Ch1: Introduction

1. Ch1: Introduction The Knowledge Management Toolkit Amrit Tiwana

2. Introduction • Data. At first we had too little. WE asked for more and we got it. Now we have more than we want. Data led to information, but what we were looking in the first place was knowledge.

3. Introduction • As an increasing number of companies now realize that knowledge is their key asset, they want to turn to managing this asset to deliver business results.

4. But where and how do you begin? • What is KM’s value proposition? • What types of companies can actually begin KM? • Is it a technology problem or a management problem? • What happens to the millions that your company has invested in IT if it is replaced by yet another hyped “fix-it-all” technology?

5. But where and how do you begin? • Can you build upon existing IT investments? • What kinds of aligned with your business’s strategy? • Is there an architecture that you can use? • How can you deploy KM in your own company? • Are there any business metrics for it?

6. But where and how do you begin? • How can you maximize the payoff? • Can your small business without deep pockets afford it? • How do you know whether your business is ready for it?

7. KM: in search of alchemy • KM might be “hot” as of today, but sucesful managers have always realized its value. Long before terms such as expert systems, core competencies, best practices, learning organization, and corporate memory were in vogue, these mangers knew that their company’s key asset was not its buildings, its market share, or its products, but it lay in the heads of its people. (Drucker)

8. What is Knowledge? • Knowledge is a fluid mix of framed experience, values, contextual information, expert insight and intuition that provides an environment and framework for evaluating and incorporating new experience and information. It originates in individual minds but is often embedded in organizational routines, processes, practices, systems, software, and norms. (Thomas H. Davenport & Laurence Prusak)

9. What is KM? • KM enables the creation, distribution, and exploitation of knowledge to create and retain greater value from core business competencies. • KM address business problems particular to your business – • The primary goal of KM in a business context is to facilitate opportunistic application of fragmented knowledge through integration.

10. KM’s value proposition • Knowledge integration is the engine of economic prosperity. • Unpredictable markets necessitate “organized abandonment.” • KM lets you lead change so that change does not lead you. • Cross-industry amalgamation is breeding complexity.

11. KM’s value proposition (2) • Those who forget the past are condemned to repeat it. • A bridge is needed across the Atlantic. • Tacit knowledge is mobile. • Knowledge application requires “water-cooler” and “coffee-machine” cultures; IT barely supports sharing.

12. Recognizing the writing on the wall • Figure 1-1 shows the darling tools of managers as they evolved from 1950s to the 2000s. • Some of these died much-anticipated deaths as fads, and some live till this days. • Notably, one consistent and pervasive thread run through all these – leveraging knowledge, experience, intellectual assets and their management. • And this consistent thread has lead businesses to what we now call KM.

17. Under the Magnifying Glass • KM is much more than just technology • Competing on knowledge requires solid grounding in business strategy. • Only then can your company effectively prioritize its investments in KM and leave competitors biting dust off shrinking margins, shorter product development times, and fickle customers.

18. Who should be pursuing KM? • Two types of companies should pursuing KM. • The first type is one that has realized the need to keep up with its competitors and remain a legitimate player in a disruptive marketplace. • The second type is one step ahead: It already has the core knowledge necessary.

19. What KM is not about • KM is not Knowledge engineering. • KM is about process, not just digital networks. • KM is not about building a “smarter” intranet. • KM is not about a one-time investment. • KM is not about enterprise-wide “Infobahns.”

20. What this book is about • This book seeks to bridge the gap between KM theory and practice. • It shows you how you can implement both a KM strategy and a KM system in your company. • It helps you ask the right questions – not attempting to give you generic answers to unasked generic questions.

21. What this book is about • It provides you with practical guidance on linking KM to business strategy, rather than falling into a philosophical or technical quicksand. • A 10-step road map, each step of which is illustrated with real-life examples, guides you through the process of actually implementing KM in your company.

22. The 10-step roadmap help you… • Identify knowledge critical to your business • Align business strategy and KM • Analyze knowledge existing in your company • Build up, not discard existing IT investments • Focus on progress and tacit, not just explicit, knowledge

23. The 10-step roadmap help you… • Design a future-proof, adaptable KM platform • Build and deploy a results-driven KM system • Implement leadership and reward structures needed to make KM work • Evaluate initiatives using Real Options Analyses • Learn from war stories