-hand experience and learned the importance of feeling the dough to know when it was properly kneaded or ready for the next step in the process. This type of experiential learning was critical for embedding tacit knowledge into the design.
Fine-Tuning of Fermentation
Another key area was the fermentation process, where the engineer discovered that the baker would adjust the time based on the feel of the dough and the environmental conditions, such as humidity and temperature. This understanding helped Panasonic design the bread maker with automatic adjustments for optimal fermentation.
Reflections on Software Development
Just as Panasonic's engineer needed to apprentice with a master baker to unlock the unwritten nuances of bread-making, software developers often rely on tacit knowledge to navigate complex systems and solve unique problems. For example, whereas the master baker intuitively navigated the nuanced process of kneading dough, an experienced developer may intuitively know when and how to refactor code to improve its structure without breaking existing functionality.
much like the master baker adjusted the fermentation or proofing time based on environmental factors like humidity and temperature, a senior engineer might know the optimal time to deploy a release based on factors like the system's load, customer usage patterns, or the readiness of the team.
Similarly, much like the master baker adjusted the fermentation or proofing time based on environmental factors like humidity and temperature, a senior engineer might know the optimal time to deploy a release based on factors like the system's load, customer usage patterns, or the readiness of the team. While there are set procedures, knowing the best time to execute a deployment without disrupting service comes from experience and intuition. This knowledge is similarly difficult to codify, yet crucial for smooth operations.
Considerable Challenges
Making a loaf of bread is arguably a far less complex task than developing a software system. Yet, the impact of tacit knowledge was clearly felt. In the world of software, we are faced with the challenge of identifying this tacit knowledge on a daily basis and engineering ways of ensuring it is retained effectively. The challenge is considerable due to the task at hand being much more complex than baking a loaf of bread. How do we know what tacit knowledge exists? How do we know which knowledge is at risk and thus needs an organized intervention? How do you handle this risk in your company? Knowledge Fabric can help :)
Talk to us today
Are you interested in learning more about how Knowledge Fabric can protect and enhance the tacit knowledge within your organization? We’re here to help you unlock the full potential of your team’s expertise. Talk to us today, and let’s start a conversation about how we can deliver lasting value to your business. Email us on letstalk@knowledgefabric.io.