Knowledge Management Goes Mainstream
By Tom Barron
Knowledge management (KM) is leaping from theory to practice, thanks to a growing crop of tools that capture knowledge snippets from email, chat, and online collaboration systems.
The growth of KM-related software tools and their integration into corporate networks, collaborative systems, and portals is enabling organizations to ensnare the detailed knowledge employees carry in their heads that ordinarily leaves when they do.
A recent study by market analyst Delphi Group--a leading researcher of KM adoption--found that growth in online collaborative work, in particular, is pushing organizations toward adoption of KM practices. "Knowledge management is developing into a very broad-based set of practices that can potentially impact virtually every area of the organization," says Hadley Reynolds, Delphi's Director of Research. "But they also indicate that the cut of knowledge management will be felt in very specific applications that stand to transform individual business practices."
A Delphi survey of KM users (see figure below) found applications for KM in a growing number of functional areas. According to Reynolds, the survey didn't examine the use of KM as a training adjunct; future studies planned by the Boston-based consultant will explore the relationship between KM and training. "When companies put in place Internet technology infrastructures, it makes possible the sort of just-in-time learning environments that KM creates," notes Reynolds.
Another new study, by research firm Best Practices LLC, examined the KM strategies of 50 large companies, including Xerox, British Petroleum, Dow Chemical, and Hewlett-Packard. Among other findings, the study found that including KM strategy in functional-area planning has repeatedly proven to be an economical and successful tactic. One company studied, a $12 billion high-tech multinational, incorporates KM into its corporate strategic planning process, which gives its entire operation focus and coordination, the study found. Another study participant uses KM to cultivate and nurture best practices knowledge that support its corporate strategies.
Tools designed to catch and repackage knowledge gleaned from collaborative discussions, memos, and emails and disseminate it across an organization's enterprise are helping fuel growth of KM. Among them is Papirus, a software product developed by Sharing Technologies. It helps organizations that use Lotus Notes capture information in any format--Windows, legacy systems, ERP systems, CAD/CAM documents, business intelligence applications, and others--and share it immediately through their Domino-based intranets. The Orlando, Florida-based company last month announced an agreement with Lotus and its parent company, IBM, to support integration of the KM product by Lotus and IBM consulting partners.
"Our customers are looking for solutions to share critical business knowledge while leveraging their investment in their Lotus Notes and Domino environment," said Jeff Kovel of Katahdin Consulting, a Lotus Business Partner based in New York City. "Papirus for Domino is therefore a real business opportunity for us."
Another KM tool developed by Synergistics, which also runs over Lotus Domino, is being offered by Electronic Data Systems to small and medium-size businesses in a "rental" format that's becoming increasingly common on the Web. The software, Synergistics Prevail Knowledge Center, allows organizations to build a KM database without the associated infrastructure. Instead, they can "rent" the infrastructure from EDS through an application service provider (ASP). "Companies with as few as 10 to 15 end users can benefit from the enhanced performance these products bring," says Synergistics president Lewis Miller.
IKON Office Solutions, an IBM/Lotus business partner, is implementing its own KM applications for Lotus and Windows NT platforms. Among recent projects outlined by the company was implementation of a KM system for insurance firm McGriff, Seibels, and Williams that shifted the company's documentation processes to a "paperless" system.
The growth of KM is also attributable to the growth of collaboration created by the Web. "We now work in a world where more and more workers are looking to collaborate anytime and anywhere," says Lotus president and CEO Jeff Papows. "They're asking for mobile access not only to personal data, such as their email and electronic calendars, but also to the ideas and expertise of colleagues and associates."
The KM concept is even finding its way into consumer-oriented Websites. The New York Times Website recently launched an online bulletin board, Abuzz, described as a "knowledge network" for Times readers. It's more like an online bulletin board with some Java enhancements that make searching for information somewhat easier--a step in the right direction, but not quite real KM. At least not yet.
Published: March 2000