Approaches to
Knowledge Management
• 1-Process approach to knowledge management attempts to
organize organizational knowledge through formalized
controls, processes and technologies
– Focuses on explicit knowledge and IT
Explicit knowledge deals with more objective, rational, and technical knowledge
(data, policies, procedures, software, documents, etc.).
• 2-Practice approach focuses on building the social
environments or communities of practice necessary to
facilitate the sharing of tacit understanding
– Focuses on tacit knowledge and socialization
• Tacit knowledge is usually in the domain of subjective, cognitive, and
experiential learning; it is highly personal and difficult to formalize
11-1
Approaches to
Knowledge Management
• 3-Hybrid approaches to knowledge management
– The practice approach is used so that a
repository(warehouse) stores only explicit knowledge
that is relatively easy to document
– Tacit(implicit)knowledge initially stored in the
repository is contact information about experts and
their areas of expertise
– Increasing the amount of tacit knowledge over time
eventually leads to the attainment of a true process
approach
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Knowledge Management A Demand Led Business Activity
• Supply-driven vs. demand-driven KM
Supp
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Results
obtain
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contextulize
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-valu
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appr
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Approaches to
Knowledge Management
• Best practices are the activities and methods that the
-most effective organizations use to operate and
manage various functions
-In an organization, the best methods for solving
problems. These are often stored in the knowledge
repository of a knowledge management system
• Knowledge repository is the actual storage location
of knowledge in a knowledge management system.
Similar in nature to a database, but generally text-oriented
11-4
Approaches to
Knowledge Management
A Comprehensive View to Knowledge Repository
KNOWLEDGE UTILIZATION
KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT PLATFORM (KMP)
KNOWLEDGE PORTAL
(Web-based End User Interface)
Human Experts
Intelligent Broker
KNOWLEDGE CREATION
KNOWLEDGE REPOSITORY
(Knowledge / Information / Data Nuggets)
Web Crawler
Data/Text Mining Tools
DIVERSE INFORMATION / DATA SOURCES
(Weather / Medical Info / Finance / Agriculture / Industrial)
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Ad hoc
Search
JUN
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5
Manual
Entries
Approaches to
Knowledge Management
• Developing a knowledge repository
– Knowledge repositories are developed using
several different storage mechanisms in
combination
11-6
Information Technology (IT) in
Knowledge Management
The Cyclic Model of Knowledge Management
Capture
Knowledge
Create
Knowledge
2
1
Refine
Knowledge
6
Disseminate
Knowledge
Store
Knowledge
11-7
Manage
Knowledge
5
3
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Information Technology (IT) in
Knowledge Management
•
Components of KMS
–
KMS are developed using three sets of core technologies:
1. Communication
2. Collaboration
3. Storage and retrieval
– Technologies that support KM
• Artificial intelligence
• Intelligent agents
• Knowledge discovery in databases
• Extensible Markup Language (XML)
11-8
Technologies that support KM
• Artificial intelligence
– AI methods used in KMS:
• Assist in and enhance searching knowledge
• Help for knowledge representation (e.g., ES)
• Help establish knowledge profiles of individuals and
groups
• Help determine the relative importance of
knowledge when it is contributed to and accessed
from the knowledge repository
11-9
Technologies that support KM
• AI methods used in KMS:
– Scan e-mail, documents, and databases to perform
knowledge discovery, determine meaningful
relationships and rules
– Identify patterns in data (usually through neural
networks and other data mining techniques)
– Forecast future results by using data/knowledge
– Provide advice directly from knowledge by using
neural networks or expert systems
– Provide a natural language or voice command–driven
user interface for a KMS
11-10
Technologies that support KM
• Intelligent agents
– Intelligent agents are software systems that learn
how users work and provide assistance in their
daily tasks
– They are used to cause and identify knowledge
• See ibm.com, gentia.com for examples
– Combined with enterprise knowledge portal to
proactively disseminate knowledge
11-11
Technologies that support KM
• Knowledge discovery in databases
(KDD) is
A machine learning process that performs
rule instruction, or a related procedure to
establish (or create) knowledge from large
databases
– a.k.a. Data Mining (and/or Text Mining)
11-12
Information Technology (IT) in
Knowledge Management
• Model marts
Small, generally departmental repositories of
knowledge created by employing knowledge-discovery
techniques on past decision instances. Similar to data
marts
• Model warehouses
Large, generally enterprise-wide repositories of
knowledge created by employing knowledge-discovery
techniques. Similar to data warehouses
Technologies that support KM
• Extensible Markup Language (XML)
• Web 2.0
