This document provides an overview of knowledge management (KM), highlighting its importance in fostering innovation, improving decision-making, and enhancing organizational effectiveness through better knowledge sharing and utilization. It discusses the evolution of KM, common pitfalls in implementation, and best practices, emphasizing that KM is fundamentally about people and culture rather than just technology. The presentation also outlines various tools, such as wikis, that facilitate knowledge exchange and offers recommendations for organizations aiming to implement effective KM strategies.

1. Knowledge Management Overview
It’s Not a Great Idea If You Can’t Implement It
Presented by:
Joe Hessmiller,
Director, CAI- Texas
Computer Aid, Inc.
(512) 934-3898
Joe_Hessmiller@compaid.com

2. Choose Your Approach Well
It’s Not a Great Idea if You Can’t Implement It
“The gap between what's technically possible
and what the corporate culture is willing and
able to accept is often wider than many people
automatically assume.”
- Dion Hinchcliffe

3. What Problem Are We Trying to Solve?
Why Are We Here?
• Keeping Up with Complex, Rapidly Changing
Environment
• Preventing Loss of Tacit Knowledge
“Repositories”
• Leveraging Tacit Knowledge for Organizational
Benefit
• Leveraging Explicit Knowledge Better
• Enabling Creativity and Sharing

4. Why Are We Here
Our Agenda
• Common Understanding of Basics of
Knowledge Management
– What It Is
– Value of KM
– A Little History
– Lessons Learned
– The Wiki Way
– Leading Products
– Recommendations
– Resources (w links)

5. Who Am I
Computer Aid, Inc.
• Joe Hessmiller
• Director, CAI – Texas
• CAI for 24 Years
• Risk Management Services
– Automated Project Office
– VeriCenter
– Managed Maintenance

6. What is Knowledge Management?
More than Software…
Knowledge Management caters to the critical issues of
organizational adaption, survival and competence in face of
increasingly discontinuous environmental change.... Essentially,
it embodies organizational processes that seek synergistic
combination of data and information processing capacity of
information technologies, and the creative and innovative
capacity of human beings.
Malhotra, Yogesh. "Deciphering the Knowledge Management Hype," The Journal for Quality &
Participation, July/August 1998

7. What is Knowledge Management?
A LOT of Things….
Specific Categories
Artificial Agents · Artificial Intelligence · Automatic Classification · Bayesian Analysis ·
Bayesian Nets · Best Practices · Bibliometrics · Brainstorming · Business Rules ·
Business Intelligence · Case Based Reasoning · Classification · Cluster Analysis ·
Collaborative Technologies · Communities of Practice · Computational Linguistics ·
Computer Languages · Concept Mapping · Content Analysis · Content Management ·
Content Organization · Conferencing · Constraint Solving · Creativity Software · Data Analysis ·
Data Management · Data Mining · Data Storage · Data Warehousing · Decision Support·
Digital Asset Management · Digital Dashboards · Distance Learning· Document Management ·
eLearning · e-Learning · e-Mail Processing · Enterprise Portals · Executive Information Systems ·
Evolutionary Computing · Fuzzy Logic · Fuzzy Systems · Genetic Algorithms · Groupware Systems ·
Collaborative Communication · Groupware Technologies · Image Processing · Information Mapping
· Intranets · Knowledge Acquisition · Knowledge Discovery · Knowledge Engineering ·
Knowledge Exchanges · Knowledge Map · Knowledge Mapping · Knowledge Organization ·
Knowledge Processing · Knowledge Portals · Knowledge Retrieval · Knowledge Systems ·
Knowledge Tools · Machine Intelligence · Machine Learning · Meta Analysis · Meta Data ·
Natural Language Processing · Neural Networks · OLAP · Ontologies · Pattern Recognition ·
Project Management · Qualitative Analysis · P2P · Records Management · Scenario Planning ·
Search Algorithms · Semantic Analysis · Semantic Databases · Social Network Analysis ·
Summarization · Taxonomies · Taxonomy Software · Text Processing · Voice Recognition ·
Workflow Management · XML ·

8. What is Knowledge Management?
Culture Change
“Knowledge management (KM) is an effort
to increase useful knowledge within the
organization. Ways to do this include
encouraging communication, offering
opportunities to learn, and promoting the
sharing of appropriate knowledge
artifacts.” McInerney, C. (2002). Knowledge
management and the dynamic nature
of knowledge. JASIST, 53 (2).

