The complexity and necessity of knowledge management in business. Knowledge management in an industrial enterprise
The term "knowledge management", or knowledge management, has recently become widely used in scientific literature and practice of many organizations 7. Knowledge management Is a systematic process of identifying, using and communicating information and knowledge that people can create, improve and apply. Knowledge management there is a relatively independent type of special management.
In 1998, a survey of CEOs of European firms was conducted, sponsored by the World Economic Forum and PricewaterhouseCoopers. 60% of respondents answered that knowledge management is an absolutely essential factor in the success of their companies. In Europe, the average percentage of gross income spent on a given management is 5.5%, which is more than the share of gross income spent on R&D.
Knowledge management is a strategy that transforms all types of intellectual assets into higher productivity and efficiency, new value and increased competitiveness. Knowledge management is a combination of individual aspects of personnel management, innovation and communication management, as well as the use of new information technologies in the management of organizations. Knowledge management is a fusion of different disciplines, diverse approaches and concepts. It has been used before, but it was not called that way. Close concepts are, in our opinion, reengineering, learning organizations, human capital, information technology.
Today, new opportunities have opened up in connection with the development of information technologies, the creation databases, the advent of the Internet and Intranet. At the same time, knowledge management is not identical to the application of new information technologies in management. The most important part of knowledge management is the technology of dissemination, adaptation, conversion and use of tacit knowledge, which are closely intertwined with emotions, principles, commitment, etc.
There has been a shift from an internal focus of knowledge management associated with the traditional concept of innovation management, which deals mainly with internal corporate R&D, to an external focus, which includes marketing, interaction with customers, benchmarking, information exchange with external counterparties, etc.
The main goal of knowledge management is to create new and more powerful competitive advantages.
A 1998 survey of CEOs of 80 of the largest US companies found that four out of five respondents consider knowledge management to be an essential part of the management process in their companies. However, only 15% admitted that this management is carried out effectively in their companies 8. Lewis Platt, CEO of Hewlett Packard, believes that in the 21st century, the most successful companies will be those that most fully preserve, use and enhance the knowledge of their people.
Knowledge management includes the following components:
Stimulating the growth of knowledge.
Selection and accumulation of significant information from sources external to this organization.
Preservation, classification, transformation, ensuring the availability of knowledge.
Dissemination and exchange of knowledge, including within the organization.
The use of knowledge in business processes, including in the decision-making process.
Translating knowledge into products, services, documents, databases and software.
Knowledge assessment, measurement and use of the organization's intangible assets.
Knowledge protection.
Knowledge management is not an autonomous, not independent activity, but an integral part of the management of any organization. Such governance is a model that integrates activities related to the formation of knowledge, its codification, dissemination and use, as well as the development of innovation and learning. Knowledge management can be defined as the art of creating value from intangible assets organizations as a purposeful process of converting knowledge into value. Knowledge management brings about a change in the way of thinking of many managers, a departure from many outdated, orthodox approaches.
Knowledge management – this is not a completely new paradigm, but only newly comprehended well-known control technologies applied in a new way in modern conditions. The keen interest in knowledge management in recent years is caused, first of all, by the fact that this paradigm allows you to look anew at some of the directions of management development. Knowledge management is becoming a leading direction of strategic management, which draws attention to resources that have become the main ones today and at the same time are less efficiently used.
Knowledge management deals with the important aspects of an organization's activities in a constantly changing external environment. This management provides a unified, integrating approach to the use of new management, marketing and information technologies, innovative activity and creativity of people. Knowledge management provides for a synergistic relationship between technological and behavioral aspects in management This reflects the relationship between explicit and implicit knowledge. Explicit knowledge is that which can be expressed in the form of words and numbers and which can be transmitted in a formalized form on the appropriate media. Implicit knowledge is that knowledge that is not formalized and can exist only together with its owner - a specific person or group of persons 10. Knowledge management is working with each type of intellectual capital separately and at the same time with all its types at the same time, providing the necessary combination of human, organizational and consumer capital.
Knowledge management is a multifaceted and multidimensional activity that can be viewed from the point of view of economics, psychology, sociology, as well as from the point of view of business, education and information technology. This management is an integral discipline that includes elements of strategic management, personnel management, marketing, organizational development, economics, informatics, theory of information systems creation, team building, innovation management, etc. Knowledge management considers not only individual elements of these established disciplines, but also their interaction. So, for example, a standard and well-known way to increase the individual competence of employees is their education, training, rotation. The competence of employees can be increased by relying also on some marketing techniques, in particular, through the active use of information from consumers, the formation of appropriate databases and feedback systems with consumers. Many elements of individual competence can be used to increase organizational capital (the creation of small creative groups, teams contributes to the translation of individual competence into collective knowledge and skills). Interdisciplinary teams and teams formalize and capitalize talents as they lose their strict individuality and acquire social traits. Even if a member of the group leaves it, his knowledge still remains with the members of the group for a certain period. Thus, there is a transformation of human capital into organizational one.
The formation of databases and information systems of organizations is capable of recording and even institutionalizing many elements of individual competence, which leads to this transformation. At the same time, one of the main goals of the formation of organizational capital is the creation of such a structure that allows the consumer to productively communicate with the company's personnel. In general, intellectual capital, interacting with physical capital, enhances the effect of its use.
The process of "knowledge management" is related to such popular modern management concepts , how
intellectual capital;
learning organization;
application of information technology;
benchmarking, use of best practices;
team building and group work.
Knowledge management answers the following questions:
how you can manage the most important corporate asset - intellectual capital;
how intellectual capital can free up other types of capital;
what are the new principles and methods of management in the information economy.
Knowledge management is a fairly young concept that has appeared only in the last 10 years. One of the first books on knowledge management was published in 1987. At the same time, the first scientific conference devoted to this issue was held. In 1991, Scandia Insurance Company established the post of Director of Knowledge Management. In the same year, authoritative publications such as Fortune and Harvard Business Review publish the first articles on knowledge management.
Since 1994, large consulting firms in the West have been offering services and seminars in the field of knowledge management to their clients. In 1996, about 40 international conferences were held on the topic of knowledge management. In 1997, 10 conferences on this topic were held in Great Britain alone. Many periodicals began to appear, specifically dedicated to this administration. The consulting services market has grown from $ 400 million in 1994 to $ 2.6 billion in 1996. A number of companies have created directorships. The first department of knowledge management was founded in 1997. Since the same year, the scientific journal "Knowledge Management" has been published. This topic is becoming quite frequent in all scientific publications on the theory and practice of management. Thus, knowledge management is no longer new today. Although it is a young, but already formed scientific discipline and area of management practice.
In recent years, knowledge management has spread very rapidly in the West, although the beginning of this boom can be seen in the writings of Plato. However, it is in recent times that there have been dramatic changes in economics and business that have spurred interest in knowledge management. These include the following:
Knowledge is becoming the main resource for economic development and growth.
Knowledge-based industries are becoming leading industries.
Knowledge takes an increasing share in the structure of the cost of products and services.
Knowledge management:
Transforms them into the practice of organizations. Finding the best experience and using it is becoming a key strategy for the development of organizations.
Forms and develops knowledge about customers by building appropriate databases, customer profiles, sales support systems. Today, when knowledge is real power, this power is gradually shifting to consumers, giving them the opportunity to strongly influence sellers and producers.
Forms and uses the intellectual capital of the organization (human, organizational, consumer), increases the return on existing intangible assets, extends the results of R&D to similar projects.
Creates conditions for obtaining new knowledge and introducing innovations, contributes to the formation of an innovative climate, and supports specific innovative projects.
For the successful implementation of knowledge management, you need:
A good technological infrastructure that allows the efficient transfer and dissemination of knowledge through communications.
A high organizational culture that facilitates the transfer of knowledge from one employee and department to another.
Continuous and qualified personnel training.
Knowledge management for each organization makes it possible to:
Faster response to customer demands with more effective innovative solutions and discourage customers from seeking these solutions from competitors.
Bring innovation to products faster to deliver to customers.
Use intellectual assets of partners, carrying out joint technical, functional, industry expertise.
Accelerate training and skills transfer for staff.
Save resources by reusing solutions once found.
P. Drucker noted that the main type of activity in modern economy it becomes not so much the allocation of capital and the application of living labor to it, as innovation. Knowledge is priority number 1. There is even a new type of labor activity: a worker in the field of knowledge, or an intellectual worker.
Many industries today are knowledge-based industries. For example, the essence of pharmaceuticals is not so much the production of tablets as the production and replication of knowledge in the form of new properties of new chemical compounds, as well as new ways of testing new drugs, their patent protection and promotion on the market. Movies, television, consulting, auditing, medical and educational services are examples of industries that produce and communicate information. In many industries, the product produced is largely the result of information processing (computers, mobile phones, software).
In the West the boom in knowledge management occurred in the 1990s. The focus here was on two aspects: measuring and managing knowledge. Japan But this boom did not affect: no one traveled to the United States or Europe to study approaches and technologies for measuring and managing knowledge. This is due to the fact that a completely different approach to this issue dominates in Japan, which is due to the cultural differences between Western and Eastern civilizations:
Knowledge in Japan is not limited to data and information that can be collected into a computer; it involves the inclusion of an emotional background, reliance on values and guesses.
Companies in the process of their activities not only and not so much manage knowledge, but create new knowledge in the process of innovation.
Each employee is initially involved in the process of creating new knowledge of the organization, with middle managers acting as knowledge engineers.
Western researchers note: “Throughout the history of mankind, it has been repeatedly recognized that the human mind has two ways of knowing, two types of consciousness, which are often referred to as rational and intuitive, and have traditionally been associated with science and religion. In the West, the intuitive, religious type of knowledge was often considered less valuable than the rational, scientific type of knowledge, while in the East the opposite opinion was widespread ”11.
When comparing the Eastern and Western approaches, one can especially clearly trace the differences between explicit and implicit (explicit and tacit) knowledge. Explicit (explicit) knowledge can be expressed in the form of words and numbers, and it can be conveyed in the form of data, scientific formulas, specifications, guidelines, principles, etc. The Japanese believe that this form of knowledge is just the tip of the iceberg. In addition to the explicit, there is implicit knowledge that cannot be formalized, which makes it difficult to transfer it from one person to another. It is associated with intuition, insight, guesses, ideals, values. This kind of knowledge is the basis of individual action and experience. Two kinds of tacit knowledge can be imagined. The first is technical skills that are manifested by masters of their craft and are, as a rule, the result of many years of practice. The second is the beliefs, ideals, values and mental models that we use without thinking about them.
The difference between Western and Eastern approaches is manifested and can be illustrated by the philosophy of Zen Buddhism, as well as the traditions of samurai education. In traditional samurai education, knowledge was integrated and embodied in the character of the person. The main thing was not the acquisition of explicit knowledge, but the development of the character of a person of action that meets certain principles and models of behavior. In this sense, being a person of action was considered more important than having knowledge in the field of literature, exact sciences, philosophy, etc.
The experience that comes with action is of great importance in the Japanese sense. The child learns to walk, eat, speak in the process of direct practice, without realizing all this as a learning process. Likewise, the traditional Japanese arts (calligraphy, tea ceremony, flower arrangement, etc.) involve learning by mastering skills and techniques in the process of communicating with the Master. A disciple becomes a Master when body and mind merge together, as in Chinese calligraphy, or in the process of Japanese tea ceremony, or even in the process of sumo wrestling, when shingi-ittai becomes the champion, in which consciousness (shin) and technique (gi) unite in a single whole (ittai).
The paradox of the modern era in the development of knowledge management is that many firms seek to translate implicit knowledge into explicit. This is done in order, on the one hand, not to depend on individuals, and on the other, to duplicate significant achievements. At the same time, these firms are not interested in the main competitive advantages being transformed into a form ready for duplication. That is why many companies try to maintain some of their competitive advantages in forms that cannot be duplicated (trainings, corporate culture, special service systems, etc.).
Modern Western trends in knowledge management have their roots in Taylorism, within which the desire was realized to dismember all actions into elementary components, rationalize them and issue comprehensive instructions. At the same time, the Eastern and, in particular, the Japanese approach to knowledge management is extremely important for modern practice. In the Eastern approach, one can find "a consistent and harmonious philosophical foundation of our most advanced theories about the structure of the physical world" 12.
Eastern thinkers “constantly insist on the fact that the highest reality cannot be an object of reflection or transmitted knowledge (our italics .- A.G .). It cannot be adequately described in words, since it lies outside the realm of feelings and intellect, from which our words and concepts originate ”13. The main task of oriental techniques is the activation of intuitive consciousness.
Thus, Eastern traditions place considerable emphasis on the use of not only explicit, but also implicit knowledge in life in general and in production in particular. Japanese researchers of knowledge management Nonaka and Takeuchi proposed the concept a knowledge-generating company, providing for the use of both explicit and implicit knowledge in the process of constantly building up the company's intellectual capital.
In the modern economy, knowledge is the most valuable asset, because today only high-quality products are successfully sold on the market, produced at lower costs and earlier than competitors. Competitiveness in domestic and foreign markets is ensured by expertise and experience in new product development, design, marketing, production and sales. The changes convince us of the validity of the famous aphorism of the famous philosopher Francis Bacon, who as early as the 17th century asserted: "Knowledge is power."
The globalization of the world economy leads to the downsizing of companies: giant corporations are divided into separate self-governing structures and are integrated into a single whole with the help of information technology. In addition, new models are becoming widespread, within the framework of which the traditional ideas about the boundaries of the organization are changing - first of all, due to a significant expansion of cooperation between competitors, suppliers and consumers. Combining the competencies, professional knowledge and experience of partners allows you to quickly and efficiently implement any function / business process on a global scale. The rapid development of information networks, a common information space also contributes to the acceleration of interaction between partners, more efficient use of the knowledge of all participants in partnerships.
