Knowledge management : an exploratory overview

M.Comm.KM is not an exact science. This is due to the unique qualities of information and knowledge as discussed in section 2.3 of this dissertation. What can be done at best is to • look at some of the models available and then adapt it to the company's environment and specific needs. But even before a specific model is adopted, management must ensure that they consider all aspects of KM and not just focus on for instance IT and ignore the people aspect. Therefor it is important to understand the concept of knowledge, information and KM. Chapter 2 in this dissertation is dedicated to explaining the concept of KM and to distinguish it from IM. It is followed by a discussion of two generic KM models and a more practical model that illustrates the flow of information within an organisation. CI as a subdivision of KM offers guidelines to companies on how to structure their information gathering process on competitors and the competitive environment. The CI process also includes the interpretation and presentation of the results of a CI program. CI practitioners spend a considerable amount of time gathering data, some as much as sixty percent. What is advocated in this chapter, is that CI practitioners or market researchers should construct a plan before they begin to gather information. They should identify the problems that they want to solve and then only collect the data to provide answers to these problems. The final chapter in this dissertation presents a practical application of the various models discussed in chapter 2 in context of one of the newly established IDC SBU's . The NBD SBU's current KM activities are mapped on a KM map. Accordingly it can determine where it finds itself currently with its KM program and how it could develop its KM strategy. What made this application fairly easy was that the staff members of the SBU are familiar with the sources of market information and are experienced market researchers. They however did lack a holistic view of all the components involved in a KM process, and the KM map certainly did help them to form a better insight of the possibilities that such a KM program offers