Week 8 - Knowledge Management Systems…

---

1. INTRODUCTION

From my earlier articles I explained the definitions of Knowledge Management (KM) (RSK, 2009a), developing a KM strategy (RSK, 2009b) and then I investigated if knowledge can be managed within organisations (RSK, 2009c). The next step is look at a systemic solution for organisations to manage their knowledge with Knowledge Management System (KMS).

2. “MY PASSING THOUGHTS”

The ideal KMS for an organisation would be a system that would follow every employee day and night, monitor their work, communication and even there thoughts, eventually store all into a database.

Although this is not yet possible, the fact that much of the work process now relies on the use of IT can make this achievable. It is imaginable, that one could create a system that integrates all the tools that an employee uses - from work tools through Web browsers and e-mail clients - and captures, possibly pre-processes, and stores all relevant information.

3. BACKGROUND READING

3.1. Knowledge Management System

According to Jashapara (2004) KMS provide three features: information capture, storage, organisation and access. In organisation context KMS is long-term continued usage of KMS by employees in an organisation.

Properly designed and implemented KMS have the potential to positively impact performance and afford a competitive advantage to an organisation (Robles-Flores & Kulkarni, 2006). However the current reality is that many KMS have failed to deliver on these expectations due to their strong IT orientation and little regard to links with business strategy and the end customer (Jashapara, 2004).

3.2. KMS in Organisation Context

The underlying premise of KMS is that they will meet expectations of senior management for return on investments or increased effectiveness (Jashapara, 2004; RSK, 2009c). As a result, many organisations have invested substantially in projects involving KMS assuming they will contribute to improved performance (Robles-Flores & Kulkarni, 2006).

3.3. Organisation KM Strategy & KMS

KMS should help the organisation to achieve their KM Strategy in delivering KM (RSK, 2009b), for example: KMS could be used to provide training to employees and share practices. Therefore management and the employees of the organisation should support the KM strategy with KMS.

3.4. The Role of IT to support KMS

In order to manage knowledge efficiently and effectively, Dierkes, et al., (2001) suggests strategic managers are looking at IT to deliver KMS. Wei He & Wei (2006) say KMS are a class of “IT based systems applied to managing organizational knowledge”. However this attitude by strategic managers of organisations is that IT will create and store knowledge (RSK, 2009c). IT is a tool to deliver efficiency in combining and disseminating existing information and explicit knowledge. The use of It can only support a KMS, there are factors are required to make KMS work, for example: personalization strategy for KM to have KMS of storytelling, workshops, face-to-face, etc (RSK, 2009b).

Dierkes, et al., (2001) suggests to much emphasis on IT is not good as it does not offer “integrated and holistic way” of dealing with tacit knowledge in the context of the organisation knowledge capturing. In addition what is needed is KMS using IT to support knowledge sharing-creation.

3.5. Closed vs. Open KMS

Groff & Jones (2003) suggest KMS can be closed and open. Closed KMS are totally independent and considered to be somewhat isolated from environmental influences. Open KMS have external sources of energy, information, or materials are more agile (Groff & Jones, 2003). KMS can not be completely closed, they need information from outside to achieve their purpose and produce information outputs that are useful to humans.

4. MY PERSONAL STAND POINT

The position I see KMS as an implementation of KM strategy of implementing KM within an organisation. This can be IT or non-IT, for example: Hansen, et al., (1999) discusses the codification and personalisation strategy that organisation should take in developing KMS.

KMS would provide organisations with a sharing of valuable organisational knowledge. This will result in the organisation in not re-inventing the wheel, thus reduce the mundane work of repeating and lessen training time for new employees, for example: training manuals.

Organisations could also safeguard Intellectual Property (2008) after the employee leaves and knowledge can be codified. As some times ideas that leave the organisation costs in innovation and creativity.

5. THEORY IN PRACTICE

5.1. European Commission

The European Commission created a knowledge center (KMS) that is IT-Based Community of Practice (CoP) with seven different countries where the domain topic is to discuss road, rail and transportation. The community involvement here is conducted by "five research teams". Thus KMS that are IT-Based can bridge the gap between the locality of the CoP and provide individuals and organisations with vital knowledge when required (RSK, 2009c; TRKC, n.d). In addition this is open system that allows knowledge sharing to come from all angles and grow compare to closed system.