People's perception of the value of assets is also changing significantly. If in the 20th century most of the value of a business was formed by real estate and production equipment, then in the 21st, a significant part of the capitalization of many companies is made up of intangible assets - intellectual property (patents, know-how, etc.), as well as human capital (knowledge, qualifications, experience and creativity of employees). One cannot but agree with the patriarch of management P. Drucker, who, foreseeing radical changes in the world economy, pathetically exclaimed at one of his lectures: “There will be no undeveloped countries, there will be uninformed countries!”
The radical changes in the organization of large-scale industrial production that have taken place since the times of F. Taylor and H. Ford have changed not only the methods and forms of activity, but also our understanding of the development of workers. To replace the previously prevailing stereotype - someone else plans and pays for education: parents, educational institution, employer, state, the understanding has come that the person himself is primarily responsible for raising his own qualifications. There are many opportunities for this today: universities, various courses, trainings, the Internet, etc. A person independently plans their education and development (including career development), optimizing its cost through distance learning opportunities.
People become active agents in the labor market, their demands on the employer, workplace and the content of activities are growing. As a result, the mobility of the workforce increases, which leads to a decrease in employee loyalty to a particular employer. In these conditions, it is becoming increasingly difficult for the enterprise to attract and retain highly qualified and talented workers, to ensure that the right people with the necessary skills work at all workplaces at the right time. Moreover, in the knowledge economy, the notorious "turnover" means not just additional costs for finding and training new employees, but also the loss of human capital - unique competencies, knowledge and experience. With high competition, this is a very serious risk. In our country, the situation is aggravated by demographic problems: in the next decade, representatives of the large generation of the 1950s – 1960s will go on a well-deserved rest, and often there is simply no one to replace them.
Therefore, we believe that Today, for manufacturing companies, knowledge management is not a luxury, but a vital necessity... The competitiveness of manufactured products is determined, first of all, by the competitiveness of the ideas embedded in it. You should always remember: everything of today is already outdated, so you should constantly look for new ideas, discover new technical directions, create new products (instead of copying existing samples). Only by putting the interests of the consumer at the forefront, you can awaken confidence in your products, without which it is impossible even to maintain the achieved level - not to mention the implementation of ambitious plans for the development of the enterprise.
The main task of management in the new conditions is to ensure the effective organization of activities and increase the productivity of "intellectual" workers - the "brain of the company", and in the future - to create self-learning organization... In the difficult conditions of the economic crisis, only the mobilization of intelligence, abilities and will of each employee will help the company find new reserves and new solutions for survival and further development.
Systems approach
Any organization is both a recipient of knowledge from the external environment and a source of new knowledge; therefore, building a knowledge management system in a large enterprise is a difficult, complex task.
Traditionally, the knowledge management system ( Knowledge management) included the following subsystems:
office work and information support of divisions(including archives and library) - provides formalization (description), accumulation and preservation of accumulated knowledge and experience;
learning and development- ensures the transfer of knowledge and experience to new generations of employees;
organization of R&D, innovation and rationalization activities of employees- ensures the creation of new knowledge;
external and internal corporate communications- provides access to knowledge (external and internal sources) and the exchange of them.
Today, not only innovators and researchers, but also all employees of the organization are considered the creators of new knowledge. Since only those products that meet their expectations are of value to the consumer, then each person can improve something in their workplace. Improving the performance of technological operations and / or relationships with the client, optimization of the business process and so on, as a result, can increase the productivity and quality of products of the entire enterprise. How the employee achieved the best results is a little new knowledge, his personal contribution to the achievements of the entire team.
High-quality work of all subsystems is a prerequisite for effective knowledge management, but its success cannot be ensured without a fundamental restructuring of all personnel management processes. The enterprise should also:
develop and implement assessment and motivation systems that stimulate each employee to achieve high results and continuous professional development;
create a corporate culture focused on cooperation and mutual assistance, encouraging initiative, innovation and innovation;
remove internal organizational barriers that prevent the exchange of necessary information and new ideas;
create a modern information infrastructure, train personnel in new methods of finding information and working with it.
The system of human knowledge is self-developing: information is a "raw material" for the production of knowledge, in the process of its processing new knowledge emerges.
The prospect of an enterprise is determined by the volume of accumulated useful information, the ability of personnel to transform information into knowledge and use it rationally. It is intellectual leadership that will be the main factor in competitiveness in the markets - both now and in the future.
The availability of information is a necessary condition for the emergence of new knowledge, but not sufficient. In addition, you need to teach people to extract knowledge from existing information, process it and generate new ones. But this is still half the battle, then they should be trained to form new abilities on the basis of new knowledge - both individual and organizational.
Only by providing access to the knowledge accumulated in various areas of management, science, technology, technology, as well as providing people with tools to work with them and teaching them to generate new ideas, analyze options and choose the most promising solutions, will we create conditions for the development of new technology that will best satisfy consumers.
The need to develop a knowledge management system on the scale of an individual enterprise pushed us analysis of changes taking place in the world economy and the economy of Ukraine... Our findings:
globalization processes have intensified the flow of material, financial and intellectual resources between countries;
the collapse of the planned socialist economy has significantly changed the situation for Ukrainian enterprises (both external and internal), the incompleteness of the market transformation has increased their instability and vulnerability to competitors;
restructuring of internal corporate governance towards more active use of knowledge increases the company's competitiveness;
the level of support and use of knowledge at domestic enterprises is still significantly inferior to the average world and European average.
Taking into account these trends, we have developed general approaches to building a knowledge management system at NKMZ:
Knowledge is information, accumulated experience and competencies that ensure successful targeted economic activity and enterprise development. This means that only information that is already useful (or will be so in the future) can become knowledge.
Knowledge is an organic part of corporate culture, since it is a micro-model of various processes (management, technological, production, marketing, etc.), in which information is presented in a concentrated and adapted form.
The struggle for the customer leads to the individualization of demand and consumption. This usually requires the manufacturer to customize the products and services. Knowledge is also rapidly "individualized", which leads to a sharp increase in implicit (uncodified) knowledge. As a result, the labor market is fundamentally transformed: instead of the market for “workers,” it becomes a market for “smart minds” capable of producing new knowledge.
We had to find a rational solution that would enable knowledge management to be included in the number of factors of production and management. We planned two stages of this work:
on the first the main role will be played by the processes of collecting, processing and transferring information: each employee will have access to its repositories (global and corporate);
on the second(it can be called "creative cognition") our workers, having comprehended the accumulated experience, themselves will begin to create new knowledge.
Knowledge as a resource should become an object of accounting, monitoring, accumulation, storage and periodic updating.
Since within the framework of the “economy of quality” the intellectual component turns products into a “clot” of knowledge, it is inextricably linked with the “economy of knowledge”.
Knowledge is an integral indicator that reflects corporate intellectual potential.
Knowledge is objectified in various forms:
stand-alone product (for example, a marketing project);
end-use item (for example, cost analysis data);
production resource used in the manufacture of products (for example, the technology of the heat treatment of the roll);
a resource to support management decisions (for example, an analytical review of the market for certain raw materials);
a resource for team consolidation (for example, the values of corporate culture), etc.
We have found for ourselves a rational ratio of the basic concepts of "enterprise" and "knowledge". In the basic version neoclassical theory an enterprise is viewed as an "information processor" in which resources are allocated taking into account information signals coming from outside. We accepted cognitive enterprise theory: it assumes that the organization has an inherent ability to perceive and process external information. In this theory, the enterprise is viewed as a "knowledge processor", combining newly received knowledge with existing ones, as well as forming new competencies - the basis of competitiveness.
Within the framework of this approach, we understood the importance of the individual knowledge of each employee and the need to integrate all "private" knowledge in the general corporate system (this stimulates the free exchange of knowledge, which creates a synergistic effect).
After clarifying the general approaches, we proceeded to developing a conceptual model of a knowledge management system at NKMZ. In this model, in general terms, the directions of work on the creation, use and reproduction of knowledge within the organization are indicated; it is also determined how they affect the self-improvement of personnel ( rice. 1).
Rice. 1. Conceptual model of the knowledge management system at NKMZ
Improving methods of information retrieval
The most important task, which largely ensured the success of the implementation of the technologies under consideration, was the formation of unified information infrastructure of the enterprise.
Over the past five years, the plant has been steadily increasing the rate of renewal of the product range. As a result, the requirements for the corporate information system have increased dramatically. It became clear that new approaches were needed, and only such a system of information selection would win support among workers, in which hard-to-reach information would literally be at arm's length to the user. This determined the choice as one of the priority areas - "improving the methods of information retrieval."
In practice, for a specific employee (knowledge user), the knowledge management process consists of three main stages:
data collection / information retrieval;
use of selected information to develop innovative solutions;
transferring information to the general knowledge fund of the enterprise and organizing the exchange of knowledge in the corporate environment.
We took the first step towards optimizing the information retrieval process. To do this, we analyzed: 1) to what extent employees are aware of the information available at the enterprise and 2) to what extent they are provided with the necessary tools for its search.
It turned out that we have a typical situation for large industrial enterprises:
there were many information systems (with different interfaces), formed over time;
there were no unified data display formats and universal search mechanisms for the information of interest.
To optimize access to information and unify its storage formats, a corporate information portal was created, which made it possible to:
to form a single information space to meet the needs of managers and specialists of the plant;
ensure the interaction of employees when performing various business tasks;
optimize information flows coming to the enterprise from the outside (from suppliers, customers, from the Internet, etc.).
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The structure of the corporate information portal (sections) Corporate level
Scientific and technical information Bank of scientific and technical knowledge and regulatory documentation Scientific and technical library Patent information support for specialists Information that has undergone analysis and synthesis (knowledge) Materials of NTES Multidisciplinary Teams Fact Sheets Information and analytical reviews Documentation for intellectual property objects Corporate information systems data
Distance learning and self-education system
Information from the external environment
Main office work
Thematic information
reference Information
Focus of the day, news NKMZinfo
Information Security Information for users:
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To ensure efficiency when working with information concentrated in numerous databases, the specialists of the plant created the information and analytical system "Automated workplace(AWP) managers and specialists ". This information and analytical system streamlined the process of communicating important information - primarily to managers. Mechanisms of authorization and differentiation of powers, integrated with database management systems, provided the required level of information security.
At our enterprise, almost all departments are involved in the process of collecting, processing, analyzing and synthesizing information. The information accumulated in the databases of the corporate information system, as well as information received from external sources, is transformed into knowledge base... Special analytical tools (software applications for creating queries) allow you to generate reports and identify significant trends in the development of a specific problem. This helps professionals and managers make decisions faster and more informed. For example, marketers, having analytical data on individual market segments and the level of consumer demand, develop special programs and substantiate specific proposals for customers.
The cycle of information support consists of the following stages:
Collection of information.
Formation of knowledge bases.
Development and adjustment of programs.
The complete implementation of this cycle allows you to create a "self-learning" organization (a term proposed by Peter Senge, Peter senge), which is able not only to quickly and adequately respond to changes in the market situation, but also to anticipate possible problems.
Information technology makes it possible to improve the efficiency of management based on the implementation of the principles of centralization and decentralization in management systems. We have developed a corporate organizational change model, which, in particular, provides for the creation of a Business Information Center and an extensive network of information and analytical groups of divisions ( rice. 2).
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Rice. 2. A model for changing organizational structures
The Business Information Center employs special employees - “knowledge managers” (analysts), whose functions include organizing knowledge management processes. Knowledge managers are in close contact both with experts of information and analytical groups of departments who are responsible for the formation of thematic databases, evaluate and filter information in the relevant subject areas, and with business process managers (consultants). It is knowledge managers, together with experts and consultants, who make decisions about what knowledge is important for the enterprise and select materials for placing them in corporate databases.
Responsibilities of an administrative nature - such as managing the intranet and databases, servicing requests for information resources of the enterprise, are performed by “knowledge coordinators” (system administrators). These are mainly IT service specialists.
To satisfy the information needs of specialists, the following forms of inquiries are widely practiced at NKMZ:
communication with specialists within the enterprise;
placing a request on the department's website;
placing a general request on the corporate portal, where it is available to all employees.
Unfortunately, it is not uncommon for specialists to take advantage of the achievements of their colleagues, since they do not have the necessary information. To provide more opportunities for communication between professionals, we are expanding the range of pointers (printed and electronic), complementing the group of consultants and experts with specialists. In the future, we plan to create professional associations on the corporate website - associations of employees of the enterprise with similar professional interests and solving similar problems.
But any technology also has a negative side. More recently, we have done a lot of laborious work related to the review of current information. From our own experience, we have made sure that due to information overload, the user sometimes becomes unresponsive to new information. In order to help specialists maintain high efficiency, it is necessary to develop and implement effective means of navigation and information "capture".
To ensure that external information reaches the right employee at the right time, we have implemented view system access to Internet resources: special computer programs that allow you to "download" a selection of necessary files from the site specified by the specialists and place them on the corporate portal. We also looked at what information developers need and prioritized how they should be served.
In addition, we began to create an electronic storage, called "Corporate information base"... Viewing data in it is carried out using a web browser, and information retrieval, just like searching for sites on the Internet, using metadata (keywords).
In the future, the structure of the corporate information base should become a kind of universal matrix to classify information. Now work has begun on the next stage of development of the information management system, the basis of which is to assist employees in creating individual information matrices. With their help, the necessary information, relevant to the requests, will be automatically sent to the workplaces.
