"Everything you really need to know about KM" LO21140

Richard S. Webster (webster.1@osu.edu)
Fri, 2 Apr 1999 17:58:47 -0500 (EST)

LO Colleagues -

We have shared concerns in the recent past about LO and knowledge
management (KM), and what some view as the commercialization of KM by
software packages of possible detriment to development and use of LO
values and practices.

I do not share this concern. Instead I look for information (knowledge?)
that seems useful for learning to use both LO and KM -- easier, better,
faster, with improved facility and increased good effects.

In this light I commend to you an article by Bruce Silver: "Everything you
really need to know about KM" in "KMWorld," December, 1998, page 20.

Bruce proposes that "The basic confusion [about what KM means] comes about
because we've allowed a single term [KM] to embrace a whole raft of
disparate technology products all using similar language but answering
very different business needs." ... "In that tradition [of trying to]
...simplify by division, analyzing the overall space in...segments
that...do make practical sense... [Bruce prepared] "KM YADDA (yet another
domain division analysis) as a model of Everything You Really Need to Know
About Knowledge Management."

Bruce proposes that we "not...waste time on metaphysical questions like
'what is knowledge?' [but attend to] the more practical issues [like]
'What kind of information am I dealing with?' and 'What problem am I
trying to solve with KM?' KM YADDA defines four segments of [KM], each
with a different answer to those questions."

"1. Operational knowledge, dealing with corporate data and documents that
have traditionally been managed by information systems.... Extending
access to operational information...."

"2. Collaborative knowledge, dealing with internal work-group information
that has historically has not been managed in any meaningful way
...[e.g.,. project and process information on company members' hard
drives, in lab notebooks and on office black and white boards]...the
notorious 'tacit information' of KM lore.... The key KM problem
is...getting all this stuff into the system, and organizing it so it can
be shared effectively.... Capturing tacit workgroup information."

It seems to me (Webster) that no. two is a benefit-cost opportunity: if
people benefit from the company's collaborative knowledge resources, if
they can get information they need, when they need it, in form useful for
their work, then they will be inclined to contribute their tacit knowledge
to the company's KM system in form and detail likely to be useful to other
members.

"3. ...Knowledge about the world, dealing with the vast sea of external
information available through the internet. The KM problem is finding
needles in a [world full of] haystack[s], filtering out the irrelevant and
notifying users quickly and automatically about important new
information.... Finding relevant information on the Web."

Computer-assisted learning resources fit into no. three. These resources
(for just-in-time learning -- JITL and on-the-job learning -- OJL) seem to
be increasingly web-based. It seems likely that they will grow in
importance as "basic training" is completed for using software packages
for ERP (enterprise resource planning), process and systems improvement,
and quality improvement, and company members move on to improving their
use of these powerful analytical and management tools.

"4. ...Customer knowledge, dealing with information about each customer
in...way[s] that maximizes both revenue and satisfaction [of both the
customer and company members that serve that customer].... Understanding
customers."

"[These four categories] simplify sorting out the myriad new products that
have wrapped themselves in the KM flag. Most products are designed to do
just one of those [four tasks] well, and touch lightly upon the others....
If it [the KM product] matches your business needs, that's everything you
really need to know."

(Requested by "KMWorld's" editor: "[Excerpts] reprinted with permission
from KMWorld <www.kmworld.com>.")

When I asked Bruce if I could report "KM YADDA" to our LO network he
described it as "more of a rant" than a piece of "work." Work or rant, I
found it useful for sorting out more than 100 KM activities, applications,
components, services and tools I have listed. Perhaps other LO
participants will add their comments.

As a learning resource...

Dick Webster

Richard S. Webster, Ph.D. - President
Personal Resources Management Institute (PRMI) - Worthington, OH
e-mail <webster.1@osu.edu>, fax 614-433-71-88, tel 614-433-7144
***
Institute R&D projects address the paradigm shift from "training,
instruction and teaching" to "learning"--a key change for those seeking
continual improvement of enterprise (companies and other organizations)....
PRMI is a 501(c)3 non-profit research, development and consulting company
founded in 1978.
***
Thought: "Things are getting better and better and worse and worse faster
and faster" (Tom Atlee). Challenge: finding and building the "betters," in
time. Idea: try learning: each person's responsibility and opportunity,
with the organization's encouragement and support, recognition and reward.

-- 

"Richard S. Webster" <webster.1@osu.edu>

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