Process 7: Knowledge Base and IT Architecture
Step 1: Design the Architecture. The knowledge base, as explained in Chapter 5, is the database, which provides access to knowledge resources needed to support critical business processes. The knowledge base is built on, and supported by, the IT infrastructure of the organization. Though the content of the knowledge base should be created and maintained by knowledge centers or subject matter experts across the whole organization, the central IT department still plays a crucial role. The central IT department's role includes, but is not limited to, ensuring the interoperability of the various work systems and software programs, and providing technological enablers that facilitate retrieval of information and communication across the organization. The latter will be outlined in step 3.
The architecture of the knowledge base is affected by the functions it serves in KM. The knowledge base should have the following four components, or centers, as depicted in Exhibit 11.8:
1. Knowledge Centers. Contain knowledge, not merely information or data, to support critical business processes—building of knowledge centers is outlined in step 2.
2. E-Learning Centers. Maximize learning by providing e-learning material responding to identified knowledge and professional development needs.
3. Best Practices Database. Provides access to best practices with guidance as to replication and collection of results. This should include Lessons Learned and solutions developed to deal with common problems. Refer to process 6.
4. Expert Directories. Provide contact information of knowledge and subject matter experts classified according to areas of practice, knowledge, and experience.
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EXHIBIT 11.8 Knowledge Base Architecture |
The following steps guide the design of the knowledge centers, taxonomies and choice of technological enablers for KM. Though any IT system should comprise the four abovementioned components to support KM, the knowledge strategy adopted by management directly impacts both the focus of the IT system and the components that will be given prime importance. Exhibit 11.9 shows how different KM strategies, which should be aligned with the business focus of an organization, shift attention to different components in the IT design. For example the IT system for a KM program based on personalization strategies would focus on enabling the creation of CoPs and building communication channels to ensure the extraction and transfer of tacit knowledge.
Step 2: Design the Knowledge Centers. The purpose of the knowledge centers is to provide the knowledge resources that support critical business processes. Therefore, to start, the knowledge resources supporting critical business processes should be mapped first. Given that business processes are specific to every organization, I will use a generic knowledge creation process here to show how this step can be implemented. The generic process of knowledge creation involves the following steps illustrated in Exhibit 11.10:
1. Collection or gathering of information and data
2. Interpreting and evaluating the information
3. Assessing the situation
4. Taking a decision
5. Verifying the decision
6. Communicating the decision (this is sometimes done before or after action, depending on the nature of decisions)
7. Taking action
After mapping the business process in question, do the following:
1. Examine the knowledge resources that need to be consulted in every step of the business process.
2. Assess the tacit/explicit component of the knowledge resource needed to support the various steps of the business process. Note that the tacit/explicit classification of steps is to some extent artificial, since the tacit/explicit interface is blurred most of the time. Exhibit 11.11 shows the tacit/explicit components needed to support the various steps of the generic knowledge creation process. As shown in Exhibit 11.10, there are steps in which tacit knowledge is used predominantly and others that are mainly based on explicit knowledge. Some steps involve both; for example, collecting information, which is explicit knowledge, depends on one's understanding of what needs to be collected (tacit knowledge).
Act |
Communicate Interpret/Evaluate |
Cullect Information
Decide & Assess s-'*-
Verify Situation^ "^
EXHIBIT 11.10 Knowledge Creation Process
3. Group explicit knowledge resources into knowledge centers and allocate the responsibility of managing the content, and creating new content, to subject matter experts. This responsibility could also be allocated to the CoPs, if any, whose value proposition is to grow organizational knowledge in that area.
4. Group references to personnel (tacit resources), as discovered by the knowledge audit, into expert directories.
Step 3: The Development of Taxonomies for the Knowledge Base. It is essential for a knowledge base, or any database, to be easily accessible and for the knowledge contained therein to be efficiently retrievable. That is where the role of taxonomy comes in. The choice of taxonomy for the knowledge base is a very critical step that should be managed by subject matter experts (each in his/her areas of expertise), software programmers, and the IT department. This is an effort that requires the contribution and coordination between the central and business unit level IT departments for the knowledge base to become one relevant to the needs of the whole organization, and for the knowledge contained therein to be leveraged across departmental and business unit boundaries. Adopting a taxonomy is not enough, as new terms are added and information becomes obsolete. Therefore, it is important to employ knowledge stewards for retrieving knowledge resources, updating the knowledge base and the taxonomies used, as well as keeping those involved informed. This role is separate and different from that of the IT department in that knowledge stewards address the knowledge needs associated with critical business processes.
STEP |
TACIT RESOURCES |
EXPLICIT RESOURCES |
Collect information |
X |
X |
Interpret/evaluate |
X |
|
Assess situation |
X |
|
Decide |
X |
|
Verify decision |
X |
X |
Communicate |
|
X |
Act |
|
X |
EXHIBIT 11.11 Knowledge Resources Supporting Knowledge Creation Process
Tacit |
Expert Dir Email Videoconferencing
Tacit
Explicit
Stories,
Lessons Learned Best Practices Databases
Explicit
Tacit to Tacit Socialization |
Explicit to Tacit Internalization |
Tacit to Explicit Externanzadon |
Explicit to Explicit |
IT tools: Search
retrieval,
Visualization
E-learning tools
Intranet Document Management Databases
EXHIBIT 11.12 KM Tools
Step 4: The Choice of Enabling Technological Tools. Following Nonaka and Takeuchi's account of the four knowledge conversions involved in KM, as outlined in Chapter 5, Exhibit 11.12 outlines the various technological enablers needed for KM.
CONCLUSION
The KM stage is the platform upon which the innovation and intellectual property management stages are built. Under this stage the IT infrastructure is redesigned to support the knowledge needs of all business processes and operations, and hence KM overlaps at various facets with the two stages discussed in Chapters 12 and 13. Wherever appropriate mention will be made of such overlap.
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Process 7: Knowledge Base and IT Architecture