Knowledge Management Department of Computer Systems and Communications Academic Year: 2016-2017 Francesco Caputo fcaputo@mail.muni.cz Knowledge, Learning, and Design Knowledge and human power are synonymous, since the ignorance of the cause frustrates the effect. Francis Bacon How can a new organization access and use knowledge in order to build its new venture? The creation and management of knowledge can lead to new, novel applications and products. Sharing knowledge throughout a firm can enhance the firm’s processes and core competences, thus making the firm more innovative and competitive. Preliminary reflections ü Peter Drucker (the one factor) ü Toffler (Survival in Knowledge Age is not who can read or write but who can learn and unlearn quicker) ü Nonaka (the cutting edge) ü Tom Peters (sum total of value-added) ü Drucker (primary factor of productivity) Knowledge Influences Success ü Knowledge management (KM) may be defined simply as doing what is needed to get the most out of knowledge resources. ü KM focuses on organizing and making available important knowledge, wherever and whenever it is needed. ü Related to the concept of intellectual capital. Knowledge is the awareness and possession of information, facts, ideas, truths, and principles in an area of expertise. Intellectual capital Intellectual capital is the sum of the knowledge assets of a firm. 1. Present: Shared Problem Solving Core Competencies 3. Future: Experimenting and Learning 4. Acquiring Knowledge from Outside the Firm 2. Implementing New Processes and Tools within the Firm The Knowledge Creating and Sharing Activities of A Firm Role Identify and evaluate the role of knowledge in the firm. Improve Improve the knowledge creation and sharing process within the new venture. Value Identify the expertise, capabilities and intellectual capital that creates value in the form of products and Services. Plane Create a plan for investing in the firm’s intellectual capital and exploiting its value while protecting it from leakage to competitors. How to manage the knowledge? A first taxonomy People ü Knowledge Teams - multi-disciplinary, cross-functional ü Learning Organization - personal/team/org development ü Corporate Initiatives - Chief Knowledge Officer Systems ü Knowledge Data-bases - experts, best practice ü Knowledge Centers - hubs of knowledge ü Technology Infrastructure - Intranets, Domino Document Management People and Systems A scenario is an imagined sequence of possible events or outcomes, sometimes called a mental model. Knowledge Management Tacit Knowledge Explicit Knowledge Knowledge Information Data Knowledge Hierarchy Sharing existing knowledge “Knowing what you know” Knowledge for Innovation “Creating and Converting” Create Product/ Process Innovation Cycle KM Cycle Knowledge Repository Codify Embed Diffuse Identify Classify Access Use/Exploit Collect Organize/ Store Share/ Disseminate Innovation Cycle Vs. Km Cycles Customer Knowledge - the most vital knowledge Knowledge in Products - �smarts’add value Knowledge in People - but people �walk’ Knowledge in Processes - know-how when needed Organizational Memory - do we know what we know? Knowledge in Relationships - richness and depth Knowledge Assets - intellectual capital �Kinds’ of Knowledge 1. Knowledge is just as important, if not more so, to a smaller company trying to compete in the rapidly changing global marketplace. Smaller companies must capture, assimilate, and capitalize on every advantage they can find, including KNOWLEDGE 2. Smaller firms have the advantages from Culture and Organizational structure in place that is much more conducive to implementing knowledge management effort such as type of environment, which is predicated more on social relationship, familiarity and trust between employees. Smaller companies, who often claim that they can’t afford to undertake KM activities, are wrong on two counts! Knowledge Management and Small Companies A learning organization is skilled at creating, acquiring, and sharing new knowledge and at adapting its activities and behaviour to reflect new knowledge and insights. Step Question Outcome or Action Required Identify the problem or opportunity What do we want to change? Desired specific result Analyse the problem or opportunity What is the key cause of the problem? Key cause identified Generate potential solutions How can we make a positive change? A list of possible solutions Select a solution and create a plan What's the best way to do it? Establish a criteria, select the best solution and set a plan to accomplish it Implement the selected plan How do we implement the plan effectively? Monitor the implementation Evaluate the outcome and learn from the results How well did the outcome match our desired result? Verify that the problem is solved. Why did it work? Knowledge: stored, retrieved and shared Learning process Business processes Product and services Marketplace: customers Innovation Information New Knowledge Knowledge and learning within technology firm Business processes Product and services Marketplace: customers Marketplace: customers Satisfactory performance No Iterate Yes Finalize design Overall development process A. Established the product’s goal and attributes from customers need and inputs B1. Identify the components and parameters available for adjustment or selection C. Write the performance specifications for the product D. Establish the product configuration B2. Identify and record the set of physical and social constraints E. Select the components of product F. Optimize the parameters of the product Product design process Knowledge acquired, shared, and used is a powerful tool for the entrepreneur to build an innovative, learning organization that can compete and grow effectively. KM should not distance itself from the knowledge owners, but instead celebrate and recognize their position as experts in the organization. Questions ???