Knowledge Management

infrastructure
Knowledge Technology
Lecture (8)
 The American Productivity and
Quality Center (APQC) (1997)
suggests that for organizations to
succeed in KM initiatives, a suitable
IT infrastructure must be
established.
Information Technology definition
 Information technology has been defined as
“The fundamental building block that
supports and coordinates KM initiatives". For
that reason, Davenport and Prusak (1998)
termed it knowledge technologies or
“Techknowledgies”.
:The importance of technology for KM

 There is a debate around the effectiveness of the IT-

based system as a facilitator for the KM process.

 Some authors argue a limited role for IT in the KM process

because its effectiveness is highly dependent on:-

 Whether an individual knows or not what he is looking for.

 How individuals modify, use and transfer their experiences
to others.
 An individual's trust in knowledge which resides in a system
.
 Also ,according to the resource-based view of the firm ,
all the information technology infrastructure can’t
determine as a strategic asset ,it is a tangible; it is
largely software-dependent; which is easily replicated,
copied, or cloned even when protected by regulatory
assets such as copyright, patents and licenses.
On the other hand
 Many authors maintain that technologies, if correctly

designed and implemented, can effectively support KM.

 Information technology plays different roles in KM:-

1) Obtaining knowledge.
2) Defining knowledge.
3) Storing knowledge .
4) Categorizing knowledge .
5) Indexing knowledge.
6- linking knowledge-related digital items.
7-Seeking and identifying related content.
8- Flexibly expressing content based on
various utilization backgrounds.
 According to this viewpoint organizations

should have well-developed technology to

leverage KM.
Knowledge Technologies in
Practice
Knowledge-intensive firms (KIF) today are
employing one technology or a combination
of many key technologies;
Groupware - Messaging -
Web browsers - Document management -
Search &Retrieval -Data mining
Visualization – Group decision support
How IT helps in KM practice within
;different organizations
Three types of Knowledge technology are found.

Firstly, The knowledge -oriented technologies

such as group-ware and web browsers which directly
process knowledge work and the sharing of
knowledge within the organization.
Secondly, The function-oriented technologies
such as office automation, robotics and desk-top

computing technologies those support operational

level activities such as data processing, production,
marketing ,and service delivery.
 Finally, The specialty-oriented technology,
 Which supports specialized functions within

the firm: those functions which require a high

level of know-how, for example computer-
aided design and manufacture software
(CAD/CAM), and expert systems software
Knowledge Technology
in Organizations
 E-Bay
 E- Bay : is an E-business example in which knowledge and its
management forms the lifeblood: the fundamental nature of its
work involves the use and convey the knowledge to market
participants, and to the system itself.

 It acquires Knowledge about sellers' offers, buyers‘ commitments,

and participants' market experiences.
 It assimilates knowledge, filtering, screening and organizing.

 It also selects simplified knowledge as needed to satisfy

participants' requests and applies in its own internal processing
for such activities as coordinating participant interactions and
enforcing rules of conduct.
 It distributes knowledge about states (issuing
alerts, showing auction status, indicating
participant reputation),
 about procedures (how to initiate auctions,

how to ensure a safe trading experience)

 and about policies ( trading tips, pays ) (All in

all) .
 What the E-Bay system does is an example of

Knowledge management which cannot be

done without the computer based technology
 Ford Motor
 Ford Motor is a clear example of an organization
which is heavily investing in knowledge technologies
to redefine the auto manufacturing industry and
create a SCA in the auto industry.
 The organization has established the auto exchange

mart -an intensive KM technology and electronic

commerce system intended to shift the car-
manufacturing model from a ‘push’ business model
to the ’pull’ model, in which the consumer
determines the precise configuration of the car
before it is manufactured.

 Further, auto designers, marketers and
production engineers are able to gain insights
and knowledge about the customer. Thus, by
effectively harnessing the capabilities
provided by IT, Ford is attempting to create a
SCA in the auto industry .
 Microsoft
 Microsoft also developed a project entitled ‘skills
planning development’ (SPD), which focused on
competencies needed to stay on the leading edge
in the workplace,
 It implemented an on-line system which contained
a job rating system and rating database, as well as
competency levels for employees.
 This system had a web front end for easy access
through Microsoft's intranet, and thus it achieved
increased communication among employees and
an increased advantage over competitors .
Knowledge Technology and KM
Processes
 Knowledge technology and KM processes are
closely tied together, as both of them help
the distribution of knowledge vertically as
well as horizontally within the organization.
 So the main goal of many organizations today

is to use advancements in KT to conduct KM

 KT and K-Creation Process

 K- Technology is a key enabler of the knowledge

creation process. Building on Nonaka’s theory, IT is
considered as another form of Ba by which the
different modes of knowledge creation can be
enhanced.
 For example; data warehousing, data mining,

document repositories and software agents have

a great value in cyber Ba.
 Also, information systems designed for the support

of collaboration, coordination and communication

processes are a component of interacting Ba.
 Intranets and email can also support
individual learning (conversion of explicit
knowledge to personal tacit knowledge)
through capabilities such as computer
simulation (to support learning-by-doing)
and smart software tutors.
 Furthermore, communication technology can
increase the quality of k. creation by
increasing the interaction among
organizational members, sharing ideas and
perspectives, which enables individuals to
arrive at new insights and accurate
interpretations.
Technology can provides solutions for the four
.conversion processes
Tacit to Explicit Tacit to Tacit

Answering questions E-meeting

Annotation Video conference
e-mail Synchronous collaboration
CAD Telecommunication technology
Telecommunication technology

Explicit to Explicit Explicit to Tacit

Text search Visualization
Document categorization Brows-able video\audio of
Simulation presentation
CAD- EMS Communication technology
simulation
KT and K- Dissemination Process

