Machinery Lubrication magazine published by Noria Corporation
Issue link: https://www.e-digitaleditions.com/i/388231
it easier to access the knowledge produced inside an organization. In addition to knowing what KM is, it is also important to understand what it is not. KM is not technology. It is not a direc- tive, and it is not a business strategy. KM is a dynamic management system for a viable business strategy, not just a storage capacity for accumulated knowledge. KM is also the ability to act on that knowledge. Organizations are no longer valued just for what they have done but for the potential of what they might be able to do. Remember, knowledge is connected. For information to be transformed into knowl- edge, you must recognize, support and manage the connections, and most impor- tantly the people, who are the ultimate owners of all knowledge. KM Concepts Understanding KM begins with two basic characteristics: knowledge complexity and knowledge applications. The former refers to the physical manifestations and depth of knowledge available, while the latter is the approach to connecting knowl- edge to people and processes. Knowledge Complexity All knowledge can be classified according to its complexity in a continuum from explicit to tacit. Explicit knowledge is articu- lated in formal language and easily transmitted among individuals. Tacit knowl- edge is personal knowledge embedded in individual experiences and involving such intangible factors as personal beliefs, perspectives, instincts and values. Implicit knowledge is another common term that refers to knowledge derived from the careful and deliberate decomposing of tacit knowledge into a quantifiable and codifiable series of explicit knowledge. In other words, it is tacit knowledge in the process of becoming explicit knowledge. An iceberg is frequently used as an analogy to represent the relationship between explicit and tacit knowledge, with explicit knowledge as the visible top of the iceberg and tacit knowledge as the iceberg's unseen, underlying portion. Knowledge Chain In their book Corporate Instinct, Thomas Koulopoulos, Richard Spinello and Wayne Toms developed the concept of the knowl- edge chain. This chain has four links that determine the uniqueness and longevity of any organization: internal awareness, internal responsiveness, external responsive- ness and external awareness. Internal awareness is the ability of an organization to quickly assess its inventory of skills and core competency. Internal responsiveness is the ability to exploit internal awareness. External responsiveness is the ability to best meet the requirements of the market. External awareness is the mirror image of internal awareness. KM Applications The four applications of KM are inter- mediation, externalization, internalization and cognition. Intermediation is the connection between knowledge and people. Externalization is the connection of the knowledge to other knowledge. There are two fundamental components of exter- nalization: the capture and storage, and the classification or organization of the knowl- edge. Internalization is the connection of knowledge to query. Cognition is the linking of knowledge to process. It is the process of making or mapping decisions based on available knowledge. Impact of KM KM has demonstrated an impact on business. In an economy based on knowl- edge, KM is the critical element of a business strategy that will allow an organization to accelerate the rate at which it handles new market challenges and opportunities. It does so by leveraging its most precious resources — collective know-how, talent and experience (intellectual capital). Implementing a KM system offers several benefits, including: • Reducing the dependency on tacit knowledge • Minimizing the loss of intellectual capital • Promoting creativity and innovation • Providing more flexibility • Increasing the response capacity and quality before changes occur • Improving management quality and efficiency • Improving integration with linked external parts (customers, suppliers, partners) • Making organizational learning easier • Reducing risks • Facilitating decision-making Maintenance and KM Maintenance is one of the most prolific areas in an organization for producing knowledge, both explicit and tacit. For example, this would include handbooks for equipment installation and operation, procedures, checklists, asset records, peri- odical reports, technical books, reference tables, technical knowledge, etc. Explicit maintenance knowledge should not be of great concern, as it is more of an issue of organization and classification. Tacit maintenance knowledge must be internalized. It coexists with intelligence and experience, and affects how decisions are made. For this reason, the primary K N O W L E D G E unplanned Planned Anticipated unanticipated Traditional IT Solutions RESPOnSE STIMuLuS Focus of knowledge-based solutions in a dynamic work environment Elements of knowledge management KnOWLEDGE MAnAGEMEnT Organizational Culture Information Technology Intellectual Capital ML