KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS LIFE CYCLE

2 CHALLENGES IN BUILDING KM SYSTEMS  Culture — getting people to share knowledge  Knowledge evaluation — assessing the worth of knowledge across the firm  Knowledge processing — documenting how decisions are reached  Knowledge implementation — organizing knowledge and integrating it with the processing strategy for final deployment

3 CONVENTIONAL VERSUS KM SYSTEM LIFE CYCLE Key differences:  Systems analysts deal with information from the user; knowledge developers deal with knowledge for company specialists  Users know the problem but not the solution; company specialists know the problem and the solution  System development is primarily sequential; KMSLC is incremental and interactive  System testing normally at end of cycle; KM system testing evolves from beginning of the cycle

4 Conventional Versus KM System Life Cycle (cont’d)  System development more extensive than for KMSLC  Conventional system life cycle is process-driven “specify then build”; KMSLC is result-oriented “start slow and grow”  Conventional system life cycle does not support rapid prototyping; KMSLC does

5 Rapid Prototyping Process Build a Task Structure a Task Structure the Problem Make Modifications Reformulate the Problem Repeated Cycle(s) Repeated Cycle(s)

6 Conventional Versus KM System Life Cycle (cont’d) Key similarities:  Both begin with a problem and end with a solution  Both begin with information gathering or capture  Testing is essentially the same to make sure the system is right and it is the right system  Both developers must choose the appropriate tool(s) for designing their respective systems

7 Users Versus Knowledge Workers Attribute User Expert Dependence on system High Low to nil Cooperation Usually cooperative Cooperation not required Tolerance for ambiguity Low High Knowledge of problem High Average/low Contribution to system Information Knowledge/expertise System user Yes No Availability for system builder Readily available Not readily available Table 3.1 Comparison of users and experts

8 KM System Development Life Cycle  Evaluate existing infrastructure  Form the KM team  Knowledge capture  Design KM blueprint (master plan)  Test the KM system  Implement the KM system  Manage change and reward structure  Post-system evaluation

9 Evaluate Existing Infrastructure System justification:  Will current knowledge be lost through retirement, transfer, or departure to other firms?  Is the proposed KM system needed in several locations?  Are experts available and willing to help in building a KM system?  Does the problem in question require years of experience and cognitive reasoning to solve?

10 System Justification (cont’d)  When undergoing knowledge capture, can the expert articulate how problem will be solved?  How critical is the knowledge to be captured?  Are the tasks nonalgorithmic?  Is there a champion in the house?

11 The Scope Factor  Consider breadth and depth of the project within financial, human resource, and operational constraints  Project must be completed quickly enough for users to foresee its benefits  Check to see how current technology will match technical requirements of the proposed KM system

12 The Feasibility Question A feasibility study addresses several questions:  Is the project doable?  Is it affordable?  Is it appropriate?  Is it practicable?

13 The Feasibility Question (cont’d) Areas of feasibility:  Economic feasibility determines to what extent a new system is cost-effective  Technical feasibility is determined by evaluating hardware and supportive software within company’s IT infrastructure  Behavioral feasibility includes training management and employees in the use of the KM system

14 The Feasibility Question (cont’d) Traditional approach to conducting a feasibility study:  Form a KM team  Prepare a master plan  Evaluate cost/performance of proposed KM  Quantify system criteria and costs  Gain user support throughout the process

15 Role of Strategic Planning Risky to plunge with a new KM system without strategizing. Consider the following:  Vision — Foresee what the business is trying to achieve, how it will be done, and how the new system will achieve goals  Resources — Check on the affordability of the business to invest in a new KM system  Culture — Is the company’s political and social environment amenable to adopting a new KM system?

16 Matching Business Strategy With KM Strategy Competitive threats; government regulations; customer threats Focus on competitive advantage, role of IT, and level of creativity and knowledge innovation Quality and reliability of the infrastructure and IT staff and resources Regarding products or services, market, customers, suppliers, etc. Business Environment Strategic Plan KM Strategy KM Technology Impacts Enables Drives

17 KM Team Formation  Identify the key stakeholders in the prospective KM system.  Team success depends on:  Caliber of team members  Team size  Complexity of the project  Leadership and team motivation  Promising more than can be realistically delivered

18 KNOWLEDGE CAPTURE  Explicit knowledge captured in repositories from various media  Tacit knowledge captured from company experts using various tools and methodologies  Knowledge developers capture knowledge from experts in order to build the knowledge base  Knowledge capture and transfer often carried out through teams, not just individuals

19 Knowledge Capture and Transfer Through Teams Team performs a specialized task Knowledge transfer method selected Evaluate relationship between action and outcome Outcome Achieved Knowledge Developer Knowledge stored in a form usable by others in the organization Feedback

20 Selecting an Expert  Knowledge base should represent expertise rather than the expert  Questions facing knowledge developer:  How does one know the expert is in fact an expert?  How would one know that the expert will stay with the project?  What backup should be available in case the project loses the expert?  How would the knowledge developer know what is and what is not within the expert’s area of expertise?