5.2. European Rail Network

An annual report in 2002 by European Rail Network attempts to capture knowledge through progression onto programs and also introducing "mechanisms to encourage employees to update their knowledge and skills" through the KMS (Rail Infrastructure Corporation, 2002).

European Rail Network have a "Rail Knowledge Library" as part of the KMS which is used to "preserver and to improve the integrated knowledge on the rail system". As part of CoP, the organisation can connect with university postgraduate students as mentioned "virtual rail university" which not only helps students to develop but also to enhance the resources further. The impact these causes can lead to greater precision of services for the stakeholders and also the end users who are the customers for a reliable service (Eurax, n.d).

The insight this gives provides a greater understanding by incorporating external "research from other sectors" in specific "the communications and information technology" - reflecting this as a bigger scale of CoP to enhance a topic area (Department For Transport, 2008).

5.3. London Transport & HK MTR

Railway Technology (2009) reported that London Transport is looking to improve the services to the customers to deliver a more relaxed environment rather than travelling in hot conditions. This could be done by introducing a cooling system which similarly reflected the HK MTR transport because of the "air conditioning system stored" (MTR Corporation, 2003).

Therefore for UK to be able to implement this successful for the London Underground, there is a need to understand how this was pursued in Hong Kong. Reflecting here is a CoP because of the need to "gain in knowledge of the whole technology". Thus being the domain area being "cooling system" in the field of public transport for the public (Railway Technology, 2009).

