Knowledge Management Systems MIS 650 KR Assignment by Mohamed S Batcha

Contents Introduction Fundamentals in Creating a KMS Purpose of a KMS Introduction into what knowledge is Fundamentals in Creating a KMS Guidelines to the KMS framework Purpose of a KMS Why we need a KMS What are the advantages of having a KMS?? The benefits of having a KMS How it all works.. A look into how a KMS functions

Contents.. contd. Intranets KM Databases KMS & Enterprises Brief description of what an intranet is KM Databases How repositories should be designed and how they function KMS & Enterprises An analysis of the KMS and enterprises Managing Knowledge in organizations How knowledge should be handled within an organization Conclusion

Introduction What is Knowledge Management? Object (tacit experience) of human knowing Intangible information in the minds’ of humans Types of Knowledge (related to KMS) Tacit knowledge - lies in the basis of organizational knowledge creation Renders to be highly professional and hard to communicate Explicit knowledge – could be referred to as tacit knowledge converted into the forms such as models, metaphors and analogies

Introduction.. contd.. Knowledge Management Model (Nonaka’s framework model ) Transforms between tacit and explicit forms of knowledge Helps KMS by making tacit knowledge explicitly available (E.g.- text-based chat, expertise location, and unrestricted bulletin boards) Four modes: Socialization (tacit ->tacit) Externalization (tacit -> explicit) Combination (explicit -> explicit) Internalization (explicit -> tacit)

Fundamentals in Creating a KMS Knowledge needs to be aligned with objectives Knowledge should be: Extracted from the source and made explicit Organized Re-used (knowledge accumulated) to form new knowledge Knowledge management systems should be well organized & contain structured information to help improve productivity and reduce rework and mistakes

Fundamentals in Creating a KMS.. contd.. Framework should balance technology, information processes and individual organizational learning within a culture of shared values In technology: facilitate and promote new innovations Knowledge should have relevance Should be made explicit

Purpose of a KMS The purpose of a KMS is to promote organization success and create a culture of information sharing and success Reduce idle time (time take to share knowledge) Make knowledge available to everyone in an organization Helps organizations gather, organize, share and analyze knowledge of individuals/groups more efficiently

What are the advantages of having a KMS?? Improves: Speed Efficiency Competency of individuals using the KMS Increases profitability through improved efficiency Seen as most successful organizations as a high priority, especially in enterprise portal applications Helps better leverage existing resources, such as technology and people

How it all works.. Knowledge collected from existing sources: People Systems databases File cabinets Desktops All knowledge of value is then stored and categorized as data in an organized repository Stored knowledge can then be conveyed people and systems when needed When knowledge becomes obsolete it is usually removed from the repository

Intranets Intranets are becoming powerful knowledge management systems Learning is creating patterns from chaos, and knowledge is the warehouse of what we have learned An intranet is a knowledge database, and communications medium; it helps obtain information that is “available”

KM Databases Key element for a KMS and acts a knowledge repository Vital to management functions of an organization When data resides on other local and remote computers it is accessed indirectly Supporting systems are sometimes autonomous and heterogeneous Semantics and representation of data should be formalized; where it can be exploited automatically

KMS & Enterprises KMS design should ensure adaptation and innovation or a business performance outcomes and in alignment with changing dynamics of the business environment Multiple future courses of IT and human inputs should be embedded in the KMS Diminish the risk of rapid obsolesce of the system (should serve as a long term asset for the enterprise) Do not isolate the knowledge it should be made available to everyone so that it could help in the innovation and creation of new knowledge

Managing Knowledge in organizations Could lead to possible problems Mostly dealt with resistance to knowledge management KM runs counter to the direction of society Society prefers television to books, intuition to research and pragmatists to theorists The serious pursuit of knowledge in an organization is at times challenged by an anti-intellectual orientation This hinders the creation of knowledge in a KMS

Conclusion Knowledge management drives process improvement A KMS creates an easier way of knowledge sharing It improves decision making Encourages innovation Engenders learning Facilitates collaboration And promotes systems thinking Most importantly:knowledge management systems usually produce a high-performance efficient enterprise