Knowledge Management Enabling technologies ICT support to KM Types of knowledge enabling technologies 3Cs of Knowledge Enabling Technologies References 1
According to Despres and Chauvel (2000), KM is primarily a people and process issue, while information and communication technologies (ICT) should be used as a support. Technology can support and enable knowledge management in two main ways: It can provide the means for people to organise, store and access explicit knowledge and information, such as in electronic libraries or best practices databases. It can help to connect people with people so that they can share tacit knowledge, such as through white pages, groupware or video conferencing. Davenport s rule of thumb: your investment in technology in terms of both cost and effort should stay under one third of the total knowledge management effort. Extracted from KPMG (1998) KPMG (1998) identified the implemented KM technological infrastructure as being internet, intranet, document management systems, groupware, data warehousing/mining, decision support and extranet. 2
Extracted from Alavi and Leidner (2001) pg.125 Three common applications can be found (1) coding and sharing of best practices, (2) creating corporate knowledge directories, and (3) creating knowledge networks (Alavi and Leidner 2001). ICT support KM processes with the use of platform technologies (Intranet, groupware and communication technologies) and others (data mining, learning tools, electronic bulletin boards, knowledge repositories, databases, discussion forums, knowledge directories, expert systems and workflow systems). Extracted from Marwick (2001) pg.816 Some examples of technologies that may be applied to facilitate the SECI knowledge conversion processes. 3
Groupware Intranets Email Discussion boards Videoconferencing Project support tools Workflow tools E-learning tools Virtual working tools Knowledge-enabling technologies Connecting people with people: Collaborative tools Connecting people with information: Managing content Taxonomies Thesauri Search engines Portals Knowledge creation technologies Data mining Information visualisation Decision trees Root cause analysis Compiled from http://www.nelh.nhs.uk/knowledge_management/km2/technology.asp Extracted from Edwards et al. (2005) pg.114 4
Extracted from Edwards et al. (2005) pg.122 Edwards et al. (2005) categorised KM enabling technologies as artificial intelligence based and conventional. 3Cs of Knowledge Enabling Technologies Borbely (2001) proposed a three Cs framework in terms of ways that ICT will support KM Connect, Create and Collaborate, and Contextualise. Connect: Ensures people in the organisation get fundamental access to knowledge content and exchange of information (e.g. Browser, XML, HTML, Internet, Semantic Web, World Wide Web). Create and collaborate: Facilitates the creation and externalisation of both tacit and explicit knowledge for interaction of ideas, information and data in the organisation (e.g. Awareness, Calendar, Chat, Discussion groups/forums, E-mail, E-project room, Portal, Real-time collaboration, Polling/Electronic survey). Contextualise: Encodes information and/or determine its relationship to rules and conditions of the organisation (e.g. Agents, Artificial intelligence, Case-based reasoning, Data mining, Expert systems, Knowledge map, Neural network, Personalisation). 5
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Extracted from Borbely (2001) 7
Tsui (2000) made similar proposals with five common KM applications and their respective supporting technical KM components. Application Key challenges Technical KM components Product development Consolidate & share best Best practice database practices Search Strategic Research People finder system Competitive analyses Corporate memory Expertise location Process improvement Collaborations & workflow Knowledge maps Benchmarking Measurement & tracking system E-project management Expertise location Knowledge communities People finder system Communications Project planning & reporting templates Experience sharing Best practice, tools, methodology and lessons learnt databases CBR system to retrieve past project artefacts Mergers & acquisitions Assemble a strong & credible integration team Make key personnel decisions swiftly Standardised method to access information & assess value of the acquired organisation Communications Human resources Expertise location Staff development E-learning Performance review Knowledge communities People finder system Knowledge communities Best practice, methodology and lessons learnt databases Search Due-diligence work products Measurement & reporting system People finder system Staff competency database Online learning system Measurement & tracking system Extracted from Tsui (2000) pg.9 8
References Alavi, M. and Leidner, D.E. (2001), Knowledge management and knowledge management systems: Conceptual foundations and research issues, MIS Quarterly, 25.1, 107-136. Borbely, J. (2001), Knowledge Management Technologies in HR: where we are and where we re heading, The Next Frontier: Technology and Total Rewards, September, 30-34. Despres, C., and D. Chauvel. (2000), Knowledge Horizons: The Present and the Promise of Knowledge Management, Boston: Butterworth-Heinemann. Edwards, J.S., Shaw, D. and Collier, P.M. (2005), Knowledge management systems: finding a way with technology, Journal of Knowledge Management, 9.1, 113-125. http://www.nelh.nhs.uk/knowledge_management/km2/technology.asp KPMG (1998), Knowledge Management: A practical imperative for business, London: KPMG Management Consulting. Marwick, A.D. (2001), Knowledge management technology, IBM Systems Journal, 40.4, 814 830. Tsui, E. (2000), Exploring the KM toolbox. InsideKnowledge, 4, no. 2: 9p. 9