MANAGING KNOWLEDGE

Knowledge management is the collection of methods relating to creating, sharing,

using and managing knowledge and information of an organization.

The gathered information is organized, shared, stored and analyzed using defined
techniques and methods.

Properly analyzed information is then stored as “knowledge” of the organization.

This knowledge is later used for organizational decision making or training of the
new staff.

TYPES OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

1) Explicit knowledge-this is the knowledge that is easy to write down and

share. It can be documented, transmitted and most importantly it can be
learned by outsiders. This form of knowledge is mostly used when a new
employee joins an organization.
2) Implicit knowledge- this is applied knowledge. It is a more complex concept
and gained through a real-life experience. It is obtained through experience
and can be captured and transmitted.
3) Tactic knowledge- knowledge gained from personal experience. Tactic
knowledge is information learned through experience than an individual
can’t recall and express. Tactic knowledge can’t be recorded and stored like
implicit knowledge. It does not mean that tactic knowledge cannot be
shared but it is most effective when shared one-on-one monitoring.
4) Declarative knowledge- this is static knowledge that is specific to a certain
topic. Declarative knowledge also refers to facts that are static in nature. It
can be information based on principles, concept and events. Declarative
knowledge is explicit and is easily communicated when necessary. Rather
than answering ‘why’ and ‘how’ based questions, it focuses on ‘what’ type
questions.
 5) Procedural knowledge- also known as imperative knowledge is opposite of
declarative knowledge. Knowledge that focuses on the ‘how’ based
questions and includes information on the various ways of performing a
specific task. Procedural knowledge is gained through experience, that
means it is a form of implicit knowledge
6) A posterior knowledge- contrary to a priori knowledge, a posteriori
knowledge gained from individual experience. The knowledge can be
reasoned and logically explained only after an individual has observed a
certain event.
7) A prior knowledge- knowledge gained independent from evidence. As a
non-experimental type of knowledge, it’s a result of abstract or logical
reasoning alone. To shape a priori knowledge, an individual still needs
certain experience in the field.

KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT PROCESS

Knowledge management process has six basic steps assisted by different tools
and techniques. The process of knowledge management is universal for any
organization. Sometimes the resources used such as tools and techniques can be
unique to the organizational environment.

The steps are:

STEP 1: COLLECTING

This is the most important step of the knowledge management process. While
collecting information, one should be very careful and collect correct and relevant
data because the resulting knowledge will be used later id decision making thus
should be accurate. The procedures followed for information collection should be
properly documented and the people involved in data collection should follow it.
STEP 2: ORGANIZING

The data collected needs to be organized and this organization usually happens
based on certain rules. These rules are defined by the organization. An example of
this is, all sales-related data can be filed together and all staff-related data could
be stored in the same database table. This type of organization helps to maintain
the data accurately within a database

STEP 3: SUMMERIZING

In this step, the information is summarized in order to take in the essence of it.
The lengthy information is presented in tabular or graphical format and stored
appropriately.

For summering there are many tools that can be used such as software packages,
charts and different techniques.

STEP 4: ANALYZING

At this stage, the information is analyzed to find the relationships, redundancies

and patterns. A team of experts should be assigned for this purpose as the
experience of the person or team plays an important role. Usually there are
reports created after the analysis of information.

STEP 5: SYNTHESIZING

At this point information becomes knowledge. The results analysis are combined
together to derive various concepts and artifacts .the knowledge is then stored in
the organization knowledge base for further use. Usually, the knowledge base
software implementation that can be accessed from anywhere throughout the
internet.

STEP 6: DECISION MAKING

At this stage knowledge is used for decision making. As an example, when

estimating a specific type of project or a task, the knowledge related to previous
estimates can be used. This accelerates the estimation process and adds high
accuracy. This is how organizational knowledge management adds value and
saves money in the long run.

BENEFITS OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT

1) Faster decision making.

2) Efficient access to knowledge and information
3) Increased collaboration and idea generation
4) Enhanced communication throughout the organization
5) Improved quality of information and data.
6) More security for intellectual property
7) Optimized sharing.

HOW TO MAKE KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT MORE EFFECTIVE

1) Make it real-time: real-time knowledge has a lot of value; everything within

an organization is updated and changed on a regular basis. Having up-to-
date information is crucial as it ensures decisions are made based on the
most accurate information.
2) Remember knowledge management isn’t a static project: companies grow,
evolve and change regularly. Knowledge and experience shifts. Companies
need to keep in mind, plan for it and use it to their advantage.
3) Decide how to capture knowledge: identify all the sources of knowledge
within your organization. It is essential to understand your organization’s
knowledge flow to see the gaps you need to fill.
4) Work out where new and existing knowledge will be stored: to ensure
knowledge doesn’t leave the organization, create a system that maps and
categorizes knowledge in one place, especially as there is a vast amount of
knowledge you will likely need to store.
5) Find the best place to share knowledge: building or adopting knowledge
management solution is the first valuable step. Employees need to
understand how to use and access it.
IMPORTANCE OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT
1. Fast and efficient access to organizational knowledge base
2. Creates a shared organization memory
3. Stimulates more informed decision-making
4. Improves business operations and efficiency
5. Enhances work collaboration and trust
6. Increases employee satisfaction.

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