We also managed to solve the problem of providing traffic to a large number of users. Since developers require significant amounts of data, bandwidth bottlenecks are often encountered. We have focused our efforts on ensuring that our existing search tools are tailored to suit specific users:
First, each user, using keywords, described their area of interest.
Then we developed special questionnaires that store the “information profiles” of specialists and correlate them with a wide range of information sources.
Then we developed methods for determining the value of the information received.
It was very important to involve all specialists in this process, since the more users participate in the individual “adjustment” of information retrieval methods, the more efficiently the search is carried out. Now the information corresponding to the description is delivered to each specific customer in a timely manner.
Knowledge managers and experts of information and analytical groups of departments played an important role in the implementation of this problem, who helped to "tune" each specialist to the information environment he needed, and also created a kind (gateways) that control information flows in such a way as to make it easier for developers to work. with her.
Our nearest plans include further development of business intelligence systems. We have developed a promising scheme for organizing the information space of the plant ( rice. 3), which assumes the division of the corporate information system of the enterprise into two complementary components: 1) a platform that performs all the functions of data processing and 2) an add-on that ensures the translation of this information into a form that is accessible to human perception and into knowledge used to create a competitive advantage.
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Rice. 3. Perspective scheme of the organization of the information space of the plant
In our model of the knowledge management system, the corporate information portal of NKMZ is a single “entry point” into the corporate information system. This system allows you to discover and release structured and unstructured information from various sources, which is then turned into corporate knowledge necessary for decision-making.
In the future, we plan to develop a corporate information portal in the following main areas:
Creation of a context for the use of analytical packages, such as management information systems, decision support systems (they allow you to analyze data, carry out exploration and highlight the main events in the external environment, analyze their relationships).
Turning the portal into an effective tool, a technological mechanism for extracting, generating and disseminating knowledge in the factory, which allows users of the corporate network to interact with each other, helps to integrate information into systems of collective understanding, values and experience.
Linking training programs to specific user needs (in real time), which makes it possible to make the learning process truly continuous, turn the portal into a "self-documenting" learning-by-doing center.
Turning the portal into the basis for introducing methods of integrating information applications at the plant, which can provide an effective collection of information (from structured and unstructured sources of various types).
According to experts in the field of information technology and knowledge management, an information infrastructure is comprehensive and well-organized if:
access is provided both to centralized information and to the places of its origin;
the structure and methods of reuse of knowledge have been created;
developed and constantly improved methods of corporate training for sharing knowledge.
To achieve the goal of the second stage of the accelerated evolutionary development of the enterprise - to become a self-learning intellectual organization, we have developed strategy for proactive formation of employee competencies (rice. 4). The most important component of this strategy is the formation of a new category of specialists - interdisciplinary “knowledge coordinators” responsible not only for knowledge management, but also for the creation of training regulations and regulations for the sharing of knowledge.
Rice. 4. Strategy of proactive formation of competencies of NKMZ employees
Among the main tasks of these specialists is the description, analysis and recording of the experience of employees, as well as its transfer to the corporate level (so that all employees of the plant can use this experience). An equally important task is the development of training programs that help employees understand the development strategies of the organization and the requirements for new competencies. Such programs are an effective means of staff self-improvement.
Today our company has reached a conceptually new level of development. First, we create knowledge bases focused on priority areas of activity - "sharpened" for future leadership. Secondly, we have changed our attitude to the products created at the plant: now we see in new developments not only a sold product (the final stage of production), but also a source of replenishment of the patent and know-how databases - a guarantee of future innovations.
Knowledge base optimization
With the development of the corporate knowledge management system, we began to look at customers in a different way, because our customers are not only a source of income for the enterprise, but also an important resource for expanding the knowledge base. Fulfillment of many orders for the manufacture of unique machines and equipment requires fundamentally new engineering and technological solutions, inventions and know-how. Describing the completed projects, analyzing the mistakes made and innovative findings, we learn. The most important thing in this practical training is to transfer new knowledge in a timely manner, to ensure access to it for all employees of the enterprise who need it.
This knowledge is the foundation for further innovations. We have made sure in practice that cooperation with clients helps us not only to expand the base of necessary knowledge, but also to structure it - highlight the knowledge that is most important in the long term.
Fulfilling orders for clients from many countries, we gain experience in different markets, within different systems financial accounting, patent law, legislation on the protection of intellectual property, various standardization systems and safety requirements. Such knowledge cannot be found in textbooks, it is in the experience of people who have carried out specific projects. This wisdom is acquired by hard work, but it is impossible to "preserve" it - to seal and archive it, it is becoming outdated literally before our eyes.
Until recently, we did not research our corporate knowledge base in order to identify and eliminate that part of it that has already lost its value and no longer creates competitive advantages. A psychological prejudice weighed over us: it is difficult to give up what many workers have invested in. But as knowledge management practices improved, we came to the following conclusions:
knowledge, like tangible assets, requires processing and storage costs, and over time, in accordance with the law of diminishing returns, their value decreases;
abandoning old knowledge that no longer meets our strategic goals, we will only benefit.
The decision to add the process of their liquidation to the knowledge management scheme was influenced by the study of foreign experience: colleagues consider the revision and optimization of intellectual assets (including the liquidation of obsolete ones) an obligatory part of the knowledge management strategy. Any organization is open system, its functioning ensures the continuous interaction of three processes:
1) obtaining knowledge from the external and internal environment;
2) use of knowledge - transformation, creation of new ones;
3) converting knowledge into new products and services.
It would be a mistake to focus attention on only one process - the accumulation of knowledge; it is necessary to systematically consider all three processes in interaction.
But we went further - we decided to revise our business processes and "get rid" of the very tendency to accumulate unnecessary knowledge. Previously, we tried to preserve - "save" - literally everything proceeding from the principle "everyone does this" (first of all, competitors). Today we decide what kind of knowledge needs to be preserved, relying on the principle: "necessary and sufficient" - no frills. Focusing on key areas of expertise(in accordance with the development strategy of the enterprise). At the same time, we exclude from the knowledge base information that has lost its relevance: outdated or related to closed areas of business.
The division of knowledge into clusters: 1) for long-term and 2) short-term use allowed us to reduce risks and create potential for the company's growth in the future.
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Autumn 2008 Institute of Corporate Productivity ( Institute for Corporate Productivity, i4cp) together with Center for Effective Organizations and the Human Resource Planning Community ( Human Resource Planning Society) conducted a study "The ability to retain knowledge" ( Knowledge Retention Study). A total of 426 large companies from various sectors of the economy took part in the survey. Research has shown that while most business press publications focus on cutting costs and cutting “everything and everyone” in order to increase profitability, consultants do not pay enough attention to the “hidden” costs that significantly affect the success of companies - regardless of on their size. For example, 30% of respondents noted that they are "bad" or "not at all involved" in the problem of preserving knowledge in connection with the dismissal of their employees; another 49% rated the efforts made to maintain institutional know-how as “satisfactory”; only 20% called their programs “good” or “very good”. More than three quarters (78%) of respondents indicated that they do not have an authorized person / group of people or unit that would be responsible for the development and implementation of action plans for the retention of knowledge ( Knowledge Retention, KR), and 68% do not have targeted budgets for this. The survey results demonstrate a direct relationship between the effectiveness of knowledge retention and the market success of a company. Moreover, it turned out that the longer an organization has implemented knowledge retention initiatives, the more successful they are. According to the respondents, this process takes time ("maturation") - you cannot learn to manage corporate wisdom "overnight"! Executive Director Institute for Corporate Productivity Kevin Ochs says: “Many organizations don't prioritize this until it's too late. When employees “slam the door behind them” - no matter what the reason - a huge amount of valuable knowledge “leaves” with them. Whether managers realize it or not, companies invest significant sums annually in training and professional development of their personnel. "Hidden" knowledge - information that is "in the heads" of employees constitutes a significant part of entrepreneurial know-how (for example, the nuances of patent / license agreements or "personal relationships" with representatives of a key customer). The cost of losing them may be prohibitive. Today's situation (widespread staff layoffs, sending people into early retirement, rapidly renewing generations of workers) creates additional difficulties for business, so organizations must focus their efforts on preserving their most valuable assets - knowledge - for the future. " |
Protection against unfair competition
Another critical area of knowledge management work is protection from unfair competition. Functioning in a market environment forces companies to develop competitive advantages, including the accumulation of useful information (management, scientific and technical, trade, etc.). For a machine-building enterprise, new technologies and technical solutions are of the greatest value, allowing them to create products with exclusive quality indicators. Naturally, it is this confidential information that is of particular interest to competitors. How can you protect her?
To ensure the right of an enterprise to own, use and dispose of its intellectual asset (innovative technical solutions), as well as to protect it from unauthorized use, various methods are used:
patenting of inventions, utility models of industrial designs;
registration of trade marks;
conclusion of licensing / franchise agreements;
In this case, the question often arises of which method of protection is better to choose: to obtain a patent * for a new technical solution or to keep the new know-how as a trade secret.
Feasibility decisions patenting new technical solutions (TR) at our plant are adopted by an expert committee chaired by the chief engineer. The Commission takes into account many factors: the significance of specific developments, the presence of demand for products created on the basis of these TRs, the prospects for using the developments and the available opportunities for their commercial implementation.
Technical solutions are protected in trade secret regime in cases where:
it is impossible to control their use (technical equipment);
it is difficult to prove the fact of use (mixture, composition);
the publication of the obtained patent reveals the original direction of solving the problem (in fact, it is an explicit hint to competitors for creating alternative options for devices or methods).
But the question remains: "How to protect" non-technical "creative solutions, namely: management, financial, organizational, marketing know-how?" They are also part of corporate knowledge and an essential component of a company's competitiveness.
The most common (and reliable) method of protecting such information is enterprise implementation permissive admission / access system, delimiting the rights of users to access trade secrets. The main principles of this approach are:
formation of a list of information constituting a commercial secret of the enterprise;
development and implementation of regulatory and methodological documents, instructions, provisions for the protection of information at the plant;
development and implementation of measures to protect information (including economic justification and agreement of place and time);
coordination of actions of structural divisions of the enterprise for the protection of information;
control of compliance with information protection requirements in the plant divisions.
when entering information into the database, the level of its confidentiality is determined, as well as - which of the employees gets the right to access it);
Stage II. Then we started to develop an access system - an integrated information security system(KSZI). We believe that this is an essential part of the business process to ensure economic security.
The key link of the KSZI is the factory expert commission on information protection. The main tasks of the expert commission:
The degree of confidentiality (level of protection) of information is established in the following order:
The subdivisions of the plant independently determine the types of knowledge that require protection. At the same time, they are guided by a specially developed "Methodology for the formation of a list of information constituting a commercial secret." These include data on production, production preparation, marketing, finance, investment project management, the formation of information support infrastructure, accounting, components of the personnel certification mechanism, software and methodological support of the educational process in certain areas, etc. The legitimacy of this information is established by the legal department enterprises.
The employee responsible for the transformation and management of business processes approves the "List ...", after which he sends it to the factory expert commission on information protection for generalization and systematization.
Having considered the data obtained, the factory expert commission on information protection gives an opinion on the advisability of classifying this information as information constituting a commercial secret. When making decisions, the commission proceeds from ensuring the financial and economic interests of our organization.
The list of information constituting a commercial secret is approved and put into effect by order of the enterprise.
Then, extracts from the "List of information constituting a trade secret for the division" are sent to the structural divisions.
Employees of all departments are obliged to be guided by this "List" in their work.
Stage III. Familiarization of personnel with information constituting a commercial secret of the enterprise is carried out through the permissive admission system.
The legal basis for the implementation of this system is the right of the owner of the information (enterprise) to appoint authorized persons who determine the users of the information and establish their powers. By order of the CEO, managers responsible for transformation and management of business processes are appointed authorized persons of the information owner.
To access knowledge that constitutes a trade secret of the enterprise, employees must obtain special permission. Permissions for access to such information are issued in accordance with the lists formed by the heads of structural divisions. V user lists include specific professionals who need this information to fulfill their job responsibilities.
Employees who have received permission to access information constituting a commercial secret of the enterprise pass initial briefing on the protection of information and sign contract- commitment to non-disclosure of commercial secrets. Briefing is carried out by specialists information protection groups and HR department.
Stage IV. To prevent leakage of confidential information in the protection system, it is important to 1) continuously monitor the current situation, 2) predict the possibility of new threats emerging. One of the risk management tools is "List of threats"... Its development and adjustment in our company is also carried out step by step.
On first step experts of the factory expert commission on information protection:
develop a "List of current threats to enterprise information";
calculate the probability of attack;
carry out an expert assessment of the possible amount of damage.
This work is carried out on the basis of statistical data for the reporting period (on the occurrence of threats to information processed at the enterprise) - in accordance with international standards for computer security ISO / IEC 15408, ISO / IEC 15408-2002 ( Common Criteria for Information Technology Security Evaluation- General criteria for assessing the security of information technology).
On second step based on the current list of threats, attack probability coefficients, the amount of possible damage and statistical data, the expert risk assessment(information leaks). Risk analysis is a quantitative (qualitative) assessment of the damage that can be caused in the event of a threat, taking into account the likelihood of its occurrence. The following is a list of the most likely threats to information ranks- depending on the magnitude of the risk.
Based on these data, the "Requirements for the protection of confidential information and knowledge" are determined.
Stage V. In accordance with the "Requirements for the protection of confidential information and knowledge" the following systems have been implemented at the plant:
a system for legalizing users, automated workstations (AWP) and software;
permissive admission-access system;
anti-virus protection system;
information backup and recovery system;
system of protection of communication channels and electronic communications,
training of administrators and users of computer systems.