 KT can increase knowledge transfer by

extending the individual's reach beyond
formal communication lines.
 Computer networks, electronic bulletin
boards and discussion groups create a forum
which facilitates contact between the person
seeking knowledge and those who may have
access to the knowledge; such networks
expose individuals to more new ideas
 Metadata and knowledge maps prove to be as
important as the original knowledge itself,
enabling individuals to rapidly locate either
the knowledge or the individual who has the
needed knowledge, more rapidly than would
be possible without such IT-based support

 Not : Metadata is defined as (Knowledge

about where the knowledge resides)
 In addition, informational communication
technology has a direct and indirect influence
on the motivation to share knowledge,
because it can play different functions:-
 1. Eliminate hindrances& obstacles
 2. Provide channels to obtain information
 3. Correct Knowledge flow processes
 4. Identifies the location of knowledge carrier

and knowledge seeker.

 5. Make searching and using knowledge far

easier
KT and K- Application Process

 KT can have a positive influence on

knowledge application, through enhancing k-
integration and facilitating the capture,
updating, and accessibility of organizational
directives.
 For example, many organizations are
enhancing the ease of access and
maintenance of their directives (repair
manuals, policies and standards) by making
them available on corporate intranets.
 This increases the speed at which changes can
be applied.
 Also, organizational units can follow a faster
learning curve by accessing the knowledge of
other units which have gone through similar
experiences.
 Moreover, by increasing the size of individuals'
internal social networks and by increasing the
amount of organizational memory available, KT
allow for organizational knowledge to be
applied across time and space
The most important technology in facilitating
.the main KM processes
K K K

Application Dissemination Creation

expert systems electronic bulletin

workflow systems boards data mining
communication k-directories learning tools
technology internal networks just in time learning
groupware communication groupware
intranet channels intranet
groupware
intranet
Techknowledgies Examples
Internet/Intranet/Extranet
 Internet is a network to share knowledge
with knowledge providers across the world –
 Intranet provides same but restricted access
from outside- that networks have been built
in many corporations for information sharing
and ecommerce
 An extranet is a computer network that
allows controlled access from the outside for
specific business. Extranets are extensions
to, or segments of, the private intranet .
Data mining

Data mining is the exploration and analysis

of large quantities of data in order to
discover valid, novel, potentially useful,
and ultimately understandable patterns in
data.
Use a variety of decision trees and modelling

algorithms to discover patterns and

correlations in vast amounts of data .
Use sophisticated data search capabilities.
Groupware tools
 Allows to work on same document by
multiple users
 Maintain and update identical data on
numerous PCs
 Organising discussions
 Storing information
 Moving and tracking documents of groups
 Preventing unauthorised access of data
 Mobile use to access corporate network
WEB 2.0 PLATFORM
 Shiftto dynamic social web
applications
 Network effects critical to their

success
 Provide customer services free –

Google ($200bn), YouTube ($1.6bn),

Face book ($50bn)
MASHUPS
 Allows content from different sources to
combine with applications for different
business processes
 E.g. Getting insurance quote (price offer )

from website
 E.g. Starbucks helps customers locate

nearest café once they’ve entered postcode

 Information from external sources can be

inaccurate or may change significantly in

future.
BLOGS
 Blogs – adding thoughts or diary of events
 Podcasts – audio blogs
 V.log – video blog
 Trackbacks – allows bloggers to see who’s

linking to them
 Can act as alternative to face-to-face

meetings to engage in problem solving

 Engage with customers across boundaries
 Twitter – micro-blogging site-(vine)
Tipping Point
Word OF Mouth Epidemics
 ‘Connectors’ – social glue
 Information brokers on best deals etc.
 ‘Salesmen’ – good at convincing you

and getting you to act.

 Amazon is reliant on ranking of

reviewers to develop trust with

customers
WIKIS
 Web pages that can be viewed and modified
by anyone
 Allows to create or change web content
 Places power and freedom in hands of users

rather than external ‘expert’

 Works in progress on virtual ‘white boards’
 Can be open to manipulation and vandalism
 Maintenance can be time-consuming
On-line Social Networks
 Individuals interact with others in community
 Social network sites (SNS): Face book,
MySpace, LinkedIn.
 SNS tend to support pre-existing
relationships rather than new ones
 Benefit from social capital and self-
presentation
 Risk over privacy from third party securing
personal information
 Allows interaction with different people in
network
Data Warehouse
 Database with query and reporting
tools
 Stores current and historical data from

internal and external sources

 Data mart – subset of data warehouse

which contains summarised or highly

focused data for certain users
Visualisation
 Modelling – way of representing
objects e.g. journal covers,
weather maps
 Rendering/presenting – makes
computer generated image look
like photograph e.g. texture
mapping
 Virtual reality
VIRTUAL WORLDS )D-3(

 Computer-simulated worlds where users

interact in real time through ‘avatars’
 Avatars are ( 3-D )electronic cartoons of
users; form of alter ego
 (to represent your self in a cartoon form )

 Conduct meetings, workshops and

recruitment
 Multinationals such as IBM, Dell, Ericsson,
Bain
Case-based reasoning
 Capture and store past experiences as
organisational knowledge
 System searches for stored cases with

similar profile to new problem

 Adds unsuccessful cases to aid

learning
 Built on artificial intelligence

technology
The Impact of KT
Knowledge technology can lead to a greater
breadth and depth of knowledge creation,
transfer and application in organizations,
resulting in the following :
1) Improving the decision making process
2) Increasing knowledge- transfer speed
3) Supporting knowledge codification
4) Improving knowledge productivity
 5-Improving communication among
organizational members
 6-Reducing the time and cost of
information access
 7-Facilitating rapid searches
 8-Supporting collaboration
The End