KnowledgeBoard book
2nd KnowledgeBoard book - Hands-on Knowledge Co-Creation and Sharing: Practical Methods and Techniques.
This is the second book by the KnowledgeBoard Community for the Global Knowledge Management Community. It follows the pattern of the first KnowledgeBoard book, 'Real-Life Knowledge Management: Lessons from the Field' (see below), in presenting the practical experiences of knowledge workers.
Hands-on Knowledge Co-Creation and Sharing: Practical Methods and Techniques presents 30 hands-on moderation, facilitation, collaboration, and interaction methods and techniques, both face-to-face and software-based. Each presented method/technique is augmented with real-life cases on its use; provides direction on what needs to be done before, during and after the use of each method/technique to achieve tangible and measurable results; provides a set of tips and tricks on the use and adaptation of the method/technique for different contexts and settings; and provides a list of potholes to avoid when using the method/technique.
The prime audience of this book is industry practitioners, event moderators, facilitators, consultants, researchers, and academia with an interest in the use and adaptation of effective methods and techniques to foster knowledge co-creation and sharing.
To download a free copy, please click here.
1st KnowledgeBoard book - Real-Life Knowledge Management: Lessons from the Field.
The KnowledgeBoard community book on KM case studies is finally here for you to download. Its print version, will be formally launched at Contactivity on April 10. All of the case studies below are from KB community members and are freely available for download from the KB library (click on the title of each case study to access it). The complete book can be downloaded here, or by clicking on the cover below.
Background and Introduction
There is a body of knowledge and literature around the broad theme of knowledge management. While some is grounded in scientific theories, others offer guidance on how to undertake successful knowledge management initiatives. There is however, very limited material on real-life cases that one can actually learn from. The aim of this book is to tap into the experience of members of the KnowledgeBoard community and to then share this experience through a structured set of hands-on case studies.
Case studies offer an opportunity for reflection and learning through close examination of the domain or industrial sector presented within a case study. While some may argue that as opposed to scientific methods and theories, case studies cannot be replicated, they serve as a valuable mechanism for possible adaptation. They serve as an effective means for the capture of good and bad practices in a simple and reader-understandable manner. It may be argued that case studies are tacit in nature. This is true to the point that many rely on the experiences of those engaged in the case study. Thereby, they offer an opportunity to access the true source of knowledge. In the words of Albert Einstein, “The only source of knowledge is experience” .
In early 2005, we were time and again asked by different members of the KnowledgeBoard community for case studies on knowledge management. We explored the idea further and realised that a book on real-life knowledge management experiences could serve as an excellent mechanism for creating a portfolio of case studies from different domains and industrial sectors. Based on more than thirty expressions of interest and more than twenty case study submissions, we set about on the task to create KnowledgeBoard’s first book. Our main selection criterion for the cases was that they must be practical and easy to understand and together, should cover a broad set of domains and industrial sectors. Each of the eighteen case studies in this book has been peer-reviewed and where required, its contents improved.
Real-Life Knowledge Management: Lessons from the Field is about the art and practice of knowledge management in real life settings. Knowledge is both created and shared within a context. Based on the hands-on experiences of the authors’ where the knowledge was created and valuable lessons learned, this book provides the context for the sharing of this knowledge through a set of case studies spanning several domains and areas of practice.
Through the eighteen case studies presented in this book, we learn about practical experiences in consultancies, financial institutions, fire fighting, global project management groups, public administrations, research and development organisations, small and medium enterprises, sports centres, the aerospace sector, the automotive industry, the construction industry, the IT sector, the maritime industry, the mould and die making industry, the nuclear industry, the oil and gas industry, and the water management sector. The case studies draw from a pool of experience spanning Austria, Belgium, Brazil, Finland, Germany, India, Israel, Italy, Norway, South Africa, the Netherlands, and the United Kingdom.
Case Study Structure
All eighteen case studies presented in this book have been organised around a common content presentation structure to foster ease of reading and understanding. Structured around industrial experiences and communities of practice, industry analysis and business modelling, and the design and implementation of knowledge management solutions, each case study features sections on industrial context, problem definition, learning objectives, approach, case analysis, key findings, business impacts, a set of conclusions, and most importantly, offers a valuable set of practical tips and lessons learned.