The mobility of the information and knowledge protection system is supported by a complex of organizational and legal, engineering, technical and program measures.
Stage VI. Even a super-perfect technical system will not work "by itself", so we pay special attention to preventive and preventive work with personnel. People are trained on topics:
"The nature and composition of information constituting a commercial secret of the enterprise";
“Possible threats and channels of leakage of information and knowledge constituting a commercial secret of the enterprise”;
"Legislation of Ukraine in the field of information protection and intellectual property";
"Rules for the protection of information and the procedure for employees with information constituting a commercial secret of the enterprise - in documented and electronic form";
"Actions of personnel in the event of emergency and extreme situations."
Additionally, practical classes are held in the following courses:
"Operation and information security of computer systems" - for administrators of computer systems of structural units;
"Ensuring the security of information and corporate knowledge bases during the operation of computer systems" - for users.
In addition, seminars and interviews are regularly held on specific areas of information security:
in the training and retraining of workers of various professions;
during briefing meetings on the facts of confidential information leakage.
Our employees perceive the achievements of specialists and innovators of production as real values that belong to the entire team of the Novokramatorsk Machine-Building Plant. Today, time advantage is recognized by business as an important (and often decisive) factor in the competitive struggle. Therefore, most of our employees understand that it is everyone's job to protect useful information, which is the basis of corporate knowledge.
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* Patent certifies the exclusive (monopoly) right of the patent owner to use the patented object; no one has the right to use it in any way without permission (obtaining a license).
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editorial office
The new role of science in the decisive factor in the development of the economy and society is a natural consequence of the scientific and technological revolution, its new stage - the information revolution and the associated formation and development of the information society. Scientific and informational potential has become the main indicator of the current level of socio-economic development.
This is the reason for the special attention to science and knowledge around the world. Scientific and educational, informational and intellectual potential, on which only high technologies of the XXI century can be based. in all spheres of society, it is impossible to create in short term even with significant capital. Stable operation of the system of scientific institutions, education, enterprises, professional management structures, equipped with modern information technologies, is necessary.
The most promising theoretical developments have been associated in recent years with the decisive importance of knowledge for the development of organizations, whose activities increasingly depend on the accumulation and analysis of information, staff training and the assimilation of innovations. Numerous and different-scale surveys of enterprises show that tangible assets form only a visible, relatively small part of the assets of enterprises, their market value.
The "invisible" assets of enterprises are intellectual assets that can bring and bring companies real dividends. These are patents and copyrights, knowledge and professional qualities of employees, trade marks, a client base, a network of reliable ones.
Recently, in a market economy, it is knowledge that begins to play a decisive role in achieving effective use of the potential of organizations. In this regard, it is necessary to familiarize yourself with the basic concepts associated with modern ideas about knowledge. For this purpose, we can consider the following historical example.
When control company British petroleum(BP) decided to analyze why the level of oil production in the same technically equipped deep-water wells is significantly different, it was found that the matter is in different level of knowledge workers of these wells. Moreover, this knowledge was not documented, i.e. were mostly in the minds of company employees.
Finding this, management BP has decided to distribute valuable knowledge among employees of lagging wells. The result was a significant rise in the level of productivity and profitability of the company. In the future, VR was developed knowledge management program- KM).
Knowledge management is about creating and valuable knowledge management(intellectual assets) of the company.
In the field of knowledge management study, there are the following main questions:
1) definition valuable knowledge(intellectual assets) of the company;
2) distribution valuable knowledge(CZ) among employees of the company and the transfer of this knowledge to new employees;
3) concentration of centralized control for solving non-standard, including innovative tasks;
4) increase level of knowledge companies and generation new knowledge.
The time of birth of the knowledge management program as a new direction in management sciences can be considered in 1993, when the first conference was held in Boston, specially devoted to the problem of knowledge management in companies and organizations. At the present moment it is one of the most promising and rapidly developing areas of management, both science and practice.
Historical reasons and theoretical prerequisites for the emergence of a knowledge management program:
Globalization and increased competition, prompting corporations to seek competitive advantages;
Rapid development and implementation of information technology;
Raising the general technological level of production.
When organizing work with knowledge, it is necessary to differentiate them.
Knowledge management
Knowledge that sets a goal, answer the question "why?" and are used to identify opportunities for the formation of goals and values.
Systematic knowledge represent the answer to the question "what?" and are used to analyze the causes and synthesize new methods and alternatives.
Pragmatic knowledge answer the question “how?” are used in decision-making processes and are factual knowledge.
Automatic knowledge are used when performing tasks automatically, without conscious justification. Most of this knowledge is subconscious.
There are three main types of knowledge:
- “Ingrained knowledge” is manifested only in their influence on behavior.
- "Expressed knowledge" can be formed on the basis of behavior.
- “Exact knowledge” is knowledge that is formulated.
In the context of accelerated changes in technology and economics of production, competition, information technologies and management methods, it is necessary to understand the mechanisms of mastering knowledge, using intellectual, intangible assets. It is the knowledge and competence of personnel that underlie the development of organizations and allow finding solutions to technical, economic, organizational and managerial problems, both current and prospective.
Knowledge management is becoming an important tool for improving the efficiency of organizations. Modern information and communication technologies ensure a constant and reliable exchange of ideas and information. In addition, management decisions are made more quickly and reasonably, cooperation is strengthened with the help of self-organizing groups.
Knowledge about consumers increases the degree of effectiveness of relations with them, and knowledge gained together with the consumer opens the way for the introduction of innovations, goods and services of higher quality. Learning organizations are becoming an effective form of managing constant change.
Importance of knowledge for the development of organizations
It is these conditions that give new impetus to the development of scientific research and technical development, marketing and the formation of a long-term strategy of organizations.
Many organizations are willing to invest in education, infrastructural and organizational changes without requiring immediate returns on such investments. They are convinced that the future ability to meet customer needs for new, improved products (and ensure the firm's survival) is based on similar initiatives. Recognizing knowledge as capital, they are convinced that the price to be paid for unwillingness to manage knowledge may be unacceptably high.
A growing share of the value of products and services is accounted for by the knowledge that creates them and the knowledge they contain. Software, for example, is the most vivid example a new type of product, characterized as "frozen knowledge", as opposed to traditional industrial goods, called "frozen resources."
Knowledge makes up an increasingly large portion of the self-value and price of many traditional goods. The growth of the service sector contributes to a shift in business value towards knowledge, rather than "frozen resources." Increasingly, the success of organizations depends on a comprehensive knowledge of consumer needs and the level of specialized services offered to them.
Knowledge is a valuable resource that many organizations increasingly create, sell and acquire. Businesses have to tackle complex challenges that force them to develop cutting edge knowledge and make the most of it.
This is dictated by a number of conditions:
Rapid, unpredictable changes in market demand suggest that organizations must learn to adapt to the external environment and engage in learning on an ongoing basis;
Global competition requires a level of efficiency and innovation that can only be achieved with the fullest use of knowledge;
Modern information technologies have made it possible to involve small segments of the market and individual consumers in the economic turnover, creating a tough competitive environment to meet the specific needs of the consumer.
Of course, organizations have always relied on knowledge of what to do and how to do their work, but they often took it for granted. The economic importance of knowledge and its fundamental role for corporate survival are increasing. Modern organizations are interested in knowledge management, making significant investments in the creation, preservation and use of knowledge, which has become the most important resource.
Large organizations operating on a global scale use knowledge to solve problems arising from their size and complexity. Employees of such organizations have more knowledge than what the organization can effectively use. Geographic dispersion, organizational and cultural barriers, a large number of groups, subcultures and a variety of projects make it difficult to ensure the acquisition and dissemination of knowledge. In many organizations, deep-rooted organizational beliefs and working methods often prevent new ideas from coming through.
Despite the fact that the exact monetary equivalent of the value of knowledge in an organization cannot be calculated, there are some criteria for measuring their economic value. The difference between the market value of an organization and the value of its tangible assets is one of the indicators of the value of intangible assets, most of which are organizational knowledge.
For example, in the United States, only 6 to 30% of a company's value comes from assets referenced in traditional balance sheets; the rest value is intangible assets. As a result, 50% of the investments of manufacturing companies are in non-material areas: research and development, training, etc.
Many large companies spend more on wages than on other items of expenditure, and pay certain employees much more than others. What does the company gain at such high costs? Professional experience and knowledge that develop rules of thumb, form judgments and guide the search for models and meaningful solutions.
Knowledge management has two main objectives.
The first task is increased efficiency, using knowledge to increase productivity by increasing performance or reducing costs.
The second is promotion of innovations, creation of new products and services, new ventures and business processes.
The first task was called "do it right," or "knowledge to use," and the second, "invent it yourself," or "knowledge for research."
The “do it right” task is to systematize and transfer knowledge; it implies the creation of a technological infrastructure for the transfer of certain knowledge. This takes into account such processes and issues as developing methods for acquiring and grouping knowledge, providing opportunities and encouraging knowledge exchange, working with other cultural and organizational factors that can influence the exchange and use of knowledge.
Knowledge repositories, scientific databases, and knowledge asset management programs such as patents usually fall into the “do it right” category. They promote productivity growth by reducing the time spent searching for knowledge, eliminating duplication of actions and finding new opportunities to use existing knowledge.
The “make it up” task (which encourages the creation of new knowledge) suggests a different approach. The likelihood of innovation can be increased by creating the conditions for people to work together, encouraging creative risk. Sharing innovative knowledge often involves the exchange of complex information between people who have worked together for a long time. Any exchange of knowledge can lead to innovation. By making existing knowledge widely available in an organization, both innovation and repetition can be achieved - individuals who first gain access to existing knowledge can create new combinations of ideas.
Most knowledge theorists and practitioners believe that innovation-oriented knowledge has a higher prospective value than performance-oriented knowledge. However, most knowledge projects focus more on efficiency and operation than on research work... This paradox is easy to explain. Managing specific knowledge assets seems easier and more specific than creating a creative learning environment. Focusing on immediate action and practical results promotes the application of existing knowledge, rather than the creation of new ones.
Successful companies abroad prefer to concentrate their efforts on what they do best (that is, on efficiency) than on finding a new product or new methods of obtaining it. Many, however, believe that the future belongs to the most innovative rather than the most efficient companies.
To create the future potential of an organization, it is necessary to focus not only on solving current problems and obtaining short-term profits. Researchers of knowledge management in the United States, referring to survey materials, note that 42% of corporate knowledge is "locked" in the heads of employees and only 24% exists in the form of paper documents. Attention is also drawn to the fact that the total losses of 500 leading US companies due to ineffective knowledge management amount to $ 12 billion per year.
Of particular importance is a knowledge management approach that balances and integrates the organizational, human and technological components of knowledge. Ignoring the elements of the human factor, production process and technologies gives rise to various kinds of errors and failures.
Culture is the most important problem in the field of knowledge, because human factor(ie, behavior, values, level of connections or isolation within an organization) determines the level of knowledge management. Any initiative that neglects this factor is likely to be impracticable.
Some researchers call human relations and trust "social capital". Trust, defined as “expected reciprocity,” provides confidence that efforts to help others will be recognized and rewarded. Trust helps reduce operating costs and is the foundation of economic growth. When trust is lost, it is difficult to restore it.
Time together builds trust and helps people develop the cohesion needed to build social capital. A common language of communication and a common understanding of the content and direction of activities allow people to work together. Some of this community can be provided by leadership and deep corporate beliefs, but the cohesion of people depends on the thoughts and experiences that they directly share. A healthy learning environment accepts and learns from mistakes instead of punishing or hiding them. A culture based on fear does not encourage creativity or collaboration.
Speaking about the human components of knowledge, attention should be paid to organizational learning, which became part of the work.
Companies abroad, being decentralized, with fierce internal competition and opposition, are currently learning communication and cooperation. They create long-term university programs. There are examples of the transformation of universities into a virtual system providing learning accessible to all on a global scale.
Leaders have a great influence on organizational culture and learning. Senior executives must continually drive cultural change. They should be agents of change, responsible for making the company knowledge-driven. Leaders can have a powerful influence on organizational culture by communicating development and extension plans to their employees. Modern knowledge management systems essentially cross organizational boundaries, enhancing communication and transforming local knowledge into organizational knowledge.
The availability of information (especially in large organizations) is the main problem of improving the process of access to knowledge. Therefore, their distribution is the goal of many projects. Despite the fact that the availability of information implies the need for a standard approach to knowledge, too close similarity threatens non-standard knowledge. On the other hand, the value of knowledge often lies in its specific content and special point of view. To maintain effective knowledge management, management processes must be flexible and able to balance these opposites.
Concerning technological components knowledge, then technology cannot alone solve emerging problems or create an environment for the exchange of knowledge. At the same time, there is a temptation to focus on the material, technical part of knowledge management and ignore difficult organizational problems. Implementing techniques for group work is much easier than developing a culture of collaboration, and individual managers still rely on the right technology to do most of the work.
Since the effectiveness of knowledge management depends on the successful integration of people, processes and technologies, underdevelopment in any of these areas can limit the diffusion and use of knowledge. As a result, problems may arise - from a slight decrease in work efficiency to a disaster at the state level.
The significant expansion of access to knowledge, made possible by the information revolution, is changing the very nature of the relationship between the specialist and the layman, between the organization and the employee, between the source and the recipient of benefits. Knowledge eliminates static, since it creates the basis for the continuous exchange of information with the participation of both its creators and users.
Basic education, vocational training and qualifications, raising the level of skills and knowledge in accordance with the needs of the labor market, and supporting the development of innovative thinking are essential for economic and technological progress in the process of creating a knowledge-based information society.
