Knowledge management technology
"We have implemented several IT solutions: expert systems, chat group, and best practices/lessons learned databases. These powerful solutions will surely induce our employees to internalize knowledge." Gottschalk, (2005).
IT solutions have indeed been implemented in many organizations, expert systems included. It is with no doubt that, these applications have contributed to the increase in knowledge area amongst employees and all stakeholders in general. Information transferred and communicational mechanisms that are faster are offered by these solutions. Indeed faster access to reliable information is the key to acquiring relevant knowledge (Marwick, 2001).
Data stored in databases is very vital and necessary resource. By utilizing these new technologies, one can be able to tap into its full potential. However, it should be noted that data is meaningless points in space and time. Without relation to context, the same cannot make any useful meaning. The question is how these data can be made useful information. At any particular time, when data is encountered, the first activity that comes into one's mind is to develop associational relationships in order to establish its meaning (Richard, & John, 2002). This leads to the big question. How can these technological aspects be utilized without any other practices yet still tap maximum knowledge gain out of it? It is not a doubt that maximum knowledge can be realized and made useful if knowledge management is not done.
Knowledge management
Knowledge management can be defined as the process that involves identification and analysis of available and required assets related processes and tasks and application of activities like planning, control and monitoring of the same valuable technological and human assets in order to realize the full potential that the same can offer to advancement of organizational objectives.
Any organization that has IT infrastructure developed has to put in place processes that are relevant to data communication, knowledge sharing and organization of information in order to develop knowledge for its employees and stakeholders (Antonelli et al, 2000). Employees can internalize knowledge if they are able to relate data with the associative entities and processes. In order to ease the process of knowledge internalization therefore, good management practices must prevail.
Difficulties in knowledge management
The process of knowledge management is a comprehensive and a difficult process. There is need to identify the knowledge assets. However, since these have been established in form of employees, chat systems, databases, expert systems among others, the big task therefore, is to understand how the same correlate. Each enterprise need to develop an enterprise wide vocabulary that can be used in chat system and other communications in order to ensure that knowledge is correctly understood (Bennet, 2000). Models of knowledge representation should also be identified and used to explicitly represent knowledge. It is also to be noted that knowledge need to be preserved and re-used. Due to different applications that exist and which contribute to knowledge disseminations, there is need for a jointed approach to preservation of the same. This will allow sharing of existing knowledge, medication of the same and use of future knowledge effectively.
Value of knowledge management
Data represents facts. Information can be derived by developing a relationship between these data (Rao, 2005). In essence, knowledge can be generated by identification, of patterns between information and raw data. For the same to be assets, they must be understood. What then is the value of all these data, information and knowledge? Association of things or facts helps other people to understand the real value of the subject in question.
Knowledge management brings understanding of scenarios in any business module. It gives the decision-making bodies the ability to make informed decisions based on available information. Processes that are applied therefore in knowledge management allows for easy, faster and efficient access to information. Without proper knowledge and information management, every incident in an organization could be handled based on the present scenario.
Road map To Knowledge management
The above figure clearly demonstrates the critical assets and processes involved in the management of knowledge. It allows organizations to have an insight in to the critical knowledge assets.
Conclusion
Employees in organizations can gain much from use of technologies used in communication and information sharing. The same can be very beneficial to an organization as it improves knowledge sharing which in turn translates to improved service delivery and effectiveness. However, much may not be realized if proper management of the same assets is not done. Management practices ensure that all stakeholders benefiting from the assets have access to information at any time and that the same information is well organized. Failure to have these management applications could lead non-realization of full potential that the identified assets offer.
Reference
Antonelli, C., Geuna, A. and Steinmueller, W. E. (2000). Information and communication technologies and the production, distribution and use of knowledge. International Journal of Technology Management, 20, 72-94.
Bennet, A. (2000). Knowledge management: unlocking the potential of our intellectual capital. Chips Magazine, Winter. Available at: http://www.chips.navy.mil/archives/00_jan/km.htm [Site visited 12 August 2011]
Gottschalk, P. (2005). Strategic Knowlegde Management Technology. PA: Idea Group Publishing.
Marwick, A.D., & Thomas, J.W. (2001). Knowledge Management Technology. IBM Systems
Journal, 40(4), 814-830
Rao, M. (2005). Knowledge Management Tools and Techniques: Practitioners and Experts
Evaluate KM
Solutions. MA: Elsevier Butterworth-Heinemann
Richard, F.B., & John, M.L. (2002). Knowledge Management Strategy and Technology. MA: Artech
House.
