How to Get the Most Out of



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Intranet


A network designed to organize and share information — and carry out digital business transactions — within a company, using web pages, browsers, e-mail, news groups and mailing lists. An intranet is accessible only to those within the organization. Human resource policies, code of conduct, address book, travel rules, reimbursement of expenses, payroll, leave applications, etc. are usually available for easy access to employees on an intranet.

J

Just-in-Case Knowledge Management


Making knowledge available to users just-in-case it is needed. This saves users the trouble and time of having to search for knowledge. But users may not perceive much value if the knowledge is not immediately relevant to the task at hand.

(See also: Just-in-time Knowledge Management)

Just-in-Time Knowledge Management


Knowledge is often more valuable when it is delivered when it is needed, rather than being available at all times. It is the dream of all knowledge management practitioners to make knowledge flow into work processes as and when it is needed to solve business problems or facilitate decision making. It is under these circumstances that the full value of knowledge can be leveraged.

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K-Spots


The knowledge areas on which a company can concentrate its knowledge management efforts. These are promising areas which stand to gain the most through knowledge management. By concentrating on these areas, business benefits can be reaped fast. In the case of Indian IT companies, software project management is a good example.

Knowledge


Understanding clarity and insights that we gain through education, practical experience, reflection and observing others. Knowledge goes far beyond data and information. According to Davenport and Prusak, it is the fluid mix of experiences, values, contextual information, insights and intuition. It originates in individual minds but over time, gets embedded in organizational routines, processes, practices, systems, software and norms.

Information becomes knowledge through:

1. Comparison: How does information about this situation compare with other situations?

2. Consequences: What implications does the information have for decisions and actions?

3. Connections: How does this bit of knowledge relate to others?

4. Conversation: What do other people think about this information?

Though data, information and knowledge may appear to lie on a continuum, there are major discontinuities. Knowledge is fundamentally different from information. The discontinuity is caused by how new knowledge is created from received information. To become knowledge, new insights are internalized by establishing links with already existing knowledge. Prior knowledge helps us make sense of received information. Once accepted for inclusion, people will internalize new insights by linking these with prior knowledge. Hence, new knowledge is as much a function of prior knowledge as it is of received inputs.

Knowledge helps us to understand phenomena, make predictions and deal with situations we may not have encountered before. Knowledge is actionable information. It facilitates decision making, problem solving and developing new concepts or processes. Much of valuable knowledge is difficult to document or capture in databases. It remains in the minds of the people. This is called tacit knowledge. Such knowledge is best transferred through human interaction. Knowledge which can be
codified is called explicit knowledge. Technology is a major enabler in the dissemination of explicit knowledge. Knowledge can also be categorized in other ways: Technological business / environmental, operational / strategic, low perishability, high perishability. intuition, ground truth (whether it works or not), judgments, experience, values, assumptions, beliefs and intelligence are the various components of knowledge.


Unlike information, knowledge has a component of judgment
attached to it. We use knowledge to make decisions. In making decisions, we use our judgment. Knowledge is largely derived from experience. Experience helps people develop rules of thumb and respond to new problems more effectively. Usually, business processes are based on deeply ingrained, unarticulated assumptions and values. These
beliefs, values and assumptions are integral components of knowledge. Knowledge also contributes to corporate intelligence. As Amrit Tiwana mentions52:

When knowledge can be applied, acted on when and where needed, and brought to bear on present decisions and when these lead to better performance or results, knowledge qualifies as intelligence. When it flows freely throughout a company, is exchanged, grows and is validated, it transforms an informated company into an intelligent


enterprise.”


(See also: data, information, Explicit Knowledge and Tacit Knowledge).

Knowledge Acquisition


The process of eliciting and formally coding tacit knowledge into facts and rules and entering them in a knowledge base. Knowledge acquisition is the process of developing insights and skills. Intelligent databases, electronic whiteboards, artificial intelligence tools and data warehousing are some of the technologies that can support knowledge acquisition.

Knowledge Activities


Refers to the various kinds of tasks done by knowledge workers: finding existing knowledge, creating new knowledge, packaging knowledge, distributing knowledge and applying knowledge. The common thread running through these activities is that they primarily involve thinking and information processing as opposed to physical work.


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