11-13
KM System Implementation
• Knowledge management products and vendors
– Knowware
Technology tools (software/hardware products) that
support knowledge management
– Software development companies / vendors
• Collaborative computing tools
• Knowledge servers
• Enterprise knowledge portals (EKP)
An electronic doorway into a knowledge management
system…
11-14
KM System Implementation
• Software development companies / vendors
– Electronic document management (EDM)
A method for processing documents electronically,
including capture, storage, retrieval, manipulation,
and presentation
– Content management systems (CMS)
An electronic document management system that
produces dynamic versions of documents, and
automatically maintains the current set for use at the
enterprise level
11-15
KM System Implementation
• Software development tools
– Knowledge harvesting tools
– Search engines
– Knowledge management suites
– Knowledge management consulting firms
– Knowledge management ASPs
11-16
KMS Implementation
• Integration of KMS with other business
information systems
– With DSS/BI Systems
– With AI
– With databases and information systems
• With CRM systems (Customer Relationship (Resource) Management)
• With SCM systems Supply-chain management
– With corporate intranets and extranets
11-17
Ensuring the Success of Knowledge Management
Efforts
• Success stories of knowledge management
– Implementing a good KM strategy can:
• Reduce…
– loss of intellectual capital
– costs by decreasing the number of times the
company must repeatedly solve the same problem
– redundancy of knowledge-based activities
• Increase…
– productivity
– employee satisfaction
11-18
Ensuring the Success of Knowledge
Management Efforts
• MAKE: Most Admired Knowledge Enterprises
“Annually identifying the best practitioners of KM”
– Criteria (performance dimensions):
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Creating a knowledge-driven corporate culture
Developing knowledge workers through leadership
Fostering innovation
Maximizing enterprise intellectual capital
Creating an environment for collaborative knowledge sharing
Facilitating organizational learning
Delivering value based on stakeholder knowledge
Transforming enterprise knowledge into stakeholders’ value
11-19
Ensuring the Success of Knowledge
Management Efforts
• MAKE: Most Admired Knowledge Enterprises
“Annually identifying the best practitioners of KM”
– 2008 Winners:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
9.
McKinsey & Company
Google
Royal Dutch Shell
Toyota
Wikipedia
Honda
Apple
Fluor
Microsoft
11-20
10.
11.
12.
13.
14.
15.
16.
17.
18.
PricewaterhouseCoopers
Ernst & Young
IBM
Schlumberger
Samsung Group
BP
Unilever
Accenture
…
Ensuring the Success of Knowledge
Management Efforts
• Useful applications of KMS
– Finding experts electronically and using expert
location systems
• Expert location systems (know-who)
Interactive computerized systems that help
employees find and connect with colleagues who
have expertise required for specific problems—
whether they are across the county or across the
room—in order to solve specific, critical business
problems in seconds
11-21
Ensuring the Success of Knowledge
Management Efforts
• Knowledge management valuation
– Financial metrics for knowledge management
valuation
• Focus knowledge management projects on specific
business problems that can be easily quantified
• When the problems are solved, the value and
benefits of the system become apparent
11-22
Ensuring the Success of Knowledge
Management Efforts
• Knowledge management valuation
– Nonfinancial metrics for knowledge management
valuation—new ways to view capital when
evaluating intangibles:
•
•
•
•
•
•
Customer goodwill
External relationship capital
Structural capital
Human capital
Social capital
Environmental capital
11-23
Ensuring the Success of Knowledge
Management Efforts
• Causes of knowledge management failure
– The effort mainly relies on technology and does not
address whether the proposed system will meet the needs
and objectives of the organization and its individuals
– Lack of emphasis on human aspects
– Lack of commitment(obligation)
– Failure to provide reasonable incentive (encouragement)
for people to use the system…
11-24
Ensuring the Success of Knowledge
Management Efforts
• Factors that lead to knowledge management success
– A link to a firm’s economic value, to demonstrate financial viability
and maintain executive sponsorship
– A technical and organizational infrastructure on which to build
– A standard, flexible knowledge structure to match the way the
organization performs work and uses knowledge
– A knowledge-friendly culture that leads directly to user support
– A clear purpose and language, to encourage users to buy into the
system
– A change in motivational practices, to create a culture of sharing
– Multiple channels for knowledge transfer
– A significant process orientation and valuation to make a knowledge
management effort worthwhile
– Nontrivial motivational methods to encourage users to contribute and
use knowledge
– Senior management support
11-25
Last words on KM
• Knowledge is an intellectual(brain, thinker)
asset
• IT is “just” an important enabler
• Proper management of knowledge is a
necessary ingredient for success
• Key issues:
– Organizational culture
– Executive sponsorship
– Measurement of success
11-26