Let us specially highlight the so-called organizational knowledge, on which the organization's ability to change is based in order to survive and develop. Organizational knowledge develops thanks to the knowledge of each employee and includes a set of principles, rules, methods and skills that ensure the business activity of the organization and its talent potential.
The organizational knowledge structure includes practical, theoretical, strategic, commercial and industrial knowledge. They constitute the intelligence of the organization, based on information technology, decision-making technologies and the speed of perception of new inputs. The organization collects information, builds inferences and generates new knowledge in order to improve the quality of manufactured products and satisfy consumer needs.
As a result of the use of new information and telecommunication technologies, the level of interconnections in the market environment has sharply increased. The time for satisfying any social needs has drastically "shrunk". Scientific and technological progress has become a real driving force for the development of production; investments in high-tech industries are growing on a large scale.
The integration of material and non-material production is taking place, since high technologies are increasingly spreading in the service sector, and the material sphere is the largest consumer of specialized services. Expands like an avalanche electronic commerce- contractual relations (purchase and sale, supplies, agreements, factoring, leasing, investment contracts, banking services, etc.), carried out only in electronic form, without the medium of paper media of corporate strategy (business partnership and cooperation), often you - pushing back fierce competition.
Under the influence of these and other factors, new, often revolutionary, changes take place in management. Horizontal structures, network organizations, "internal markets" of corporations, virtual systems are born at different scales and modifications. Requirements for professional training and the role of leaders, their behavior, skills and intellectual potential are significantly increasing.
Under these conditions, the mastery of knowledge, its distribution and use are becoming the main source and key factor in the development of material and non-material production, ensuring sustainable economic growth. The management of new knowledge and new knowledge in the field of management are interrelated factors designed to fundamentally change the organization of human activity and dramatically increase its efficiency in the 21st century.
Business and management relations are based on knowledge, the preferences of business entities are revealed, information is exchanged and information is supplied to the markets. Lack of information leads to the collapse of markets and hinders their creation. That is why ensuring the adaptability of knowledge management to new conditions is one of the important tasks of a modern manager.
The sources of mobility are the ability to change the profession, cultural and social environment, education and lifelong learning of the individual. The use of educational technologies, for example, with the help of distance learning, comes to the fore.
In recent years, a number of industrially developed countries have implemented knowledge management programs in companies of different sizes and different sectors of the economy. The results of the implementation of these programs, the implementation of the knowledge management function open up new opportunities for increasing production efficiency and meeting the dynamically changing consumer demand. This is evidenced by the data of opinion polls.
A similar survey conducted in the United States in 1998-1999. magazine Management Review and research organization AMA Research, showed that more than 1/3 of American companies have knowledge management programs. The survey covered 1,626 management companies. The effectiveness of programs for individual elements of knowledge management is reflected in table. 11.1.
TABLE 11.1 Basic elements of knowledge management
The impact that knowledge management programs had on the key performance indicators of companies is evidenced by the data in Table. 11.2.
TABLE 11.2 Objectives and results of knowledge management programs
The central task of the knowledge management function is to identify and leverage the resources available in the organization by continually seeking best practices. Organizations usually use such types of knowledge as professional knowledge and practical experience of employees, creative solutions, etc.
To become a knowledge-based company, an organization must create "Spiral of knowledge", where unknown (implicit) knowledge must be identified and disseminated to become part of the individualized knowledge base of each employee. The spiral renews every oasis to rise to a new level, expanding the knowledge base applicable to different areas of the organization.
Modern information technologies play an important role in this. Unlike information management, knowledge management is aimed at giving additional value to information by filtering, synthesizing, generalizing and presenting it in the required form. This should be facilitated by openness of management and trust.
An organization's ability to perceive knowledge, disseminate it and act in concert on the basis of this knowledge determines its ability to learn. The potential uses of organizational learning or extension systems are often limited by both technical and cultural factors. In recent decades, the practice of lifelong education has become widespread in the world as a set of measures that enable a person to learn throughout life on the principle "any education is valuable, anywhere, at any time and of any content."
It is expedient to distribute the educational resources of an individual throughout his life, and not to concentrate them in a strictly defined period. This presupposes the formation of a system of lifelong education, taking into account self-study with consulting and methodological support (organization of a network of open universities, distance learning, etc.).
Generalization of knowledge management experience, its comprehensive analysis, identification of opportunities for using new organizational models and methods, taking into account specific situations and characteristics of business entities, are becoming one of the key tasks of organization and management.
Questions to check
1. What is the role of knowledge for the development of organizations in the era of the information revolution?
2. What questions are in the field of knowledge management studies?
3. What were the historical reasons and theoretical prerequisites for the emergence of a knowledge management program?
4. List the three main types of knowledge.
5. What conditions dictate the need to develop and effectively use knowledge?
6. What tasks does knowledge management solve?
7. What is meant by organizational learning?
8. What are the main elements of knowledge management?
Knowledge is the source of productivity, innovation and competitive advantage. The accumulation of knowledge and information leads to the formation of intellectual capital, which becomes the main source of creating sustainable competitive advantages for organizations and enterprises, enhancing their potential value and meeting the dynamically developing consumer demand.
Unlike information, knowledge does not belong entirely to the organization (since it is not only in a formalized form, but also to a large extent in the heads of employees). Since the roots of knowledge are laid in the experience and intellectual capabilities of a person in his social context, successful management of them is possible only with an attentive attitude to the person, to the culture of the country and organizational culture.
In essence, knowledge is a concentrated and socially (and sometimes personally or collectively) approved information that forms a kind of micro-model of the surrounding world. That is why the management of an enterprise, a company based on the manipulation of knowledge, is initially associated with significant complexity. Each model is built on the basis of certain prerequisites, the researcher's own views and experience; to construct an integral model of an enterprise and its environment from heterogeneous components is a task as difficult as it is necessary.
Currently, many Russian leaders have begun to undergo a qualitative leap in thinking. There is an understanding that the introduction of automated systems, programs, network and telecommunication equipment should be accompanied by a restructuring of the entire internal functional structure of the organization.
Functions and stages of knowledge management
Knowledge management Is the creation of such conditions under which the right people receive the knowledge and information they need at the right time to achieve their strategic and tactical objectives. Knowledge management is the organization of management decisions based on information technologies.
For effective knowledge management, both technological infrastructure (information storages, means of communication and collaboration, discussions and forums, information products) and organizational tools (training events, a system of motivation and assessment of employees' work, meetings and meetings, tests , internships and practices, business games and contests).
In order for knowledge to really work for a specific organization, it is advisable to preserve the knowledge, information and experience that are already known; transfer your experience and knowledge to those who need it; work together and create new knowledge; to navigate well in the sources of knowledge and information.
As Russian business developed, both the tasks and the set of knowledge management tools changed. For example, in the mid-90s, when analytic scientists began to work with knowledge and information in Russia, it was a question of overcoming information overload. Over the years, when a certain amount of experience and knowledge has been accumulated, the tasks of knowledge managers have changed.
Along with performing functions related to overcoming information overload, they faced the task of preserving the experience they had already gained and making deeper use of external and internal resources:
Development of so-called knowledge profiles - special information products containing only information and knowledge necessary for the target group of users;
Structuring existing knowledge and experience gained;
Business information support - working with requests from internal clients.
During this period, an increasing number of companies are becoming learning organizations, developing their intellectual assets and hiring senior knowledge management officials.
The uneven distribution of technological knowledge among workers and organizations is considered a knowledge deficit. Difficulties caused by the incompleteness of socio-economic knowledge are informational problems.
Lack of knowledge and information problems are inextricably linked. To unleash the potential in knowledge, organizations must address both challenges simultaneously.
Scientific and educational activities consist of the following three functions:
Creation and acquisition of knowledge as such and verification of its value;
Accumulation, assimilation and preservation of knowledge;
Transfer of knowledge to others.
The implementation of each of these functions is based on a specific technology and economy and is performed by specific social institutions. If technology and economics change, so do these institutions.
Function one: creation and acquisition of knowledge as such and verification of its value.
From the point of view of the organization, this function means using the knowledge already available in the world and adapting it to the needs of the enterprise (for example, using an open trade regime, attracting foreign investment and concluding licensing agreements), as well as gaining new knowledge through research and development. and development work.
As for the educational aspect itself - the beginning of the acquisition of knowledge, here the following trends can be distinguished, observed at the present time:
1. In most areas of science, there has been an exponential growth in research. According to American analysts, it is from 4% to 8% per year with a doubling period from 10 to 15 years.
The reaction of education to the rapidly growing volume of information was the improvement of its processing by such methods:
Better training;
Increased staff size;
Internal reorganization;
Investments in information technology.
2. The main strategy of educational institutions is becoming a narrower specialization. The inexorably advancing specialization of scientists means that even large universities are becoming unable to cover all areas of science, unless, of course, they increase their staff as new knowledge accumulates.
But it is impossible for both economic and organizational reasons to double the staff every five to ten years. As a result, universities still hold their own in the main academic disciplines, but are only strong in a very limited number of required specialties.
Specialists of a certain profile find fewer and fewer colleagues in their educational institution and are forced to communicate more with colleagues of similar specialties outside their native walls. Professional, not geographic proximity, is becoming a decisive factor in uniting scientists.
As this happens, the advantage given by personal communication between scientists and colleagues in educational institutions.
Second function: accumulation, assimilation and preservation of knowledge.
It means ensuring universal primary education, creating opportunities for lifelong learning and developing the higher education system.
There is a perception that the university is strong to the extent that its library is strong. But here, too, the economy and technology are changing everything.
As knowledge grows exponentially, the cost of gathering and finding information grows exponentially.
While print editions are becoming too expensive for university libraries, their electronic competitors in terms of the volume of stored information, breadth of coverage and ease of retrieval are coming to the fore. Educational institutions are gradually shifting investments of funds, instead of replenishing libraries, to provide electronic access to information.
Thus, the traditional role of universities as accumulators of specialized knowledge is undermined, and the quality of access to information will soon play a major role here.
Function three: transfer of knowledge to others.
This implies the use of new information and telecommunication technologies, appropriate legal regulation and provision of access to information resources.
In the context of revolutionary changes in production and information technologies, a new management function is being formed, the task of which is to accumulate intellectual capital, identify and disseminate available information and experience, and create prerequisites for the dissemination and transfer of knowledge.
There are the following stages of obtaining, assimilating and transferring knowledge:
Define.
Collect.
Select.
Keep.
Distribute.
Apply.
Create.
Sell.
At the stage "Define" it is necessary to establish what core knowledge is critical to success. For example, each organization needs precise knowledge about customer needs and expectations, products and services, finance, technology, leadership, employees, etc. Then, the appropriate strategic opportunities and knowledge domains are determined.
Knowledge domains Are specialized subject areas of knowledge in which recognized experts can demonstrate the best results. After that, the existing level of competence of employees in each area of knowledge is determined. When the difference between the existing and the required level of competence has been determined, specialists in the relevant fields of knowledge, together with specialists in training and information technology, can begin to create training programs and support systems.
The Identify phase focuses on strategic issues such as which core knowledge is critical to success. Basic knowledge Is the combination of the expertise, tools and techniques required to generate the appropriate strategic capabilities for a manufacturing or service specialization. Such knowledge should reflect, support and be guided by the objectives of the company and its values. Once the basic knowledge has been identified, a decision can be made about the sources of its acquisition.
The basic knowledge chosen for internal development is further divided into knowledge domains. Once the appropriate knowledge domains required to provide the core knowledge have been identified, the question of capabilities arises. Knowledge domains provide a working level at which enterprises are formed not only around structural forms called centers of expertise, but also around the electronic corporate memory called knowledge repository.
In addition to the strategic aspect, this stage also touches on operational issues, for example, does the employee have sufficient knowledge and experience to achieve a high result. An expert assessment of professional skills (knowledge, experience) should be carried out. There are two types of assessment: operational- considering the current skills and work qualities needed to support existing core knowledge, and strategic- determining what practical experience can be transferred to provide future basic knowledge. The next step is to start building a knowledge repository for the domains that each organization needs.
Moving on to the stage "Collect", it is necessary to acquire the existing knowledge, experience, methods and qualifications necessary to create the domains of the chosen core knowledge. To become usable, knowledge, experience, competence must be ordered and refined. In addition, practitioners should know where and how to obtain the necessary knowledge and experience in the form of databases and expert systems. To master professional knowledge, it is necessary to establish effective sources of knowledge. For example, employee suggestion programs, domain experts, and databases of best practices can be valuable sources of knowledge.
At the stage "Select" the constant stream of collected, ordered knowledge is examined and its usefulness is evaluated. Domain experts should evaluate and select the knowledge that needs to be added to the organization's memory. Without a filtering mechanism, valuable bits of knowledge will be lost in the sea of data and information. However, it is important that the diverse perspectives of domain professionals are presented when appropriate. Initially, a single structure should be defined as the basis for organizing and classifying knowledge intended for storage in corporate memory.
Stage "Keep" is allocated so that the selected knowledge is classified and entered into corporate memory. This corporate memory comes in three forms: in human memory, on paper, and in electronic form. To use the knowledge stored in human memory, it must be clear and orderly. This means that knowledge must be organized and presented in different structures within the knowledge repository, just as data and information are organized and presented in different types of databases. Most of this knowledge can be presented in electronic form in the form of expert systems.
At the stage "Distribute" knowledge is extracted from corporate memory and becomes available for use. Employees enter their requests and personal interests into corporate memory It is important that such a potentially useful part of communication, discussions, discussions and cooperation is available at the stage of obtaining information in the knowledge management process. For example, different points of view and their rationale should be recorded as part of any decision-making process, as well as the method used to make the final decision.
