1. KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS LIFE CYCLE
Lecture 2

2. Introduction Challenges in building KM systems
Conventional vs KM System Life Cycle
Knowledge Management System Life Cycle (KMSLC)
System specifications
Role of rapid prototyping
Selecting an expert
Role of knowledge development
Role of quality assurance
User training
Implications for KM
Summary

3. Introduction KMSLC centers around 3 questions:
What is the problem that warrants a solution by KM?
What development strategy should be considered?
What process will be used to build the system?

4. Challenges in building KMS
Changing Organizational Culture
Involves changing people's attitudes and behaviours.
Sharing Knowledge and not hoarding
Knowledge Evaluation:
Involves assessing the worth of information
Reward system for employees generating best knowledge

5. Challenges Knowledge Processing: Knowledge Implementation:
Involves the identification of techniques to acquire, store, process and distribute information.
Sometimes it is necessary to document how certain decisions were reached.
Knowledge Implementation:
An organization should commit to change, learn, and innovate.
It is important to extract meaning from information that may have an impact on specific missions.
Lessons learned from feedback can be stored for future to help others facing the similar problems

6. Conventional vs KMSLC 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; rapid prototyping important in KMSLC

7. Key differences
System testing normally at end of cycle; KM system testing evolves from beginning of the cycle
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

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

9. Key similarities Both begin with a problem and end with a solution
Both begin with information gathering or capture
Verification and validation of KM resemble conventional system testing
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

10. Comparison of users and experts
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
Comparison of users and experts

11. KM System Development LC
Stage Key Qs Outcome
Evaluate existing infrastructure
What is the problem?
Is system justifiable?
Is system feasible?
Statement of objectives
Performance criteria
Strategic plam
Form the KM team
Who should be on team?
How will the team function?
Standardised procedure for system development
Knowledge capture
What and whose K should be captured?
How would K capture proceed?
Acquisition of K core

12. KM System Development LC
Stage Key Qs Outcome
Design KM blueprint
How will K be represented?
Design of KM system
Hardware/ software implementation details
Test plan
Security
Test the KM system
How reliable is the system?
Peer reviews
Implement KM system
What is the actual operation?
How easy is it to use?
User friendly system
Training program

13. KM System Development LC
Stage Key Qs Outcome
Manage change and reward structure
Does the system provide the intended solutions?
Satisfied users
Post-system evaluations
Should the system be modified?
Reliable and up-to-date system

14. 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?

15. Evaluate existing infrastructure
System justification
Does the problem in question require years of experience and cognitive reasoning to solve?
When undergoing knowledge capture, can the expert articulate how problem will be solved?
How critical is the knowledge to be captured?
Are the tasks non algorithmic?
Is there a champion in the house?

16. 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

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

18. Feasibility issues 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

19. Feasibility Issues
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
Determine weight factors and ranking for criteria
Gain user support throughout the process

20. 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?

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

22. Forming the KM team
Identify the key stakeholders in the prospective KM system.
Identify factors of team success:
Caliber of team members
Team size
Complexity of the project
Leadership and team motivation
Promising more than can be realistically delivered

23. 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

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

25. Knowledge capture activities in KMSLC
KMSLC step
Determine feasibility
Capture K
Design KM blueprint
Verify & validate KM system
Implement KM system
Manage change & reward structure
Evaluate postsystem
KCapture activity
Seek out champion
Locate cooperative expert
Apply tools to capture expert’s K
Design KM architecture
Correct for K integrity and work closely with expert for rapid prototyping
Work with user
Reinforce change

26. Role of rapid prototyping
Spontaneous, iterative building of knowledge base: rapid prototyping
Benefits include:
Documents progress made
Mistakes easily corrected
Yields tangible product early
Systems grows with user understanding
Promotes accelerated K capture
Demonstrates capabilities of resulting KB

27. 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?

28. 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

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

30. 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

31. Design the KM blueprint
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

32. 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

33. 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)

34. Resisting Change Experts Regular employees (users) Troublemakers
Narrow-minded superstars
Resistance via projection, avoidance, or aggression

35. Postsystem evaluation
How has KM system changed accuracy and timeliness of decision making?
Has the new system caused organisational changes? How constructive have they been?
How has the new KM system affected the attitude of the end users? In what way?
How has the new KM changed the cost of operating the business?
In what way KM affected relationships between end users in the organisation?

36. Summary Building a KM system can be viewed as a life cycle
Conventional and KM systems’ development life cycles differ
Conventional and KM systems’ development life cycles are also similar
K capture involves elicitation, analysis, and interpretation of the K that a human expert uses
Rapid prototyping
Verification and validation after KM blueprint
Update and modify system as new K is captured
Most barriers to KM are non technical

37. References Read Chapter 3; E.M. Awad
Davenport, T.H. & Prusak, L. (2000) Working Knowledge, Boston, M.A. Harvard Business School Press, pp