21 Role of the Knowledge Developer  The architect of the system  Job requires excellent communication skills, knowledge capture tools, conceptual thinking, and a personality that motivates people  Close contacts with the champion  Rapport with top management for ongoing support

22 Central Role of the Knowledge Developer KNOWLEDGE WORKER KNOWER CHAMPION KNOWLEDGE DEVELOPER KNOWLEDGE BASE Interactive Interface Solutions User Acceptance Rules Testing Knowledge Support Feedback Prototypes Progress Reports Demos

23 Design of the KM Blueprint The KM system design (blueprint) addresses several issues:  System interoperability and scalability with existing company IT infrastructure  Finalize scope of proposed KM system with realized net benefits  Decide on required system components  Develop the key layers of the KM architecture to meet company requirements. Key layers are:  User interface  Authentication/security layer  Collaborative agents and filtering  Application layer  Transport Internet layer  Physical layer

24 Testing the KM System  Verification procedure: ensures that the system is right  Validation procedure: ensures that the system is the right system  Validation of KM systems is not foolproof

25 Implementing the KM System  Converting a new KM system into actual operation  This phase includes conversion of data or files  This phase also includes user training  Quality assurance is paramount, which includes checking for:  Reasoning errors  Ambiguity  Incompleteness  False representation (false positive and false negative)

26 Resisters of Change  Experts  Regular employees (users)  Troublemakers  Narrow-minded superstars  Resistance via projection, avoidance, or aggression

Knowledge Management Tools

28 Knowledge Management Critical Success Factors  Management Commitment  Impact on Business Results  Expectation Management  Employee Motivation  Project Management  Infrastructure for Easy Access  Effective tools for learning & knowledge sharing

29 Knowledge Management Barriers  Lack of systems thinking  Skilled incompetence  Fear of change

30 Types of Tools

What’s Required in Knowledge Technologies – A Practical View Source: Reid Smith, Vice President, Knowledge Management, Schlumberger Limited

32 Knowledge Management … Improving organizational capability Create a new working environment where knowledge and experience can easily be shared Enable information and knowledge to emerge and flow to the right people at the right time so they can act more efficiently and effectively

33 Apply everywhere what you learn anywhere

34 Apply everywhere what you learn anywhere People to Information People to People People to Business People to Communities Make better decisions Make faster decisions Do more with less Speed up learning Improve motivation Connecting Collaborating

35 Knowledge Technologies – Present and Future

36 First Wave KM Technology Portals, Collaboration, Document Management, Little Integration Process Best Practices, Validation People Communities of Practice

37 Enterprise Information Portal All important information from both inside and outside the company delivered to the desktop  unstructured & structured data  thin client → web browser  Search & Browsing Services Presentation – VisualizationSubscription – Notification Collaboration Personalization Publishing & Distribution Data Feeds Data Feeds Security Trends Finding → DoingMulti-Purpose Information

38 Infrastructuree-businessXML Wireless Devices

39 Knowledge Representation Transparent Interfaces Workflow Capture Expertise Incomplete, Ephemeral Knowledge IntegrationStandards

40 One-Stop Search / Case-Based Reasoning Speed, Precision, Recall Natural Language Integration / Interaction Multilanguage Multiple Media

41 JIT Knowledge Delivery Agents Help Wizards e-learning

42 Knowledge Powered Enterprise Real-Time Knowledge Management – Everyone Contributes – Everyone Contributes – KM Embedded in Workflow – KM Embedded in Workflow Seamless Information Space Integrated Simulation / Decision Support Data Mining / Knowledge Discovery

43 Decisions … in Real Time OilCo Well Engineer: We're planning to sidetrack well B23 in the Fifties field and are hoping you’ll buy in. For $10 million you can become a full 1-percent partner. A 96-hour shut-in test ended a few minutes ago. It indicates additional reserves of 750,000 barrels of oil and an initial sand-free production rate of 4,300 barrels per day…. We could do this tomorrow. Investor, consulting his Knowledge Hub: I see that a sidetrack can double my rate of return, with a payback time of 30 days for 1-percent interest.… Count me in.

44 Knowledge Creation / Innovation Continuous Learning

45 TodayLong Term Infrastructure e-business XML Wireless Devices One-Stop Search / Case-Based Reasoning Speed, Precision, Recall Natural Language Integration / Interaction Multilanguage Multimedia Knowledge Representation Transparent Interfaces Workflow Capture Expertise Incomplete, Ephemeral Knowledge Integration Standards JIT Knowledge Delivery Agents Help Wizards e-learning Knowledge Powered Enterprise Real-Time Knowledge Management –Everyone Contributes –KM Embedded in Workflow Seamless Information Space Integrated Simulation / Decision Support Data Mining / Knowledge Discovery Knowledge Creation / Innovation Continuous Learning First Wave KM Technology Portals, Collaboration, Document Management, Little Integration Process Best Practices, Validation People Communities of Practice

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