Knowledge Sharing, Management & Innovation for IT Corporations

1. Knowledge Sharing, Management & Innovation for IT Corporations Professor Jon Patrick Sybase Chair of Information Systems Basser Department of Computer Science University of Sydney

2. Acknowledgment Dr Eric Tsui Computer Sciences Corporation

3. Industry Partners with the Basser Dept of Computer Science • Accenture • Bullant • Compuware • Cisco Knowledge Sharing, Management & Innovation

4. Document Management Expert Systems -KBS; AI systems, Internet/Intranets, Intelligent Agents Organisational Learning & Memory, Culture; Change Processes Knowledge Manager - Information Science - Library Science Four views of KM Knowledge Sharing, Management & Innovation

5. Common questions for Document Management type KM • We have dealt with this customer before. Where are the contracts and what were the special deals with did with them? • How can we best leverage on past experience and be able to further increase customer satisfaction? • How can we transfer existing knowledge better and faster to colleagues and new employees? Knowledge Sharing, Management & Innovation

6. Common questions for Expert Systems type KM • How can an organisation consolidate its expertise and experience on product development? • How can we ensure that we apply all the available knowledge when producing a product? Knowledge Sharing, Management & Innovation

7. Common questions for Organisational Learning type KM • What kind of knowledge do we actually have within the organisation? • Which knowledge areas must we develop in the near future? • How are we going to develop this new knowledge? • How can we transfer existing knowledge better and faster to colleagues and new employees? Knowledge Sharing, Management & Innovation

8. Common questions for Knowledge Manager type KM • What is the structure of out Corporate knowledge? • What access paths do people want to get knowledge? • Can we quickly locate person X who is an expert on product Y in industry Z? Knowledge Sharing, Management & Innovation

9. Relevant technologies for a KM system • Data Warehouses • Data Mining • Full-text search engines • Document Management systems • Navigation tools • Collaborative Work Group Tools • Workflow systems • E-mail Knowledge Sharing, Management & Innovation

10. Tools for managing knowledge repositories • Lotus Notes Database management, discussion-groups • Intranets Publishing information across multiple platforms, multimedia databases, hypertexts Knowledge Sharing, Management & Innovation

11. Relevant AI technologies for Organisational Memory • Induction • Case-based reasoning • Intelligent Agents • Deductive (Active) databases • Natural Language front ends • Knowledge map or ontology • Intelligent Workflow • Others… Knowledge Sharing, Management & Innovation

12. Perceptions about the Nature of a KMS • “If we want people …to share what they have learned, we would be wise to create the conditions in which sharing is a benefit.” Nancy Dixon • Choosing a system depends on • receiver of knowledge • task nature - routineness and frequency • type of knowledge transferred Knowledge Sharing, Management & Innovation

13. Knowledge-transfer Models • Serial Transfer • Near Transfer • Far Transfer • Strategic Transfer • Expert Transfer • Metaphor - not a Warehouse but a Co-operative Knowledge Sharing, Management & Innovation

14. Ansett Case Study • Photo on The Australian front page 16/4/01: Mr. Toomey met by operations chief Trevor Jensen, who has handled the crisis in his absence. • How could KM technology have helped Ansett? • How can KM technology help Ansett? Knowledge Sharing, Management & Innovation

15. www.libragirls.com.au offers 1-to-1 activities aimed at 12-24 year old girls 2-day early reminder of period being imminent Dear Diary section to record secrets, homework and important dates & details exchange information with friends The LIBRA Story (Fin Review, BOSS, April,2001) Knowledge Sharing, Management & Innovation

16. Detailed customer demographics knowledge Deep psychological analysis of market High sensitivity to cultural variables Individualisation of client interactions Libra -What is their KM Strategy? Knowledge Sharing, Management & Innovation

17. What technology can support this strategy? What staff competencies are needed to support this strategy? What processes are needed to support this strategy? What is needed to support this strategy Knowledge Sharing, Management & Innovation