Within a stage Apply find and apply the necessary knowledge to carry out assignments, solve problems, make decisions, search for ideas and learn. In order to easily find, access and apply the right piece of knowledge at the right time and in the right form, you need a query language. Integrated "business support" systems are being used by many leading companies to dramatically improve employee productivity and capabilities.
To facilitate access, clear classification and navigation systems should be established for quick viewing and knowledge. Accurate knowledge requires the system to understand the user's task and conditions. To obtain knowledge in a timely manner, a system is needed that tracks user actions and determines when work support or the use of a training module is needed. Users can also order the format in which knowledge will be presented. Finally, users can request help, consultation, test and validation modules.
At the stage "Create" new knowledge is revealed through many means, such as customer observation, customer feedback and analysis, causal analysis, benchmarking, best practices, lessons learned from business process modernization and workflow rationalization projects , research, experimentation, creative thinking, automated knowledge acquisition and data mining.
This stage also determines how to get non-verbal, implicit knowledge from domain experts and turn it into documentary, official knowledge. At the same time, new sources of knowledge should be formalized, fixed in the knowledge management process and available to users.
The last stage is the stage "Sell". Within its framework, on the basis of intellectual capital, new products are created that can be sold outside the enterprise. Before this stage becomes possible, other stages must reach a certain stage of maturity.
Level increase competence- the main measure of the amount of knowledge and the degree of mastering them.
Competence Is a knowledge-based degree of understanding of what is needed to get the job done. This is what the diverse activities related to the performance of the knowledge management function at each stage are aimed at.
The implementation of the knowledge management function cannot obey standard recipes and rules. Despite the small experience of using knowledge management mechanisms, practice has already developed some basic principles, which underlie the entire range of this type of activity:
An integrative approach. Knowledge efforts are simultaneously related to people, processes and technologies. The latter are considered as a single system, and not only as separate elements. Only top-level corporate leaders can make investment decisions in areas on which competent knowledge management depends. Knowledge, by its very nature, has the ability to integrate. It helps a person understand the meaning of complex and sometimes contradictory information. Knowledge management strives for unification, communication and collaboration.
Structural flexibility and simplicity. Large firms trying to create and disseminate knowledge must take care of its structure. They need to have a conceptual framework to guide their activities and measure the process, share common views and use knowledge in order to enable different groups to have a common basis for knowledge sharing and collaboration.
These structures, at the same time, must be flexible enough to adapt to the individual characteristics of people. Complex procedures and technologies that increase the workload of employees can make it difficult to manage knowledge. It is important to strive for an understandable interpretation of creative and communicative knowledge.
Center of attention. The task of knowledge management is to create tangible and intangible benefits. It is not enough just to increase the amount of knowledge; it should become an effective instrument of activity. Knowledge is not valuable until it is used. Moreover, it should be used where it has the highest economic potential.
It is important to use knowledge management in those business processes that will bring significant return on investment due to the introduced improvements. Many significant processes create very obvious value for the customer or strengthen the link between the knowledge of the seller and the buyer. In some cases, the return on investment in knowledge is a rapid increase in productivity or efficiency. In other cases, when investments in training and innovation do not pay off in the short term, they can create the basis for the future success and economic recovery of the firm.
For clarity, the above provisions can be represented in the form of the following diagrams:
Employees come and go, switch from project to project, move from department to department. And every time you have to spend a lot of resources to bring a new employee up to date. After all, human memory is imperfect and everything tends to be forgotten. Moreover, this can relate both to the understanding of business processes and to technical / technological things.
There is no way to avoid this, but you can reduce the cost of transferring knowledge. For this, a discipline called Knowledge management.
2. Who and in what cases makes entries in the Knowledge Base?
“The Man Who Needs More Than All” begins to take notes somewhere, tells about it to colleagues, who also begin to use and make changes. (In my case, the entry of new articles into the Knowledge Base was at first a prerequisite for the employees of my department when studying any new material, after about six months the filling continued without my participation).
3. What is the structure of the articles (even if there is no special structure, there are still some established rules)?
No approved structure is required. There is such a wonderful concept - self-organization, “The Man Who Needs More Than All”, looks after everything.
Moreover, as soon as the Procedures, Rules, Regulations and so on interfere with the matter, the people immediately lose interest in writing. Moreover, the structure of the wiki allows you to shuffle everything at any time.
4. Who and how uses these records in the future.
Testers, programmers, analysts, managers- when they forget something or do not know something.
New employees- this significantly reduces the time for newcomers to enter the course of work. When a new employee arrives, the first thing I do is put him to read a certain set of articles in the Knowledge Base. And at the same time, it does not distract expensive specialists from their work.
In this article, based on my own experience, I tried to give recommendations for organizing the Knowledge Base as a tool to improve the performance of both individual employees and the entire company as a whole.
Students, graduate students, young scientists who use the knowledge base in their studies and work will be very grateful to you.
Posted on http://www.allbest.ru/
Non-state educational institution
higher professional education
"Perm Institute of Municipal Management
(Higher School of Privatization and Entrepreneurship) "
Faculty of Economics and Management
Specialty: "Management of the organization"
Course work
by discipline: "Innovation management"
topic: "Knowledge Management"
Performed:
Drozdova Marina Alexandrovna
Student group PM 9-4
Checked by the teacher
Sevastyanova Iraida Gennadievna
Perm, 2012
Introduction
1.1 What is information
1.2 Why does the company need information
1.3 Concept of knowledge
1.4 From information to knowledge
2. Knowledge management
2.1 Function of knowledge management. Acquisition, assimilation and transfer of knowledge
2.2 Importance of knowledge for the development of the organization
2.3 Ways to gain knowledge
2.4 Methods of obtaining knowledge
2.5 Why do you need to manage knowledge?
2.6 Benefits of knowledge management
2.7 Knowledge management on the example of the trading printing company Fortuna LLC
Conclusion
Bibliography
Introduction
The new role of science, which has become a decisive factor in the development of the economy and society, is a natural consequence of the scientific and technological revolution, its new stage - the information revolution and the associated formation and development of the information society. It is no coincidence that scientific and information potential has become the main indicator of the modern level. socio-economic development. This is the reason for the special attention to science and knowledge around the world. At the same time, scientific - educational, informational and intellectual potential, on which only high technologies of the 21st century can be based in all spheres of society, cannot be created in a short time, even with significant capital. A stable operation of the system of scientific institutions, education, enterprises, professional management structures, equipped with modern information technologies, is required.
In recent years, the most promising theoretical developments have been associated with the decisive importance of knowledge for the development of organizations, whose activities increasingly depend on the accumulation and analysis of information, personnel training and the assimilation of innovations.
The "invisible" assets of enterprises are intellectual assets that can bring and bring real dividends to companies. These are patents and copyrights, knowledge and professional qualities of employees, trademarks, a customer base, a network of reliable suppliers and partners, a culture of innovation, corporate memory and databases, quality of work processes, etc.
In the context of accelerated changes in technology and economics of production, competition, information technologies and management methods, it is necessary to understand the mechanisms of mastering knowledge, using intellectual, intangible assets. It is the knowledge and competence of personnel that underlie the development of organizations and allow finding solutions to technical, economic, organizational and managerial problems, both current and prospective. Knowledge management is becoming an important tool for improving the efficiency of organizations. At the same time, modern information and communication technologies ensure a constant and reliable exchange of ideas and information. In addition, management decisions are made more quickly and reasonably, cooperation is strengthened with the help of self-organizing groups. Knowledge about consumers increases the degree of effectiveness of relations with them, and knowledge gained together with the consumer opens the way for the introduction of innovations, goods and services of higher quality. Learning organizations are becoming an effective form of managing constant change. It is these conditions that give new impulses for the development of scientific research and technical development, marketing and the formation of a long-term strategy of companies.
Many companies are ready to invest in education, infrastructural and organizational changes without requiring an immediate return on such investments. They are convinced that the future ability to meet customer needs for new, improved products (and ensure the firm's survival) is based on similar initiatives. By recognizing knowledge as capital, they are convinced that the price to be paid for not wanting to manage knowledge may be prohibitively high.
A growing share of the value of products and services is accounted for by the knowledge that creates them and the knowledge they contain. Software, for example, is the clearest example of a new kind of product, characterized as "frozen knowledge" as opposed to traditional manufactured goods called "frozen resources." Knowledge constitutes an increasing part of the cost and price of many traditional goods. For example, cars, dishwashers, telephones, etc. have become “knowledge products” with ever-increasing investment in the electronic “brains” that power them. The growth of the service sector is driving the shift in business value towards knowledge rather than "frozen resources." Increasingly, the company's success depends on a comprehensive knowledge of consumer needs and the level of specialized services offered to them.
The main wealth of every country is the people inhabiting it. The intellectual potential of a country is not just the sum of the intellects of all people. But you still need to start with each individual person, expand his creative and intellectual capabilities. Communicating, people exchange information, plans, ideas. This leads to the emergence of new ideas, inventions, solutions. This is how the creative potential of the whole society is increased.
This topic of the course work "Knowledge Management" at the present stage is becoming increasingly relevant. "Knowledge management" is one of the key factors for the success of an organization.
The purpose of this course work is to study and disclose theoretical material on the topic "Knowledge Management" (the concepts of "knowledge", "information" and their forms, for which information is needed by the enterprise), the content and methods of performing knowledge management functions - the sequence of work, the use of information technologies, etc., disclosing the value of knowledge for the development of an organization, methods of obtaining knowledge and the benefits of knowledge management, consideration of the main problems of knowledge management.
1. Theoretical foundations of the concepts of "information" and "knowledge"
1.1 What is information?
Information (from Lat. Informatio - "information, explanations") is "information about the surrounding world (objects, phenomena, events, processes, etc.), which reduce the degree of uncertainty, incompleteness of knowledge about them. This is information alienated from their creator and became messages expressed in a certain language in the form of signs, including those recorded on a tangible medium. This information can be reproduced by transmission by people orally, in writing or in another way (with the help of conventional signals, technical, computing means, etc.). " From this definition it follows that not every set of numbers, sounds, or images is information. So, the degree of uncertainty will not decrease if we take a table of numbers and try to get useful information with its help. It is generally accepted that information is the second step in our comprehension of the world around us. There are five such steps in total.
1. Data is raw, unstructured information. This is the first step that allows you to move further along the path of comprehending reality. Data can be presented in various forms (textual, tabular, audio, visual). Most often this is a description of facts (for example, it is snowing). Data exists independently of anyone's need for analysis.
2. Information - processed, meaningful data. Information can be stored and retrieved from storage systems. It allows you to answer the questions: who, what, where, when? With the help of information, you can connect facts with each other, establish cause-and-effect relationships. Thus, the multiplication table is information about the product of numbers from one to ten.
3. Knowledge - information organized in a special way that allows you to receive new information based on existing information. Knowledge helps to find the answer to the question "How?" They allow you to connect several scattered pieces of information and deduce general patterns. The student memorizes information and acquires knowledge - he gets the opportunity to answer certain questions based on logical rules. Having learned the appropriate rules (for example, the multiplication table), he acquires knowledge (how to multiply one number by another).
4. Understanding - knowledge that allows you to create new knowledge on the basis of previously acquired. This is the answer to the question "Why?" Knowledge and understanding are as different as memorization and study. For example, modern analytical systems allow the formation of new knowledge of a probabilistic nature on the basis of available data, information and other knowledge. It was not by chance that we gave this example: in our firm belief, the software algorithm, as well as the technical task on the basis of which it is created, contains an understanding of the automation object. This means that if you do not have an understanding of the subject, then it is too early for you to automate it.
5. Wisdom is a deep understanding of the relationship between the fundamental principles of everything that happens (for example, the water cycle in nature: it rains, precipitation evaporates, air circulates, temperature changes, it rains again, etc.). Wisdom helps not only to analyze the past and present, but also to look into the future. This level of knowledge allows you to use the resources of all other levels to form a completely new understanding.
In practice, these five steps (both together and separately) are often called in one word - "information", without thinking about which step was meant. Information is a "perishable product": for different people in different situations, the same information may be new or outdated, relevant or irrelevant, useful or useless.
1.2 Why does the company need information?
Why is information needed? Spencer's Laws best speak of this:
1) everyone can make the right decision with sufficient information;
2) a good leader is able to make a decision with insufficient information;
3) the ideal leader can make a decision without knowing absolutely nothing.
Alas, there are not so many ideal leaders, so the value of information can hardly be overestimated. After all, it is on its presence that the making of the right decisions depends, and therefore the very existence of the company. This applies to strategy and tactics, each individual employee and the organization as a whole.
1.3 Concept of knowledge
Knowledge is understood as meaningful and systematized information in the form of a set of ideas, information, experience, skills, abilities that make it possible to process new data and use it to solve problems, for example, the development of new technologies, production processes, goods, services, management systems, etc. ...
Certain knowledge is generated and accumulated in any company producing any goods or services. They should not be confused with the information that is their source and the medium that allows them to be stored and disseminated. In contrast, knowledge presupposes the existence of beliefs of opinions, is a function of position, point of view, intentions, is created for some purpose, engenders actions. Initiative activities aimed at acquiring new knowledge and improving existing ones can be called intellectual entrepreneurship.
Knowledge-based competitive advantage is more sustainable because it is difficult for competitors to identify, understand, and replicate. At the same time, they are easier to adapt to changes in the situation, which significantly increases the flexibility of the organization, its adaptability to changes in the external environment.
Scientists have been dealing with the problem of knowledge in a philosophical aspect for more than one century. During this time, two approaches to its consideration have crystallized - empirical and rationalistic.
