Competence Visualizer: generating competence patterns of organizational groups

This paper describes and evaluates the design of Competence Visualizer (CV), a competence system generating competence patterns of organizational groups. The system provides novel features that: (1) make it possible to survey competence status of teams in varying sizes at a specific moment; (2) handle information about both existing competencies and competence interests; and (3) manage snapshots of a particular point of time and development over a certain period regarding existing competencies and competence interests. The results from the system evaluation include fields of application, future design challenges, and organizational issues. A first conclusion is that competence systems need the potential to handle flexible visualizations of existing competencies as well as competence interests of organizational members. A second conclusion is that organizational issues, such as incentives and management, are critical in order to attain data quality in a competence system.