18. Artifact Individual Structured Doc Repository Expertise Profile Unstructured Intranets Discussion Forum (Hahn & Subrimani, 2000, A Framework for KMS, Proc ISIS, pp302-312) A Model of KM Strategies Knowledge Sharing, Management & Innovation

19. Maximise knowledge creation and acquisition Maximise knowledge sharing (Knowledge management’s Social dimension: lessons from Nucor Steel, A.K. Gupta & V Govindarajan, Sloan Management Review, Fall, 2000.) A Framework of KM Objectives Knowledge Sharing, Management & Innovation

20. set stretch goals provide high powered incentives cultivate empowerment and provide “slack” resources equip every unit with a well-defined “sandbox” to play in cultivate a market for ideas within the corporation Maximise Knowledge Creation and Acquisition Knowledge Sharing, Management & Innovation

21. ban knowledge hoarding (discourage under-achievers) rely on group-based incentives invest in codifying tacit knowledge match transmission mechanisms to type of knowledge Maximise Knowledge Sharing Knowledge Sharing, Management & Innovation

22. The collective experience of all members of the organisation gained in carrying out its activities, including the organisational memory and concomitant learnings from dealing with its clients. What is KM? Knowledge Sharing, Management & Innovation

23. Organisational memory in organisations • Not commonly recognised as a key corporate asset • Only being used to support operational decision making • Not used to support tactical or strategic level decision making • Not fully integrated with knowledge acquisition, maintenance and distributions Knowledge Sharing, Management & Innovation

24. The care and development of understanding and detailed analysis of the content that is relevant to defining the culture and business practices of the organisation. What is KM? Knowledge Sharing, Management & Innovation

25. People Processes Information Technology A Culture of Knowledge A Knowledge Management Organisation consists of Knowledge Sharing, Management & Innovation

26. Content/Information Intense Analytical Scrutiny Deep appraisal of cultural characteristics True KM will not arrive until the C of K is adopted by organisations as their modus operandi Culture of Knowledge Knowledge Sharing, Management & Innovation

27. IO is leading to dumbing down Understanding is disappearing Information Overload Knowledge Sharing, Management & Innovation

28. Research has NOT told us how children learn from computers Information Literacy is needed not Information Technology The Wrong Agenda - KM in Schools Knowledge Sharing, Management & Innovation

29. “The thrill of acquiring or distributing information quickly must not be confused with the more demanding task of converting it into knowledge and wisdom. Regardless of how advanced computers become they should (do) not substitute for basic human cognitive skills of awareness, perception, reasoning and judgement. “ (Alan Bundy, 2000, Information Literacy) Information is not Knowledge Knowledge Sharing, Management & Innovation

30. “It is time we replace the term IT with IL (Information Literacy). IT is mainly about flow - movement of information through networks… but adding information in a time of infoglut and data smog can actually interfere with learning and understanding …. Information Literacy is mainly about developing understanding and insight. Literacy is about interpretation of information to guide decisions, solve problems and steer though uncertain complex futures” (McKenzie, 2000) Information Literacy not IT Knowledge Sharing, Management & Innovation

31. What is our Proposal Knowledge Sharing, Management & Innovation

32. High Level Synthesiser -scout Librarian - corporate repository Knowledge Engineer - customer focused Knowledge Operator - operational processes Culture of Knowledge Innovation Action Groups Knowledge Sharing, Management & Innovation

33. Created an IS program driven around communication and analytical skills Created a Bachelor of Arts Informatics -4 year Arts and IS majors 55% women Defined IS from a cultural perspective Defined the IS Professional in new terms WHAT ARE WE DOING at the University of Sydney Knowledge Sharing, Management & Innovation

34. Critically Analyse Communicative User Friendly Lead innovation Construct and justify argument Future Knowledge Workers Knowledge Sharing, Management & Innovation

35. Critical success factors for knowledge management • Provide leadership • Establish cross-functional teams • Ensure that a process is in place • Nurture a sharing culture • Demonstrate measurable benefits of knowledge management Knowledge Sharing, Management & Innovation

36. THE END Knowledge Sharing, Management & Innovation