Loss of knowledge after projects erodes media firms’ competitive edge, says expert

Media and communications researcher Dr. Riyadh bin Nasser Al-Furaiji has emphasized that media production companies have a significant opportunity to transform every project they undertake into a "knowledge asset" that remains within the organization. He noted that the end of a project should mark the start of a new phase of learning and development, rather than the conclusion of the expertise gained during its execution.

Al-Furaiji said: "The value of a media project lies not only in the product that leaves the company, but also in the knowledge that stays behind after the project ends. Every project generates insights about the audience, work methods, talent, costs, ideas, successful decisions, and those that could have been made better."

He explained that the project-based nature of the media production industry makes knowledge retention even more critical. As teams change, clients and partners vary, and tools and technologies evolve rapidly, companies risk starting each new project almost from scratch if they lack mechanisms to preserve and transfer expertise between projects.

He added: "Two companies may complete the same number of projects, but the real difference emerges in the company that, by its tenth project, is more knowledgeable, capable, and mature than it was at its first."

Al-Furaiji believes that production companies can build this accumulation of knowledge through a simple, organized process after each project, answering questions such as: What did we learn? What did the audience say? What succeeded? Where did we stumble? What knowledge did the team gain? What should we do differently in the next project?

He pointed out that this approach is a practical extension of his study on "Strategic Planning for Audiovisual Content and Its Relationship to Competitive Forces in Saudi Media Production Companies," which surveyed leaders from 50 Saudi media production companies and 400 stakeholders.

The study identified among the management challenges facing some production companies the tendency to "focus solely on task completion and project closure." Al-Furaiji believes that current industry shifts make it even more important to move beyond this mindset, treating projects not just as deliverables but also as sources of institutional knowledge and learning.

He said: "The market can buy technology, attract talent, and develop production tools, but the accumulated experience within an organization is difficult to purchase or replicate. This is where knowledge can become part of a company’s competitive advantage."

He added that benefiting from project-generated knowledge does not necessarily require complex systems; it can start with documenting lessons learned, analyzing audience feedback, preserving successful solutions and practices, reviewing decisions after implementation, and making this knowledge accessible to teams working on future projects.

He stressed that knowledge accumulation is increasingly important as the media industry rapidly evolves, since an organization’s ability to learn from its experiences gives it greater flexibility to develop its products and respond to changes in the market and audience.

Al-Furaiji concluded: "After every media project, there is a question worth adding to ‘What have we accomplished?’—namely: What does the company now know and is able to do that it could not before this project?"