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KNOWLEDGE
MANAGEMENT
To benefit
fully from its `knowledge capital' an organization must do two things
effectively:
There is a
growing belief that, in an environment of accelerating change, the most
successful organizations in the near future will be those best at
capturing, utilizing and managing knowledge for their strategic benefit.
Some of this knowledge will take the tangible form of patents, copyrights,
licences, R&D data, working standards and regulations, etc. But
equally influential will be the less tangible forms, sometimes described
as `collective organizational knowledge' - the sum of the learning and
experience of all staff.
Traditionally, this organizational knowledge has been concentrated at
senior management level, but with the advent of flatter structures,
empowerment, self-management and related principles, has come the
recognition that everyone in an organization can contribute to, and needs
access to, its knowledge.
Knowledge management systems (KM/KMS) recognize that concentration of
knowledge can be a barrier to progress. Their purpose is to make
organizational knowledge more widely utilized, thereby empowering
personnel to solve problems and take decisions in pursuit of team and
organizational objectives.
KM offers a three-part strategy:
-
Generate
new knowledge by learning, research and ideas development.
Managers must be able to recognize what knowledge is required and
develop strategies for its acquisition.
-
Codify new
and existing knowledge to make it understandable to a variety of recipients. This requires development of organizational standards (for
instance, a house style), and the implementation of indexing and
control systems.
-
Transfer
or disseminate the knowledge, using a variety of means, to whoever
requires it within the organization. ICT has a valuable role to play -
it is now commonplace for dispersed business units to be linked by
computer network systems which provide for quick and (relatively)
cheap data- and knowledge-sharing.
The benefits
of this revolution in knowledge management have been well-documented:
More and
better data, at a faster rate and lower cost; faster business solutions;
reduced bureaucracy and the removal of hierarchical barriers such that
everyone can contribute knowledge value.
The flipside, of course, is the rising tide of information which threatens
to engulf most managers. Estimates are that, on average, managers now
spend over 300% more time simply reading and handling information (and
concomitantly less time on other tasks) than they did before the
`information revolution' began with the introduction of computers, 40
years ago. Clearly, successful knowledge management must take place within
a clear and supportive framework which stipulates, for instance, tight
front-end definition of need and effective filters.
For most organizations, key operational knowledge resides in:
-
The
mission and strategic objectives
-
People -
in the knowledge-centred organization, people are the most valuable
asset
-
Policies
and procedures defining organizational attitudes and practices
-
Standards
- internal and external standards against which the organization is
measured by regulatory bodies and customers (for example quality
standards)
-
Methods and systems that define how
tasks and functions are to be performed
Ultimately, Knowledge Management Systems
will be judged on customer or client satisfaction. Customers expect good
service, good quality and value - expertise and know-how can clearly help
to deliver and maintain these standards. The culture of service and
continuous improvement is closely allied to knowledge management where an
organization creates `knowledge units', each of which contributes to
productivity and competitive advantage.
With the above firmly in mind, it is possible to evaluate problems in the
management of knowledge and the ways in which a manager's department or
team can more readily gain access to critical knowledge and thereby
benefit from improvements in the management of knowledge.
| POINTS TO
PONDER |
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