MVP Process in Knowledge Management Systems

Today I read David Weinberger's article on the MVP process in this month's issue of KM World. In the article Mr. Weinberger described the use of minimum viable product (MVP) and how this approach is applied today (think Apple products) and early on (Ford Model T). The point of the article was that both of these companies developed simple products for a small set of early adopters and then allowed the product to mature as the desired features for the product emerged. This allowed the product to be produced while limiting the unwanted features and using the market to determine future features.

I enjoyed the article but found the MVP concept was not applied to the context of knowledge management systems. This was a knowledge management magazine so I was looking for insight into the application to the KM field. Since this application was not included in the article I thought I would build on Mr. Weinberger's article by applying MVP to the KM field.

The MVP concept can be applied to knowledge management systems but, if applied incorrectly, it may result failure. If the product, in this case a KM system, is designed with a minimum set of features or a minimum set of content, the early adopters of this information system will be frustrated by the lack of ability to locate and add knowledge or by the quality or quantity of content available in the system. We can't build a KM system based on a small set of content and functionality and then simply allow it to mature over time as we see the needs emerge. This initial offering must provide value in order for it to attract users and for users to continue to rely on the system.

The MVP approach to KM systems can still be used but this initial system offering must be focused on specific value. Perhaps it is the scope of the value proposition that can be minimized for the initial offering. Beginning with a specific scope for the KM system and then providing all functionality and content needed to achieve the goals within the scope should be the objective.

Viewing the MVP approach for KM systems only makes sense if we shift the perspective of product functions to product scope. Offering a minimal viable product scope (MVPS) allows an organization to produce a valuable KM system to satisfy a narrow purpose and then, over time, this scope can grow along with the functions and content needed to fulfill the growing scope. So, lets apply the MVPS approach to KM systems rather than the MVP approach.