Plugging the Knowledge Drain: Strategies and Technologies for Acquiring Knowledge in Lean Organizations

Recent programs for organizational improvement (reengineering, downsizing, and outsourcing) have apparently resolved the productivity paradox by making organizations leaner and more efficient. However, these same programs have drained knowledge from organizations, threatening the future performance of lean organizations. Knowledge management, which focuses on the acquisition, internalization, and maintenance of an organization\u27s intellectual assets, is currently a popular approach used to plug the knowledge drain. Designed and managed properly, knowledge management programs can repair significant damage to organizations affected by work force reductions. In this paper, we analyze the process of organizational knowledge acquisition, which most directly addresses the problem of knowledge drain. We discuss strategies and technologies for acquiring knowledge by restocking from external sources and by regenerating from internal processes. We conclude that the technological infrastructure for knowledge acquisition must be complemented by an organizational culture that is committed to learning. A commitment to learning not only values the acquisition of new knowledge but also the preservation of old knowledge

Information Outlook, January 1997

Volume 1, Issue 1https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/sla_io_1997/1000/thumbnail.jp

Information Outlook, April 2000

Volume 4, Issue 4https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/sla_io_2000/1003/thumbnail.jp

Development of an intranet website

Established in 1 990, Logical Design Solutions Incorporated (LDS) was among the first to recognize the World Wide Web (Web) as a platform for deploying serious enterprise solutions. LDS provides Global 2000 companies, such as AT&T Corporation (AT&T), with Internet, extranet, and intranet applications that solve real-world business problems. A leader in Web consulting, LDS offers a comprehensive set of solutions and services, from design to development, tailored to organizations with complex enterprise technology needs. In late 1997, AT&T requested LDS to begin developing an intranet strategy that would support AT&T\u27s Cash Balance Pension Plan. AT&T, formerly known as the American Telephone and Telegraph Company, is the largest telecommunications company in the United States, and a worldwide leader in communications services. The objective of this thesis project was for the author to learn, create, and document the Analysis and Design, Development and Implementation, and Quality Assurance Testing phases of AT&T\u27s Pension Update Information Center Intranet Website. The author, the HTML developer, was a key team member of LDS\u27s project team. The LDS project team acted as an extension of AT&T\u27s internal management team providing industry-specific knowledge and Web expertise throughout the development of Pension Update Information Center. While the primary business objective of Pension Update Information Center was to maximize internal communications and at the same time, reduce the rollout cost of AT&T\u27s pension benefit program that impacts 72,600 employees, the LDS project team also had to meet the following secondary business objectives: e To reduce call and work volume at AT&T\u27s Customer Care Center (CCC). e Support AT&T\u27s overall pension communication strategy. Establish the intranet Website as a credible, reliable, and engaging source of information. In order for the LDS project team to meet these business objectives, the following three evolutionary phases of Pension Update Information Center had to be achieved: 1 . Analysis and Design during this phase, the LDS project team worked closely with AT&T\u27s management team and formulated Web strategies and requirements that mirrored the business objectives. 2. Implementation and Development during this phase, the LDS project team integrated the formulated business requirements with leading edge technology, a usable interface design, creative look and feel design, and optimized content. 3. Quality Assurance Testing during this phase, the LDS project team thoroughly tested the implemented the Website until all erroneous information was fixed and business objectives were met. After the above three phases were implemented and approved, the LDS project team delivered a Website that contained a viable, successful Web strategy that balanced AT&T\u27s business and enterprise objectives for user needs and competitive market challenges. The documentation that follows discusses the lifecycle approach that the LDS project team used to meet AT&T\u27s objectives and that the author used to gain an understanding of intranet methodology

Knowledge Management through Ontologies

Most enterprises agree that knowledge is an essential asset for success and survival on a increasingly competitive and global market. This awareness is one of the main reasons for the exponential growth of knowledge management in the past decade. Our approach to knowledge management is based on ontologies, and makes knowledge assets intelligently accessible to people in organizations. Most company-vital knowledge resides in the heads of people, and thus successful knowledge management does not only consider technical aspects but also social ones. In this paper, we describe an approach to intelligent knowledge management that explicitly takes into account the social issues involved. The proof of concept is given by a large-scale initiative involving knowledge management of a virtual organization

Impacts of implementing Enterprise Content Management Systems

This paper presents the results of a case study on the impacts of implementing Enterprise ContentManagement Systems (ECMSs) in an organization. It investigates how these impacts are influenced bythe functionalities of an ECMS and by the nature of the ECMS-supported processes. The results confirmthat both factors do influence the impacts. Further, the results indicate that the implementation ofan ECMS can change the nature of ECMS-supported processes. It is also demonstrated that the functionalitiesof an ECMS need to be aligned with the nature of the processes of the implementing organization.This finding confirms previous research from the Workflow Management domain and extends itto the ECM domain. Finally, the case study results show that implementing an ECMS to supportrather ‘static’ processes can be expected to cause more and stronger impacts than the support of‘flexible’ processes

Information Outlook, April 2000

Volume 4, Issue 4https://scholarworks.sjsu.edu/sla_io_2000/1003/thumbnail.jp

CPA\u27s guide to the Internet

https://egrove.olemiss.edu/aicpa_guides/1966/thumbnail.jp