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Two theoretical constructs for analysing the competency requirements of modernising workplaces are collective competence and work process knowledge. The term 'modernising workplace' refers to the reorganisation of work by reducing hierarchies, placing more emphasis on teams and delegating much of the authority previously exercised by middle managers and foremen to the teams. Teams constituted in this way assume responsibility for continuous improvement of working practices and adapt themselves responsively to customer/market requirements and the operational needs of other work units (and indeed other organisations). Teams of this kind need to be competent collectively. Collective, as distinct from individual, competence is constituted in patterns of interaction within the team which enable it to make collective sense of challenging situations in the workplace. The capacity to construct collective understanding of this kind depends on the team possessing (and making use of) a collective knowledge base. Collective competence also depends on building and maintaining a sense of interdependency within the group. The other theoretical construct examined in this paper, work process knowledge, refers to knowledge of the business, production and labour processes in the organisation as a whole. Employees in modernising workplaces need such knowledge to underpin the wide collaboration and cross-boundary activity expected of them. Work process knowledge is defined as 'active' knowledge which is directly useful for performance at work. It is constructed in the workplace, typically while solving problems, and doing so often involves synthesising codified knowledge (for example, theory learnt in the classroom, or procedures set out in manuals) with experiential knowledge acquired on the job. This paper explores ways in which these two concepts are connected. The primary link is that work process knowledge constitutes a significant part of the common knowledge base on which collective competence depends.