Organizations in today’s competitive world must understand and utilize the value of knowledge management. Knowledge management, the set of business processes developed in an organization to create, store, transfer, and apply knowledge, is a great way to leverage a business because it involves capitalizing on assets already within the company. By using the systems of knowledge management, companies are able to be more effective and efficient while also gaining a strategic advantage over the competition.
Knowledge management involves the compiling of different types of knowledge found within an organization and managing it in such a way that the organization maximizes its potential. The three different types of knowledge generally existing in businesses are structured, semi-structured, and tacit. Structured knowledge includes the explicit knowledge found in formal documents, and usually only comprises about 20% of the company’s knowledge. Semi-structured knowledge consists of the more informal things like e-mail, voice mail, memos, bulletin board postings, and electronic presentations. The last category is tacit knowledge, which refers to the knowledge inside the brains of employees and is rarely recorded on paper or documents.
When a company has a system for compiling the information from the three different types of knowledge found within the entire company that is used for decision-making, it adds value to the company in a very strategically advantageous way. These systems are called enterprise-wide knowledge management systems. The strategic advantage that comes from using these systems is because the source of the knowledge is one that cannot be used by any other competitor. These systems are also very profitable since the knowledge comes from resources already being used within the company and requires no outsourcing or new costs.
To help manage the structured and semi-structured knowledge, business should utilize enterprise content management systems. These systems work with huge amounts of data, documents, communications and decisions and attempt to classify the different pieces of knowledge accordingly so that later it can be recalled and used in decision-making. Some businesses that deal with larger amounts of digital data may choose to use a digital asset management system instead since these specialize in working with digital objects.
The tacit knowledge is where the systems get tricky, and these are called knowledge network systems. A great example of a knowledge network system is a company’s internal help desk. This help desk may appear to be one telephone number that everyone calls when they have a question, but by pressing a certain number sequence, you are routed to a specialist that deals with the certain area of knowledge you are lacking and need help with. Another great example is the FAQ (frequently asked questions) database that can be found with almost anything these days to help you better understand something you don’t but another person is an expert at.
In today’s world, there are many innovative technologies out there that allow companies to internally promote the sharing of knowledge across great distances. For example, a company can use its intranet to host a wiki that is available to every employee for posting of best-practices when dealing with different situations or tasks so that everyone has access to the skills and techniques for working more efficiently and effectively.
Another system example is knowledge work system (KWS). This system is used primarily by engineers, scientists, and others who fit into technical mindset. As the book points out examples include CAD, virtual reality software, virtual reality modeling language, and investment workstations. For engineers it is very important to have access to systems like CAD because it allows for the engineer to use the software and develop 3-dimensional renderings of their product or bridge design. It also allows for showing what parts are going to be used to make the product.
For virtual reality software people can see things and in a “computer setting” and it may seem like another life. Doctors use this type of technology to look at tiny blood vessels. Another example is gamers who use virtual reality to simulate games with others also playing on virtual reality.
Investment workstations are very important to brokers who handle and control money because it allows for all the information to be centralized and easily accessed. These workstations combine information from a variety of external sources with in-house information. This helps to save time and money of everyone involved.
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6 comments:
It is amazing what is possible with technology. I find it hard to keep up with the terminology and how everything works. This post was very interesting and I learned some things I didn't know existed.
I would have never known about all the different types of systems without this class. This post helped me better understand the different types of systems. Systems that would be only for engineers and scientists is way over my head but investment systems is something I need to know about.
This is a very informative blog posting. Until reading this chapter, I honestly never heard of Knowledge Working Systems. The bad part about tacit knowledge is that it's not formally documented which makes it practically untraceable. It's hard to go back to the source for information.
Yes, knowledge management is important. I work in an industry that knowledge management is non-existant and it makes it difficult to get things done correctly.
I did not realize that so many systems existed. I use different systems everyday! I have just never sat back and put each system into a "compartment" of differences and working abilities. It made me really appreciate how advanced different systems have become. It makes me think how much technology has evolved. Just to think that fifty years ago we didn;t even have the advancement of computers that we have now, and because of what we have now, it has paved the way for jobs for different people.
I can see how knowledge management dispersed throughout an organization assists in effectiveness, but I never really thought of it aligned within the discipline of an information system. Yes, I’m familiar with FAQs, but the average visitor of a FAQ page just reads to find the answer to his (or her) question without thinking of steps taken to compose the list. The compilation of all facets of the before mentioned knowledge proves beneficial for customers as well as workers. This post is very informative as…knowledge is key!
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