Portfolio of Case Studies
Knowledge is co-created and shared within a context. This book serves as such a context for sharing knowledge. Hopefully you will use it as a basis for new knowledge creation/adaptation within your organisations, and use it to get in touch with the authors to share your experiences and co-create new knowledge. We hope you enjoy this collection of real-life case studies in knowledge management as much as we and the authors did in presenting and compiling some of the great experiences we had in exploring, implementing, and being part of knowledge management initiatives in different industrial settings.
Industrial Experiences and Communities of Practice
Learn, Exchange, Develop
Peter Troxler and Kristina Lauche
This case study is about how three organisations in the oil and gas industry implemented communities of practice to foster learning, sharing and development of knowledge. In this case study, we recognise that one-dimensional, tactical implementations of communities of practice fail to deliver all potential. We learn the various characteristics of communities of practice that need to be addressed when designing such communities and understand that one purpose of communities of practice is to build capacities and that therefore their implementation needs a strategic approach.
The Knowledge Management Journey of Israel Aircraft Industry
Rony Dayan, Edna Pasher and Ron Dvir
This case study is about the journey of Israel Aircraft Industries into knowledge management. It describes how the plan was embedded in the company’s comprehensive change program which focuses on four core principles: customer; people; innovation and technology; and one company. In this case study, we learn the need to balance well planned and emergent initiatives, central and local resources, comprehensive strategies and step-wise implementation.
Communities of Practice – A Case Study from the Automotive Industry
Patricia Wolf and Abdul Samad (Sami) Kazi
This case study describes how upon a merger of two automotive firms, a project aimed at facilitating co-creation of knowledge across different functional units was implemented. It provides an overview of the conception, implementation, and optimisation of the project. The case study provides reflections and key lessons learned on how cross-functional communities of practice can be developed, nurtured, sustained, and as to what radical changes they may bring into existing organisational decision making processes.
Sharing through Social Interaction: The Case of YIT Construction Ltd.
Abdul Samad (Sami) Kazi and Anssi Koivuniemi
This case study introduces the concept of social processes and intervention points as effective instruments for the capture and sharing of knowledge in project-based industries such as construction. We learn the use of social processes in solving complex problems through cross-functional teams and are exposed to new forms of knowledge visualisation through a combination of building product models and knowledge sources.
Addressing Communication Silo’s using Complexity Techniques and Social Network Analysis
Sonja Blignaut
This case study brings forth experiences from the information management division of a large financial institution in South Africa that was struggling with functional silos that prohibited their ability to leverage the strengths of their different areas of specialisation. In this case study, we are reminded not to forget the context in which an SNA was run. If run to determine the knowledge network, it should not be used to extrapolate the graphs to provide cultural insights.
Beneath the Surface of Conscious Patterns: Using Narrative to Characterise the Culture of Innovation at a Leading R&D Organisation
Gillian A. Maree, Dirk J. Roux and Mario A. Marais
This case study provides insights into the use of narrative techniques to uncover behaviours, themes and archetypes beyond everyday conscious patterns of recognition within and R&D organisation. We learn of ten interesting archetypes for innovation, namely the: Clumsy Puppy, Couch Referee, Courageous Captain, Bright-Eyed-Bushy-Tailed Researcher, Inspiring Coach, Intellectual Maverick, Intrepid Explorer, Meticulous Bureaucrat, Narrow-minded Nitpicker and Willing Victim.
Industry Analysis and Business Modelling
Applying Business Modelling to Knowledge Management
Lale Citipitioglu Eidal, Flemming Hjorth and Jørgen Kadal
This case describes how one organisation, DNV Maritime, discovered and applied a unique approach to business modelling for developing and communicating effective knowledge management solutions within a complex environment of a wide range of processes, technologies, and competencies. We learn how business modelling can help describe and visualise all aspects of a business environments for use in identifying knowledge management needs and solutions.
From Knowledge Management to Business Intelligence
Joël Van Hoolandt
This case study discusses the changes that occurred in a global knowledge management program within a big financial services company. We learn of the strategic knowledge management market segmentation within an audit firm and are informed that management shifts in knowledge management strategies are not accidental. The case study informs that international knowledge management projects embed changes within themselves, going from a technical stage to a people focus and, finally, a business intelligence stage.