Table 1. Comparison of the rationalistic and empirical approaches to knowledge
Table 1.1 Types of knowledge in terms of content and scope.
|
Application area |
|||
|
Cognitive knowledge, knowledge of the facts necessary to perform a particular job |
This knowledge is needed in many situations, but not always critical (you can know the rules of playing football, but not play) |
||
|
Cognitive knowledge, knowledge about relationships, contacts, about who has the necessary skills and capabilities, as well as knowledge |
This knowledge is especially important in the process of network interactions. |
||
|
Advanced skills, knowledge of processes, procedures, techniques, tools, technologies that are used in organizations |
This knowledge allows you to complete the task, however, you can complete the task, but not have an idea of the process as a whole. |
||
|
Knowledge of where to find the information you need, as well as with what search tools you can do it |
They are used when working with modern means of information search and processing |
||
|
I know why |
Systemic understanding, knowledge about the context of the activities of individual employees and the organization as a whole, knowledge about the prospects, factors of activity |
This knowledge is important in the implementation of strategic development plans. They allow you to establish the relationship between the elements and their influence on processes, help to establish at what point it is most expedient to carry out certain actions or to stop activity. |
|
|
I feel how and why |
Synthesis and trained intuition, knowledge that allows you to combine two or more aspects to obtain a new effect |
This knowledge generates and implements innovation, as well as coordinates work in the organization, directing it towards high efficiency. |
Knowledge can take the form:
First, awareness of something, which rests on relevant information, theoretical (fundamental and special) knowledge about the laws and patterns of development of nature, society, etc., and methodological knowledge and principles and methods of using and acquiring objects), gleaned from training, special training, reading literature.
Methodological knowledge includes:
technological (knowledge of the sequence and methods of performing management procedures, operations and features of management processes);
operating rooms (knowledge of the means and techniques for performing individual works);
systemic (knowledge of goals, principles, methods and objects of application of all types of knowledge, abilities, skills);
knowledge as a means of acquiring new knowledge and skills.
On the basis of awareness, new approaches to the interpretation of events and objects are developed, previously invisible meaning, hidden connections between them are revealed.
Awareness helps a person to develop his non-formalized internal knowledge and then translates it into external formalized (codified) to transmit to others in the form of information.
Secondly, the understanding gained by comprehending practical experience (for example, in the field of craft).
Thirdly, skills, which is understood as familiarity with the practice of problem solving or the formation of approaches to it, the ability to perform appropriate operations on the basis of a fall in the theory of the issue. But skill does not provide high labor productivity, quality and efficiency, since it does not yet imply the possession of skills and experience accumulated as a result of acquaintance over a sufficiently long period of time with many situations.
Fourth, skills - the ability to regularly solve problems or perform work of appropriate qualifications with a certain level of productivity, quality and effectiveness. Skills are acquired through the constant implementation of the same type of activity.
Fifth, experience, which is knowledge based on the theory of skills and abilities, enriched by the practice of solving a variety of specific business situations.
Sixth, competence - readiness, based on deep theoretical knowledge and experience in the relevant field, with a certain quality and efficiency, to perform or direct the implementation of a set of works, which is a process (a certain part of it), a function, to teach others.
Seventh, creativity is the ability to create, on the basis of existing knowledge, elements of new ideas in the theoretical and applied spheres of activity.
Idea is a form of reflection in thought of the phenomena of objective reality, which includes the creation of the goal of further cognition and practical transformation into the world. Ideas generalize the experience of the previous development of knowledge and serve as principles for explaining phenomena. They need to be developed. You can borrow ideas, but in this case you have to search and improve.
Eighth, conceptuality (from the Latin conception - understanding, system) as a certain way of understanding, interpreting any phenomena that allows the development of scientific theories (systems of fundamental ideas for the formation of principles different types activity).
In essence, concept development is a way of planning the future process of achieving a goal - be it a product concept, a concept of a way to achieve a goal, a concept of a phenomenon that helps to create an idea about it.
In other words, knowledge includes not only information obtained as a result of education in educational institutions or from other sources, but ideas and skills arising in the process of practical activity in the field of marketing, innovation, etc., the importance of which is increasing every day.
Several levels of knowledge can be distinguished.
The first level is individual knowledge that is formed in the process of everyday comprehension by people of the surrounding activity within the framework of a specific situation, its comprehension and exchange of thoughts and ideas with each other.
Such knowledge of each subject individually may not be of value, but in interaction form organizational knowledge.
The second level is meta-knowledge associated with the comprehension and understanding of the surrounding reality as a system. They are formed in the process of observation, targeted training, exchange of experience and ideas, especially between workers of different specialties, for which it is necessary to create appropriate conditions. Meta-knowledge makes it easier for people to collaborate and understand each other.
The third level is organizational (collective) knowledge and experience related to all areas of the company, for example, various business information that you need to have in order to maintain a high level of basic business processes, as well as to quickly respond to market dynamics. Such knowledge reflects the ability of the company as a whole to create new knowledge, disseminate it among all personnel and translate it into products, services and organizational systems.
Organizational knowledge can be defined as a set of principles, facts, skills, rules that informally support decision-making processes, behavior and actions in an organization. They develop based on the knowledge of everyone in this organization.
Organizational knowledge serves the following functions:
1) Allows you to analyze the internal and external situation, identify the strengths and weaknesses of the company, opportunities and threats in its external environment.
2) They create the basis for the formulation of new ideas, concepts, strategies that allow to shape the future, apply information in a specific field of activity (understand, see, draw conclusions).
3) Are the basis for the training of members of the organization (each individually all together)
In the conditions of the information society, into which mankind is gradually entering, knowledge, in essence, in the long run is the only obvious economic resource, and not another resource of the same order as the traditional factors of production - labor, capital and land. The future of the modern framework is determined by how widely and effectively it generates and uses knowledge:
as the basis for further theoretical research (they give an idea of the world, its laws, development trends, problems);
as a guide to specific actions.
accumulation, improvement and application of knowledge is gradually turning into the main factor of the socio - economic process, increasing production efficiency. Knowledge-based industries play a leading role in the economy, define its face, and knowledge itself occupies an increasing share of the structure of the value of products and services.
Knowledge as a product is characterized by the following features:
exist in the form of information, information (but not always directly result from them);
scarce;
generated only by people: they require intellectual efforts and often significant financial costs (therefore, they can be very expensive);
always exist within the context;
often difficult to perceive, because they require understanding;
changeable, dynamic, in most cases have a limited life span.
Knowledge is general and specific. The latter are the most trusted source of competitive advantage and the foundation of an organization's unique capabilities.
Common knowledge is essential for any business, but it does not create competitive advantages.
Knowledge consists of two parts - hidden (non-formalized) and open (formalized).
Non-formalized knowledge (their share is about 80%) is based mainly on experience, is abstract, intangible, often unconscious, poorly exposed to formalization, is stored exclusively in people's memory and sensations, is quickly forgotten, and is transmitted with great difficulty from one subject to another. But they are the main advantage inherent in the human factor.
Such knowledge includes cognitive and intellectual elements. Cognitive (lat. Cognition "cognition, study, awareness" - the ability to mentally perceive and process external information) are a combination of information, assessments, guesses, ideas, opinions, professional and life experience of employees existing in their minds.
The intellectual elements of this knowledge, for example, paradigms, approaches, skills and abilities, points of view, etc., help individuals in comprehending the world, creating working models of the environment.
In order to increase the efficiency of work, the organization must first of all use unformalized knowledge, turning it into formalized. Certain opportunities for this are created by the latest information technologies, mainly multimedia tools, which allow you to extract implicit elements of knowledge through interactive learning. And local and global networks allow you to effectively exchange them.
As a result, sooner or later, latent informal knowledge turns into open knowledge, transmitted by means of a formal language (text, formulas, techniques, plans, instructions, etc.), which makes them understandable and useful for others. And those, giving impetus for further internal cognitive process, serve as the basis for the formation of new hidden knowledge.
Open knowledge formalized in documents, diagrams, drawings, models, etc. is relatively easy to store and disseminate, so most modern knowledge management systems work only with it.
In addition to the formalized and non-formalized elements, knowledge is also sometimes referred to as faith.
The legal owner of the open knowledge is the company, and the hidden knowledge is the employee, and when he leaves it, he takes his knowledge with him. Therefore, any organization is interested in increasing the percentage of formalized knowledge (but the more it accumulates, the more difficult it is to manage it).
Formalized and non-formalized knowledge become the basis of intellectual capital, which exists along with material and occupies an increasing share in the structure of the total capital of the company.
Intellectual capital, which today, more than physical assets, is becoming a condition for a firm's sustainable competitive advantage, includes three interacting elements:
human capital (creative and thinking skills, culture);
organizational capital (procedures, technologies, management systems, software, patents, licenses);
client capital (stable connections and relationships with consumers).
Thus, intellectual capital is knowledge, information, experience, organizational capabilities, information channels that can be used to create wealth.
1.4 From information to knowledge
From what a person acquires, there is nothing more valuable than knowledge. Mastering knowledge is not an easy job because it comes with the hardest responsibility: thinking. A person's attitude to the world around him is determined by the strength of his inner desire to know this world. Often this is a simple curiosity, which, slightly satisfied, quickly fades away. A higher level is curiosity, love of knowledge, when learning becomes a natural and joyful business. But the brightest, most intense fire of the thirst for knowledge is the natural inquisitiveness of a person's soul and mind.
The road to knowledge begins with the first step: first, I learn, i.e. I see, I hear. The formal education system teaches a person to the idea that, having seen or heard something, he has already mastered the new so much that he can freely apply it in practice. In reality, man has only approached knowledge. The second step is necessary - I understand, i.e. I am aware of what I see or hear. If the information got only to the brain, then this is not yet knowledge, but only widespread school memorization in order to answer the teacher's question, and then come what may. That is why the information that we perceived easily, without mental effort and without mental stress, with the same ease and leaves us, is forgotten, because it did not become understandable. Only that becomes knowledge that is acquired through experience, experience, awareness. In addition to the mind, willpower should also be included in the work. This is followed by mandatory practice.
Practice is the only life goal of gaining knowledge. If we only hear, then we forget, hear and see - we understand the studied subject, but if we still do, then we know and are able, i.e. we own the subject. Hence, it is obvious that training can go through the entire named path or solve an intermediate problem. Thus, there are two learning objectives. The first is to convey knowledge about the subject, i.e. to attach to the subject through the narration about it in the form of theories, principles, words, signs. At present, it is precisely this reproductive form of knowledge transfer that predominates. The only thing that this type of learning rises to is to convey a set of symbols, as well as apply a mode of action to them, a certain algorithm, how to communicate with them in a given system. And while the trainee has enough baggage of symbols and algorithms, he performs this action. Repetitive actions of the mind in the reproductive form of transferring knowledge in the form of symbols do not develop the mind's ability to delve into the essence of phenomena. A person does not force his mind to act in such a way as to capture the essential side of an object, but sees only lifeless symbols. The reality behind them remains hidden for him.
That is why the higher goal of teaching is to teach how to master a subject, i.e. handle it. And this is possible not through the rational perception of the object, but the obligatory rational - sensory perception of it, when information about the object becomes one's own, native and passes to the subconscious. In the first approach to learning, only the mind works without including those areas that are responsible for the cognitive abilities of a person. But in order to develop these abilities, it is necessary to expend the senses and, along with the mind, make them the main assistants in the knowledge of the subject.
2. Knowledge management
Knowledge management is a relatively independent type of special management, an integral part of the organization's management system. It is sometimes defined as the art of creating value from the tangible assets of a company, as a purposeful process of converting knowledge into value.
In practice, it is a systematic process of identifying the knowledge available and necessary for the organization and the use and transfer of information and knowledge that can be simultaneously created, improved and applied.
In addition, at present, knowledge management is a young, but fully formed scientific and academic discipline (the first corresponding department was founded in 1997).
The concept of knowledge management connects together strategic management, marketing, personnel management, etc., as well as the use of new information technologies in the management of organizations, a variety of concept approaches. Its main goal is to create new and more powerful competitive assets of the organization.
The object of knowledge management is the most important corporate asset - intellectual capital, ways to release and replace other capital funds with it.
Knowledge management is related to the following processes:
with the generation of knowledge and the use of their existing resources;
with the formalization of knowledge - the development of principles, rules and procedures;
with individual or organizational training, self-development;
preserving knowledge - determining the appropriate type of media for this; with the distribution of knowledge within the organization and in a limited version outside of it;
with coordination and control of knowledge - ensuring that organizational knowledge is used accurately and consistently.
According to Fortune magazine, knowledge management is most popular in the world's 1000 largest companies.
The basis of knowledge management is the structure of their accumulation and distribution within the company for use when the need arises in any of its divisions.
To manage knowledge effectively, you need to know where and with whom it is stored, how to structure and store it within the company, and how to be able to use it.
The introduction of knowledge management systems in Western companies began recently, but they are already considered one of the main factors in the competitive struggle. At the same time, some of its features can be found even in the works of ancient authors, such as Plato.
Active knowledge management (the process of its creation, use for decision-making, implementation in production technologies and management procedures) is necessary at all stages of the product and innovation life cycle. It aims to create conditions for the identification, preservation and effective use of knowledge and information in the company. Knowledge management is always about sharing.
A huge role here belongs to a set of techniques that organize the communication process (personal and group, direct or absentee) in corporate communities, directing it to obtaining new and updating existing knowledge that helps company employees make decisions and take the necessary actions to obtain the necessary knowledge at the right time. The application of these techniques, 80% using social and 20% - IT - technologies, makes it possible to transform collective experience and knowledge into corporate capital.