---

Reference(s)
	Web		Carr, J. R. & Ehgan, M. R. (2002) Annual Report 2002 - Building A World Class Rail Network [Online]. Country Rail Infrastructure Authority: Australia, New South Wales, Sydney. [Accessed on: 2009-03-03]. [Available on: OpenGov NSW: https://media.opengov.nsw.gov.au/pairtree_root/f9/b7/60/88/22/4d/d9/70/ac/20/e9/89/0a/32/eb/18/obj/document.pdf].
	Document		Department for Transport. (2008) Annual Report 2008 [Document]. Version. Page(s): 1-320. Government of the United Kingdom - Crown Copyright: United Kingdom (UK), England, London. [Accessed on: 2020-01-26]. [Available on: GOV.UK: https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_data/file/228615/7395.pdf].
	Book		Dierkes, M., Antal, A. B., Child, J. & Nonaka, I. (2001) Handbook of Organizational Learning and Knowledge. Oxford University Press: United Kingdom (UK), England, Oxfordshire, Oxford. [ISBN: 9780198295839]. [Available on: Amazon: https://amzn.to/3gBPIat].
	Web		EUropean Rail Research Network of Excellence. (2009) Eurnex Association - A Legal Entity [Online]. European Rail Research Network of Excellence: Germany, Berlin. [Accessed on]. [Available on: EURNEX: https://www.eurnex.org].
	Book		Groff, T. R. & Jones, T. P. (2003) Introduction to Knowledge Management: KM in Business. Pearson Education - Butterworth-Heinemann: United States of America (USA), Massachusetts (MA), Suffolk, Boston. [ISBN: 9780750677288]. [Available on: Amazon: https://amzn.to/3zjRF1H].
	Journal		Hansen, M. T., Nohria, N. & Tierney, T. (1999) What's your strategy for managing knowledge? Harvard Business Review, Volume: 77, Issue: 2, Page(s): 106-116. [Available on: HBR: https://hbr.org/1999/03/whats-your-strategy-for-managing-knowledge].
	Web		Hawkes, A. (2008) London Underground Enters The Ice Age [Online]. Verdict Media Strategies: United Kingdom (UK), England, London. [Accessed on: 2009-03-03]. [Available on: Railway Technology: https://www.railway-technology.com/features/feature44472].
	Conference		He, J. W. & Wei, K.-K. (2006) Knowledge Management Systems (KMS) Continuance in Organizations: A Social Relational Perspective. In: Lang, J., Lin, F. and Wang, J., of editor(s) of the: First International Conference on Knowledge Science, Engineering and Management (KSEM), 5th-8th August 2006. Springer International Publishing: People's Republic of China, Guangxi, Guilin, Volume: 1st, Page(s): 34-41. [doi: 10.1007/11811220_4]. [Available on: Springer: https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/11811220_4].
	Web		IPO. (2008) Welcome to the Intellectual Property Office [Online]. Government of the United Kingdom - Intellectual Property Office: United Kingdom (UK), England, London. [Accessed on: 2008-12-10]. [Available on: GOV.UK: http://www.ipo.gov.uk].
	Book		Jashapara, A. (2004) Knowledge Management: An Integrated Approach. Financial Times Prentice Hall: United Kingdom (UK), England, Essex, Harlow. [ISBN: 9780273682981]. [Available on: Amazon: https://amzn.to/3znhy0G].
	Blog		Kahlon, R. S. (2009) Week 3 - Knowledge Management...? [Online]. dkode: United Kingdom (UK), England, London, Hendon. [Published on: 2009-02-02]. [Article ID: RSK666-0000007]. [Available on: dkode | Ravi: https://ravi.dkode.co/2009/02/week-2-what-is-knowledge-management_01.html].
	Blog		Kahlon, R. S. (2009) Week 4 - Developing a KM Strategy? [Online]. dkode: United Kingdom (UK), England, London, Hendon. [Published on: 2009-02-04]. [Article ID: RSK666-0000008]. [Available on: dkode | Ravi: https://ravi.dkode.co/2009/02/week-2-what-is-knowledge-management_04.html].
	Blog		Kahlon, R. S. (2009) Week 8 - Knowledge Management Systems… [Online]. dkode: United Kingdom (UK), England, London, Hendon. [Published on: 2009-03-12]. [Article ID: RSK666-0000014]. [Available on: dkode | Ravi: http://ravi.dkode.co/2009/03/week-8-knowledge-management-systems.html].
	Web		NETLIPSE. (2009) Projects & Analysis [Online]. Networking Knowledge of Large Infrastructure Projects in Europe: Netherlands, Randstad, Utrecht, Baarn. [Accessed on: 2009-03-03]. [Available on: NETLIPSE: https://netlipse.eu].
	Conference		Robles-Flores, J. A. & Kulkarni, U. (2005) Knowledge Management Systems: A Business Value Model. In: of editor(s) of the: 10th Pacific Asia Conference on Information Systems, 7th-10th July 2005. Association for Information Systems: Thailand, Central Thailand, Bangkok, Volume: 10th, Page(s): 325-337. [Available on: AIS: https://aisel.aisnet.org/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1139&context=pacis2005].
	Journal		Salisbury, M. W. (2003) Putting theory into practice to build knowledge management systems. Journal of Knowledge Management, Volume: 7, Issue: 2, Page(s): 128-141. [doi: 10.1108/13673270310477333]. [Available on: Emerald: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/13673270310477333/full/html].
	Journal		Snowden, D. (2005) Strategy in the context of uncertainty. Handbook of Business Strategy, Volume: 6, Issue: 1, Page(s): 47-54. [doi: 10.1108/08944310510556955]. [Available on: Emerald: https://www.emerald.com/insight/content/doi/10.1108/08944310510556955/full/html].
	Conference		Tong, D. (2003) Platform screen Doors Programme of MTR Corporation Better Environment For Less Energy. In: IP Shu-kwan, S., of editor(s) of the: Proceedings of the 1st International Conference on Energy Efficiency & Conservation (ICEEC), 15th-17th June 2003. Mass Transit Railway: People's Republic of China, Hong Kong, Volume: 1st, Page(s): 74-77. [doi: 10.1.1.111.9121]. [Available on: Issuu: https://issuu.com/raviii/docs/pages_from_10.1.1.111.9121].

---

Reference (or cite) Article
	Kahlon, R. S. (2009) Week 8 - Knowledge Management Systems… [Online]. dkode: United Kingdom, England, London, Hendon. [Published on: 2009-03-12]. [Article ID: RSK666-0000014]. [Available on: dkode | Ravi - http://ravi.dkode.co/2009/03/week-8-knowledge-management-systems.html].

---