Knowledge management
Knowledge management is the process through which a company collects, organises, communicates, and analyses its data in a form that is easily available to its personnel. Technical resources, frequently asked questions, training manuals, and people skills are all part of this expertise.
Data mining and some way of operation are used in knowledge management to push information to users and make it easily accessible. A assessment of corporate goals and a detailed examination of the instruments — both traditional and technical — to handle a company’s needs are part of a knowledge management plan. Choosing a knowledge management system is a problem since it requires purchasing or developing software that fits into the entire plan and encourages people to use the system and share information.
What Is Knowledge Management’s Purpose?
The basic goals of knowledge management are to improve organisational efficiency and save knowledge in an easily accessible format. The goal of knowledge management is to get the correct information to the right people at the right time.
This is accomplished by:
- Using a knowledge management system to capture and organise knowledge in order to meet specific business activities and initiatives;
- sharing information with others who could benefit from it;
- enhancing methods and technology to make knowledge more accessible; and
- fostering the creation of fresh knowledge for lifelong learning
Businesses can use knowledge management to break down silos by putting information in a central location that is easily accessible to all employees. It gives users a place to save knowledge they’ve gained over time, avoiding a corporation from losing that information when employees leave.
Different Types Of Knowledge
Knowledge is an understanding of information gained through education and experience by an organisation or individual. That information is derived from data, which is comprised of uncontextualized facts and figures.
Explicit, tacit, and embedded knowledge are the three categories of knowledge. The most essential contrasts, however, are explicit and tacit.
Explicit understanding. This type of information is codified (found in books, files, folders, documents, databases, and how-to videos) and is best retrieved and managed by a knowledge management system.
Tacit knowledge is when someone knows something without saying anything. This type of information is based on intuition. It is built on experience and practise, and it frequently aids in the achievement of long-term objectives. Because this form of knowledge transfer is done by a single individual, it is tough. As with explicit information, there is no easy way to extract it, leaving the knowledge-holder with the chore of writing it down or creating a film. Identifying the best time to start a sales pitch or developing leadership abilities are two instances of tacit knowledge.
Embedded knowledge is knowledge that has been passed down from generation to generation. Systemic procedures, routines, manuals, structures, and organisational cultures all include this information. It is formally integrated through management initiatives or informally through organisations’ usage and application of the other two forms of knowledge. While explicit sources can provide embedded information, it is not always clear why doing things a certain manner is crucial for a corporation.
Developing And Putting In Place A Knowledge Management Framework
Before establishing a knowledge management system, you must first make a plan. To ensure a flawless business launch, companies might take the following steps:
- Determine the program’s goals. Leadership should determine which business operations, such as training and onboarding, require attention and document both short- and long-term goals.
- Employees should be involved in the implementation process. Employees must learn the new approach and reconsider how they distribute information. Businesses should appoint “champions” for knowledge management to help with the transition, encouraging others to share their knowledge and offering feedback to the implementation team.
- Create procedures in great detail. This will cover how companies collect, organise, and disseminate information. This step also entails developing best practises for knowledge management.
- Determine your technological requirements. Businesses can select their requirements based on the goals of their programmes. They also need to know what technologies employees are utilising now, what works and what doesn’t, and why. Organizations should check to see if their current technology is meeting their needs.
- Create a plan. At this point in the process, the company should reaffirm leadership’s commitment to the project, as well as programme funding. This plan could last months or even years.
- Put the plan into action. It’s time to start the programme once organisations have put processes and technology in place and addressed company culture.
- Success will be measured, and the programme will be improved. The effort isn’t done just because a knowledge management programme is presently operational. For maximum efficiency, businesses must measure the performance of their programme and make continuous changes. Scorecards for performance, quality, compliance, and value should be created by businesses.