Enabling Cross-Project Knowledge Creation through 'Knowledge Oriented Project Supervision'
Waltraud Grillitsch, Alexandra Müller-Stingl and Robert Neumann
This case study describes the concept and process of a successful institutionalisation to foster communication and sharing among through the use of knowledge oriented project supervision meetings. We learn of the reasons and pre-conditions for implementing knowledge management, the key concepts and processes of effective knowledge oriented supervision meetings, and how to institutionalise knowledge management within organisations in the long-run.
Sharing Knowledge between Generations: a Case Study about Managing Apprenticeship in Italian Districts
Marco Ruffino
This case study concentrates on how effective knowledge management as opposed to knowledge transfer can be used as an effective learning mechanism for apprentices within SMEs. We learn of the typical knowledge transmission problems in SMEs-apprentice relationships and of strategies aimed at improving learning processes from both formal and non-formal learning perspectives.
Knowledge Based Methods in Cost Reduction Processes
Roberta Cuel
This case study presents how consultants manage knowledge in order to effectively produce value from their activities. It primarily focuses on social aspects, namely the relations among individuals that allow people to improve their productivity in terms of expertise in the service activity and innovation of products and solutions. We learn how cost management consultants through re-alignment of their strategies become knowledge brokers amongst producers and vendors and enable co-innovation amongst them.
Supporting Mathematical Modelling by Guiding and Monitoring
Huub Scholten and Adrie J.M. Beulens
This case study discusses how a knowledge base can be used to solve complex multi-disciplinary problems through a model based approach in the water management sector. We learn how successful execution and completion of multi-disciplinary complex projects can be supported through a knowledge-based system. This system facilitates communication between team members and helps them to report what has been done, formatted for various purposes and audiences.
Design and Implementation of KM Solutions
Knowledge Management for Organisations Dealing with Critical Incidents
Andrew Lewis and Ben Diamond
This case study discusses the development and implementation of knowledge management tools and processes for use by fire fighters. We learn how critical incident managers can integrate outside knowledge into their decision-making without experiencing information overload. The case study also describes how KM methods and tools can gain the trust necessary for their deployment in domains where lives are on the line and where trust is generally built through long-standing relationships.
prodela: On-Demand Training for Public Administrations
Liza Wohlfart and Dorothee Frielingsdorf
This case study discusses how an on-demand training solution was developed to help German public administration keep up their modernisation process through translation of theoretical concepts into real-life practice. We learn how by combining e-learning, traditional seminars and knowledge management in an innovative mixture can enable on-demand support and strengthen community aspects within public administrations.
Building KM @ Patni
Shashi Kadapa
This case study describes how a knowledge management initiative at Patni (global IT services provider) was used to build and sustain a focused KM solution to meet the challenge of generating knowledge value for a highly mobile global 10,000 workforce, serving Fortune 1000 customers. We learn how to build a brand within an organisation around a knowledge management initiative and as to how to harness various drivers such as market, people, technology and others to make the knowledge management initiative sustainable and successful.
Identifying Key Skills and Competencies Across the Enterprise
Gary Cairns
This case study describes the design and implementation of a tool for identifying qualifications, skills, and experiences of employees within an enterprise engaged in the UK nuclear sector. We learn how to create a taxonomy of skills and competencies and build a database for enterprise sharing of this information. The case study furthermore provides guidance on how to apply change management principles to gain buy-in from all staff involved in the implementation and roll out.
Open Source Content Management System for a Sports Centre
Arthur Visser
This case study presents an insight into how the content management needs of a sports centre in the Netherlands could be satisfied through the implementation of an open source content management system. We learn of the key benefits and pitfalls involved in implementing a content management system for sports centres (or even SMEs). The case study also discusses the differences and financial implications between implementing an open source content management system and a proprietary one.
Virtual Collaboration in the Brazilian Mould and Die Making Industry
Rolando Vargas Vallejos and Patricia Wolf
This case study discusses how competitors in the Brazilian die and mould making industry tried to establish stable relationships through the concept of virtual organisation breeding environments. The case study informs how through joining forces it was possible to have access to new technologies, to share information and knowledge, to qualify employees, to contract research projects and consultancy work. We learn that through the establishment of such collaborative networks, new co-created innovations may emerge.
