There's been some work done in the context of loss of learning for
pruduction capability.
>From a strictly empirical standpoint two authors have found that learning
(as measured by the reduction in unit cost from the first unit produced)
decays approximately exponentially over time.
The factors affecting the rate of decay are the extent to which the
learning has been captured, That is, does it remain as a rite of passage,
that is passed down from master to apprentice, or have the lessons and
techniques been spread throughout the organization.
Stuart Harrow
Defense Contract Management Command Long Island
Garden City, NY (USA)
--"Harrow, Stuart C." <bvc2206@dcrb.dla.mil>
Learning-org -- An Internet Dialog on Learning Organizations For info: <rkarash@karash.com> -or- <http://world.std.com/~lo/>