Managing capability knowledge across the extended enterprise

The Through Life Capability Management (TLCM) construct, currently being embraced by defense departments across the globe, is a commercial and social endeavor that requires a multitude of socio-technical systems to work together effectively in a system of systems. TLCM demands changes in the organization and culture of the defense supply chain in ways that fly in the face of traditional commercial wisdom. This paper reports on an on going enterprise model that is being created as part of a wider research project into the management and sharing of knowledge across the TLCM enterprise. The model describes the UK MoD TLCM enterprise as a set of responsibilities that agents execute by accessing identified resources, in this instance limited to information and knowledge. Preliminary results indicate changes in the structure of the supply chain organization that raises significant challenges in the areas of decision making, knowledge sharing, organizational learning, culture and behavior.