1. Software Engineering and Knowledge Creation in Nokia
11th NORD I&D May 30 - June 1, Reykjavik, Iceland
Kari Känsälä Senior R&D Manager Nokia Research Center (NRC)

2. Content Nokia Corporation worldwide software (SW) R&D
Communities of Practice (CoPs)
generally within and between companies
in Nokia
Knowledge Creation
modes (by I. Nonaka & H. Takeuchi: The Knowledge-Creating Company, 1995)
organizational levels in Nokia
SW engineering knowledge creation in Nokia
mode by mode vs. organizational levels
using activities supported by NRC as examples
Summary & conclusions

3. World's largest manufacturer of mobile phones
A leading end-to-end infrastructure supplier
Three Business Groups
Nokia Mobile Phones
Nokia Networks
Nokia Ventures Organization
More than employees
Net sales EUR 30.4 billion 2000
~All products and solutions are SW intensive
For further details refer to

4. Nokia Software (SW) R&D Worldwide
Number of SW developers (SW for Nokia's products) has grown
from 1000 in to currently
60+% of all R&D, and 15+% of Nokia’s employees
Sales offices
R&D (most with SW R&D)
Production, incl.
joint ventures

5. Communities of practice (CoP)
Community of Practice:
shared knowledge
same well-known experts *
shared 'tools'
shared practices
shared identity
The zone of legitimate
peripheral participation
* An expert is a person who defines what counts as knowledge

6. External and internal communities
Source: I. Tuomi,1998

7. Nokia Corporation in theory
Business
Group/
Units
Team A
Team B
Business Processes

8. Nokia in practice Business Processes Source: P. Kasper, 2000 Team A
Team B
Business Processes
Process Team
Interest group
Community of Practice
Interest group
Community of Practice
Community of Interest
Interest group
Community of Practice
Community of Practice
Source: P. Kasper, 2000

9. Knowledge Creation Modes
Tacit (subjective) to Explicit (objective)
Tacit Knowledge Knowledge
Knowledge
Shared * Conceptual
Knowledge Knowledge
from
Operational Systemic
Explicit
* initially: Sympathized
Source: Nonaka & Takeuchi,1995

10. SW Engineering Knowledge Creation in Nokia from the NRC viewpoint*
Business Units (BUs) Knowledge tailoring (and usage)
NRC* Knowledge R&D and transfer
Nokia Knowledge platforms and services
Nokia's
SW Engineering CoPs &
Knowledge
*There are similar SW engineering knowledge enhancement & transfer parties in Business Units as well

11. Shared SW Engineering Knowledge in Nokia
Knowledge sharing in/by BUs***
NSEF**
SGP*
Conceptual
knowledge
Operational
knowledge
Systemic
knowledge
* Sharing Good Practices (SGP)
covers all Business Processes
seven explicit SGP steps
SGP sharing base on Intranet
** Nokia SW Engineering Forum - next slide
*** Knowledge sharing in/by Business Units
role-based networks (quality, testing,...)
benchmarking with other companies

12. NSEF since 1993; initially as separate seminars or Forums
36 separate events in 2000
currently xxxx names in the mailing list

13. Conceptual SW Engineering Knowledge in Nokia
Knowledge sharing in BUs
NSEF
SGP
Conceptual work by BUs***
NRC research & cooperation**
Nokia IS*
Operational
knowledge
Systemic
knowledge
* Nokia Information Services (IS)
electronic sources (market reports, news , technology information)
local library & info services (document delivery, IR, periodicals, purchases)
** NRC research & cooperation - next slide
*** Conceptual work by Business Units
piloting in R&D projects
commenting in standardization