As the foreign experience shows, the solution of the problem of knowledge management is possible only in close contact between specialists of various fields of the enterprise's activity and, first of all, in information technologies, and most importantly, with the interest of the management.
In world practice, knowledge management is used to improve interaction between departments, preserve the knowledge of employees, expand business and innovate, improve the quality of services to customers, make more effective decisions, and most often to solve several problems at the same time. If the goals of knowledge management are consistent with the strategic direction of the company's development, the effect will be significant.
Knowledge management provides:
increasing the value of human capital;
growth in the value of intellectual assets;
increasing the competitiveness of the business;
increasing the productivity of mental work;
additional support for management decisions in strategic and innovation, financial, technological and production management, marketing and logistics;
preservation of knowledge in the context of solving problems, executing projects and relations between people;
Faster response to customer requirements through effective innovation solutions and translating innovation into products;
the use of the intellectual capital of partners, the implementation of joint examinations;
accelerating learning and transmission of new ideas;
saving resources by reusing good solutions - directing user actions;
selection and accumulation of meaningful knowledge from external sources; reducing the organization's dependence on the people who own them;
minimizing losses associated with employees leaving for other companies (loss of knowledge that is important for running a business; loss of connections with key customers / suppliers);
providing access at any time, anywhere to the knowledge accumulated by the company.
As a result, knowledge management allows you to set and solve the right problems, instead of correctly solving the problems themselves. Organizations using knowledge management are increasingly outperforming companies using ordinary fee and the accumulation of information in a semi-structured form.
Therefore, in recent years, Western firms began to introduce the positions of knowledge managers (knowledge director, intellectual capital director, intellectual assets director, etc.), their functions:
create and use infrastructure for the transfer of knowledge, including a library, databases, human and computer networks, research centers, knowledge-based organizational structure; to promote the process of creating new knowledge in the framework of strategic planning, marketing research, R&D, and their implementation in products and technologies;
manage personnel in the field of knowledge management;
measure the amount of intellectual capital and help increase it;
to form and develop strategies in the field of knowledge management
2.1 Knowledge management function
Acquisition, assimilation and transfer of knowledge
The uneven distribution of technological knowledge among workers and organizations is considered a knowledge deficit. Difficulties caused by the incompleteness of socio - economic knowledge are informational problems. Knowledge gaps and information problems are inextricably linked, since organizations must address both simultaneously to unleash the potential in knowledge. To continually reduce knowledge gaps, organizations must address critical challenges such as:
the acquisition of knowledge - the use of knowledge already available in the world and its adaptation to the needs of the organization (for example, using the open trade regime, attracting foreign investment and concluding license agreements), as well as acquiring new knowledge by conducting research and development work;
assimilation of knowledge (for example, ensuring universal primary education, creating opportunities for lifelong learning and developing higher education);
knowledge transfer - the use of new information and telecommunication technologies, appropriate legal regulation and provision of access to information resources.
New control function. In the context of revolutionary changes in production and information technologies, a new management function is being formed, the task of which includes the accumulation of intellectual capital, the identification and dissemination of available information and experience, and the creation of prerequisites for the dissemination and transfer of knowledge.
The use of intellectual capital and the associated professional competence of personnel ensures the survival and economic success of companies. The transition from a capital-based economy to a knowledge-based economy is under way. It is knowledge that becomes the source of high productivity, innovation and competitive advantages (Fig. 1).
Fig. 1. How a company transforms knowledge into success
There are two most common definitions of knowledge. One of them is quite specific and practical, the other is of a general nature.
1. Knowledge is practical information that actively guides the processes of completing tasks, solving problems and making decisions. Knowledge management means the systematic generation, renewal and application of knowledge in order to maximize the efficiency of the enterprise and the return on knowledge-based assets.
2. Knowledge is words, facts, examples, events, rules, hypotheses or models that expand the understanding of processes and phenomena and the possibility of their practical use in a particular field of activity. In this regard, knowledge management means formalizing and accessing practical experience, knowledge and expert data that create new opportunities that contribute to improvement of activities, stimulate innovation and increase the use value of goods and services.
In a specific application, knowledge management as a function and type of management activity covers:
the practice of adding value to existing information by identifying, selecting, synthesizing, synthesizing, storing and disseminating knowledge;
making knowledge of a consumer nature in such a way that it constitutes necessary and accessible information for the user;
creation of an interactive learning environment where people constantly exchange information and use all the conditions for assimilating new knowledge.
Stages of assimilation of new knowledge. The knowledge management function covers the use of various methods depending on the characteristics of a particular stage of the organization of the acquisition and assimilation of new knowledge. Table 2 shows one of the options for dividing this process into stages.
The “Define” step needs to establish what core knowledge is critical to success. For example, each organization needs precise knowledge about customer needs and expectations, goods and services, finance, technology, leadership, employees, etc., then the corresponding strategic opportunities and knowledge domains are determined. Knowledge Domains are specialized domains of expertise in which recognized professionals can perform best. After that, the existing level of competence of employees in each area of knowledge is determined. Once the difference between the existing and required competence levels is determined, specialists in the relevant fields of expertise, together with specialists in training and information technology, can begin to create training programs and support systems.
The Identify phase focuses on strategic issues such as which core knowledge is critical to success. Basic (basic) knowledge is a set of expert knowledge, tools and methods necessary to develop
appropriate strategic opportunities for manufacturing or service specialization. Such knowledge should reflect, support and be guided by the company's objectives, values and vision concepts. Once the basic knowledge has been identified, a decision can be made about the sources of its acquisition. The basic knowledge chosen for internal development is further divided into knowledge domains.
Once the appropriate knowledge domains required to provide the core knowledge have been identified, the question of capabilities arises. Knowledge domains provide a working level in which businesses are formed not only around structural forms called centers of expertise, but also around an electronic corporate memory called a knowledge repository.
Table 2. Stages of acquiring and assimilating new knowledge
|
Stage characteristics |
||
|
1. Determine |
Determining what knowledge is critical to success |
|
|
2. Select |
Acquisition of existing knowledge, experience, methods and qualifications |
|
|
3. Select |
Formation of a stream of collected, ordered knowledge, assessment of their usefulness |
|
|
4. Store |
Selected knowledge is classified and entered into corporate memory |
|
|
5. Determine |
Knowledge is retrieved from corporate memory and made available for use |
|
|
6. Apply |
Practical use of knowledge in carrying out assignments, solving problems, making decisions, seeking ideas and learning |
|
|
7. Create |
Discover new knowledge through customer observation, feedback, causal analysis, benchmarking, experience, research, experimentation, creative thinking, data mining |
|
|
8. Sell |
On the basis of intellectual capital, new products are created that can be sold outside the enterprise |
In addition to the strategic aspect, this stage also affects operational issues, such as: does the employee have sufficient knowledge and experience to achieve a high result. An expert assessment of professional skills (knowledge, experience) should be carried out. There are two types of assessment: operational, which looks at the current skills and performance required to ensure that basic knowledge is put into practice, and strategic, which measures what from practical experience can be transferred to ensure future basic knowledge. The next step is to start building a knowledge repository for the domains that each organization needs. These domains correspond to the components of the business modernization model:
Market - production, competition, pricing, suppliers, distributors, partners;
Consumer - requests, prices, expectations, requirements, obstacles, feedback;
Product - properties, functionality, cost, quality;
Service marketing, purchase, maintenance and repair;
Process - production, release, sale;
Management - business strategy, methods, structures, workforce, assets, modernization;
Employees - performance, skills, knowledge, career goals, interests, benefits, remuneration.
Proceeding to the “Collect” stage, it is necessary to acquire the existing knowledge, experience, methods and qualifications required to create the domains of the selected core knowledge. In order to become usable, knowledge, experience, competence must be streamlined and refined. In addition, practitioners should know where and how to obtain the necessary knowledge and experience in the form of databases and expert systems. To acquire professional knowledge, it is necessary to establish effective sources of knowledge. For example, employee suggestion programs, domain experts, and databases of best practices can be valuable sources of knowledge.
The Select stage examines the continuous flow of collected, ordered knowledge and evaluates its usefulness. Domain experts must evaluate and select the knowledge that needs to be incorporated into corporate memory. Without a filtering mechanism, valuable bits of knowledge will be lost in the sea of data and information. However, it is important that the diverse perspectives of multiple domain specialists are represented where appropriate. Initially, a single structure should be defined as the basis for organizing and classifying knowledge intended for storage in corporate memory.
The “Store” stage is allocated so that the selected knowledge is classified and entered into corporate memory. This includes knowledge about products, production processes, customers, market needs, marketing, financial results, acquired experience, strategic plans and goals, etc. the professional intelligence of the organization should also be part of the corporate memory. Professional knowledge includes:
cognitive knowledge ("I know that") - mastery of the basic discipline, achieved by professionals through intensive training and certification;
applied skill (“know how”) - translates “book learning” into effective execution. The ability to apply discipline-specific rules to solve complex real-life problems. This is the most common level of professionalism that creates value;
systemic understanding ("I know why") - knowledge of the system of relationships, causes and effects that underlie a certain discipline;
personal motivation for creativity ("I want to know why") - covers will, motivation and attitude to success.
Organizations that foster a passion for knowledge (“want to know why”) can thrive in the face of rapid change and update their cognitive skills, applied skills and systems understanding to compete in markets for goods and services. By developing corporate memory, you can facilitate the exchange of knowledge within the organization, since innovations implemented in one of its departments become available to other departments if they are stored in the memory of the organization. Corporate memory comes in three forms: in human memory, on paper, and electronically. In order to use the knowledge stored in human memory, it must be clear and orderly. This means that knowledge must be organized and presented in different structures in the knowledge repository, just as data and information are organized and presented in different types of databases. Most of this knowledge can be presented in electronic form in the form of expert systems.
At the “Distribute” stage, knowledge is retrieved from corporate memory and made available for use. Employees enter data on their requests and personal interests into the corporate memory, which then automatically distributes any newly received information to “subscribers”, either in electronic or paper form. In addition, individuals, groups and departments often exchange ideas, opinions, knowledge and experiences in meetings held in person or using collaborative software (team automation software). It is important that the results of discussions, discussions and collaboration are available at the stage of obtaining information in the knowledge management process. For example, different points of view and their rationale should be recorded as part of the decision-making process, as well as the method used to make the final decision.
At the “Apply” stage, the necessary knowledge is used in the implementation of knowledge, problem solving, decision making, searching for ideas and learning. In order to easily find, access and apply the required knowledge at the right time and in the right form, a query language is needed. Integrated "performance support" systems are used by many leading companies to improve productivity and knowledge-sharing among workers. To provide access to knowledge, first of all, it is necessary to create clear classification and navigation systems for quick viewing and obtaining knowledge. To obtain the required knowledge in a timely manner, a proactive system is needed that understands the user's task and conditions, monitors his actions and determines when it is necessary to intervene to help in the form of work support or a training module. Users can also order the format in which knowledge will be presented. Finally, users can request help, consultation, test and validation modules.
The Build phase identifies new knowledge through tools such as customer observation, customer feedback and analysis, causal analysis, benchmarking, best practices, and lessons learned from business process modernization and process streamlining projects , research, experimentation, creative thinking, automated knowledge acquisition and data mining. This stage also determines how to get non-verbal, subconscious knowledge from domain experts and turn it into documentary, official knowledge. At the same time, new sources of knowledge should be formalized, fixed in the knowledge management process and available to users.
At the last stage, "Sell", new goods and services are created on the basis of intellectual capital that can be sold outside the enterprise. Before this stage becomes possible, other stages must reach a certain stage of maturity.
The increase in the level of competence is the main measure of the volume of knowledge and the degree of mastering it. Competence is a knowledge-based degree of understanding of what is required to get the job done. This is what the diverse activities associated with the performance of the knowledge management function are aimed at at each of the stages (Fig. 2)
Rice. 2. A hypothetical model of increasing the level of competence and quality of work performance depending on the degree of mastery of knowledge
The American economist T. Beckman identifies the most essential properties that should be guided by when performing work at each stage: increasing efficiency, focusing on the consumer, improving and improving quality, flexibility and adaptation, the level of professional experience and knowledge, the speed of learning and implementation of innovations, the presence of innovative system based on information technology, self-control. The general structure of the knowledge system together with the stages of their transformation is presented in Table 3.
Table 3. The structure of the knowledge system (according to Scheer, 1999)
|
Login (resources) |
Operator (convert input to output) |
Output (results) |
|
|
Personnel (human resource) |
Knowledge base and knowledge life cycle: 1) Goal setting 2) Potential analysis 3) Accumulation 4) Development 5) Protection and storage 6) Transfer 7) Use |
Stream of innovative products |
|
|
Training and motivation systems |
|||
|
Information (information resource) |
high stable, long-term competitive Benefits |
||
|
Technique (technical resource) |
|||
|
Information Technology |
|||
|
Business processes, their composition and technologies |
|||
|
Organizational structure (communication system) |
Stream of innovative |
||
|
Finance (financial resource) |
Problems and contradictions. Many enterprises realize the importance of the knowledge resource and the management of this resource in connection with the intensification of competition and the transition of strategic management from the classical market orientation to the resource one. A significant proportion of modern corporations have incorporated knowledge management into the structure of strategic planning and management. At the same time, the introduction of knowledge management into the practice of the enterprise is in many cases unsuccessful due to the lack of adequate methods of linking and processing knowledge, as well as providing access to the knowledge of the relevant personnel. In practice, various approaches are used to overcome the difficulties that arise. Some measures in this area are presented in Table 4, the implementation of knowledge management functions often encounters certain technological difficulties, among which the following can be indicated.
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