Reflections on Knowledge Management

 

Introduction

The ideas addressed in this document come from my own readings, discussions with others and personal experience of Knowledge Management initiatives over the last 5 years, combined with observations made as a professional within the European IT Services industry over the last 17 years.

 

My sincere hope is that by documenting in a structured manner some of these concepts, I might find the answers to my own questions, and perhaps help others to do the same.

 

Objectives of Knowledge Management

In 1998, Davenport suggests that the Objectives of KM are to

Ř      Create knowledge repositories.

Ř      Improve knowledge access.

Ř      Enhance the knowledge environment.

Ř      Manage knowledge as an asset.

Typically, IT solutions and services companies, including IBM, HP, Autonomy, etc.   often describe Knowledge Management as "Getting the right information to the right people at the right time".

 

Challenges facing Knowledge Management initiatives

One of the main challenges of Knowledge Management initiatives is to encourage managers to favour long term investment rather than short term gain. In large, multi-national organisations, the effects of strategic decisions taken by senior managers are rarely felt before 3-5 years. For example P. Brabeck's decision to implement GLOBE will not be bring significant benefit to Nestlé, until the major markets have operated for a full year with the solution, i.e. about 7 years after the project was started. Perhaps not in the case of Nestlé, but certainly in many other organisations, the CEO's tenure is shorter than this (anything between 1-3 years), frequently paying the price for the poor decisions taken by their predecessors.

 

In smaller organisations and at lower levels of management, the timeframes are perhaps shorter, the principle remains.

 

How then can the enterprise encourage the manager to favour such a long term investment, such as knowledge management? Perhaps by using short/mid term indicators that are in his reach.

 

The indicators mentioned in the following chapter are examples of viable measurements of the KM process, upon which a manager's performance can be measured and hence motivated.

 

Measurement of Knowledge Management

Possible metrics or indicators

The number of times the organisation has to look outside for information or knowlege that it needs to operate effectively (explicit)

The number of complaints related to information communication – too little, too much, etc.(tacit/explicit)

Percentage of knowledge objects being reused (explicit)

Number of requests for knowledge or information answered satisfactorily by employees (explicit)

Number of positive comments from customers or hierarchical superiors, about employees work (tacit/explicit)