Incorporating Forgetting into Learning Curves

Organisational learning curve analysis and its inverse, organisational forgetting are discussed. The issues involved and a framework for analysing and incorporating forgetting and learning in organisational environments are presented. A conceptual model is developed identifying and analysing such factors as turnover, communication and documentation, which have a significant impact on the intesity of forgetting. Mathematical models are developed and applied to production environments. A major finding which results form the models' analysis is related to the asymptotic value of the cycle time as a function of the nature of the item produced and the length of interruption.