14. SW Engineering Research & Cooperation by NRC
Participation in international standardization, concerning e.g.
ISO standards
ISO15504 (a.k.a. SPICE) since 1993
CMM de-facto standards
CMMI (Stakeholder Team) since 1998
Participation in European research projects, e.g.
ITEA/ESAPS (Engineering SW Architectures, Processes and Platforms for System Families)
since 1999, to be followed by a deployment project
a result: extension of SPICE process model to cover SW product line processes
SW engineering benchmarking with other large corporations
SW Experience Center
with ABB, Boeing, DaimlerChrysler, and Motorola,
facilitated by Fraunhofer IESE (Germany) and Fraunhofer Center-Maryland (USA)
Cooperation with SW engineering process, method & tool vendors

15. Systemic SW Engineering Knowledge in Nokia
Knowledge sharing in BUs
NSEF
SGP
Conceptual work by BUs
NRC research & cooperation
Nokia IS
Operational
knowledge
Nokia PCP Solutions*
SPF by NRC**
Business Groups' PCP Solutions***
* Nokia Product Creation (PC) Process Solutions
corporate-wide PC process platforms,
incl. cross-Business Group processes
** SW Process Framework by NRC - next slide
*** Business Groups' PC Process Solutions
based on common platforms, but may
vary according to the product portfolio

16. NRC's SW Process Framework (SPF)
Existing
SW/system PRMs
SW Process
Reference Model
(SPRM) v2.0
Good practices
in Nokia BUs
& outside Nokia
SW Process Framework (SPF) released in 1996
based on SW process model ISO/SPICE v2.0 (October 1996)
to be replaced by SW Product Line Process Framework (SPLPF) in 2001 based on ESAPS results
SW engineering knowledge base to be used by Business Units
CMM v1.1
levels
KPAs
key practices
SPICE v2.0
proc. categories
(sub)processes
base practices
Links to CMM
Web links
References to SW/systems process std's
SW related Business Processes
SW related Product Creation Processes
SW development processes
Glossaries
SPRM vs.
CMM v1.1
ISO
ISO12207
IEEE 1074
J-STD-016
SE-CMM
IEEE 1220
EIA-IS-632
SW Process
Ref. Glossary
(SPRG)

17. Operational SW Engineering Knowledge by NRC Support
Knowledge sharing in BUs
NSEF
SGP
Conceptual work by BUs
NRC research & cooperation
Nokia IS
Rationale
for SW
engineering
knowledge
creation
Nokia PC Process*
BU SWEP with NRC** SPPs in BUs***
Nokia PCP Solutions
SPF by NRC
Business Groups' PCP Solutions
* Nokia Product Creation Process
a Nokia Business Process: others are
Delivery Process
Business Support Process
** Business Unit's SW Engineering Process - next slide
*** SW Projects' Processes in Business Units
actual SW processes in SW projects

18. SW Engineering Process (SWEP) in Business Units with NRC
NMP SWEP was initially released in 1996 based on SPICE v2.0; latest release is #18
NMP SWEP includes hundreds of process assets, e.g processes or procedures, 101 work products, and 42 roles
there are similar SWEPs also in other Business Groups

19. SW Engineering Knowledge Creation Cycle
Knowledge sharing in BUs
NSEF (1995… )
SGP
Conceptual work by BUs
Std's<->NRC (1993…2000…)
Nokia IS
Nokia PC Process
BU SWEPs (1996…2001…) SPPs in BUs
Nokia PCP Solutions
SPF&SPLPF/NRC (1995…2001…)
Business Groups' PCP Solutions
Example (1st paradigm cycle finished, 2nd cycle beginning):
SW process knowledge sharing -> SW process reference models SW process manual of BUs <- SW process framework <-

20. Summary & Conclusions
Knowledge creation is one of the most challenging activities in a large corporation
SW engineering knowledge creation is especially important, because ~all products are SW intensive
All knowledge creation modes (shared, conceptual, systemic, operational) must be supported or at least facilitated at all organizational levels
It takes years to conclude the full knowledge creation cycle, including the shift of the corresponding paradigm
Real SW development in real SW projects is the only essential part of the cycle: if it does not happen, then everything else is in vain!
Thank you! Any questions?