9. Value of Knowledge Management
Benefits of Knowledge Management
• Foster innovation by encouraging the free flow of ideas
• Improve decision making
• Improve customer service by streamlining response time
• Boost revenues by getting products and services to market
faster
• Enhance employee retention rates by recognizing the value
of employees' knowledge and rewarding them for it
• Streamline operations and reduce costs by eliminating
redundant or unnecessary processes
"Introduction to Knowledge Management". Unc.edu.
http://www.unc.edu/~sunnyliu/inls258/Introduction_to_Knowledge_Management.ht
. Retrieved 15 January 2010

10. Value of Knowledge Management
Benefits of Knowledge Management
Although 65% of organizations that are currently implementing KM initiatives
have not measured the impact of their performance, large revenue gains and
efficiency improvements have been recorded by numerous major corporations.
• Ford Motor Company accelerated its concept-to-production time from
36 months to 24 months. The flow on value of this has been estimated
at US $1.25 billion,
• The Dow Chemical Company saved $40 million a year in the re-use of
patents,
• Chase Manhattan, one of the largest banks in the US, used Customer
relationship management KM initiatives to increase its annual revenue
by 15%, and
• Pfizer credits KM practices for discovering the hidden benefits of the
Viagra drug.
"Introduction to Knowledge Management". Unc.edu.
http://www.unc.edu/~sunnyliu/inls258/Introduction_to_Knowledge_Management.htm
. Retrieved 15 January 2010

11. History of Knowledge
Management
From Trogs to Blogs
Traditional Knowledge Management
• Discussion
• Formal Apprenticeship
• Forums
• Libraries
• Training Programs
• Mentoring Programs
Post-Computerizations Knowledge Management
• Expert Systems
• Knowledge Bases
• Decision Support Systems
• “Computer Supported Cooperative Work”
"Introduction to Knowledge Management". Unc.edu.
http://www.unc.edu/~sunnyliu/inls258/Introduction_to_Knowledge_Management.htm
. Retrieved 15 January 2010

12. History of Knowledge
Management
70's,
The Early Years
A number of management theorists have contributed to the evolution of knowledge management
• Peter Drucker: information and knowledge as organizational resources
• Peter Senge: "learning organization"
• Leonard-Barton: well-known case study of "Chaparral Steel ", a company having knowledge management strategy
80's,
• Knowledge (and its expression in professional competence) as a competitive asset was apparent
• Managing knowledge that relied on work done in artificial intelligence and expert systems
• Knowledge management-related articles began appearing in journals and books
90's,
• A number of management consulting firms had begun in-house knowledge management programs
• Knowledge management was introduced in the popular press, the most widely read work to date is Ikujiro Nonaka’s and
Hirotaka Takeuchi’s The Knowledge-Creating Company: How Japanese Companies Create the Dynamics of Innovation
(1995)
• The International Knowledge Management Network(IKMN) went online in 1994
• Knowledge management has become big business for such major international consulting firms as Ernst & Young, Arthur
Andersen, and Booz-Allen Hamilton

13. History of Knowledge
Management
Where Are We Now?

14. History of Knowledge
Management
Frightful Failures
“Focusing exclusively on the technical issues of
electronic collaboration is a sure way to a very
expensive failure.”
David Coleman, IBM Manager, San Francisco in Knowledge
Management, a Real Business Guide, London:IBM, nd.

15. History of Knowledge
Management
How Frightful?
Karl Erik Sveiby, the author of The New
Organizational Wealth: Managing and Measuring
Knowledge-Based Assets, contends that the
confusion between `knowledge' and `information'
has caused managers to sink billions of dollars in
technology ventures that have yielded marginal
results.

16. History of Knowledge
Management
It’s Not Just a Few Big Ones, Either.
Some researchers peg the failure rate of knowledge
management projects at 50%. But Daniel Morehead,
director of organizational research at British
Telecommunications PLC in Reston, Va., says the rate
is closer to 70%.

17. Lessons Learned
Common Mistakes
• Mistake No. 1: The most common error is failing to coordinate efforts
between information technology and human resources. Don't fall into the
trap of framing the KM effort as either a technology problem or a people
problem. It isn't an either/or situation - KM needs both to succeed
• Mistake No. 2: Starting with a low-profile project.
• Mistake No. 3: Not changing the compensation scheme to reward
teamwork.
• Mistake No. 4: Building the grand database in the sky to house all your
company's knowledge.
• Mistake No. 5: Assuming someone else will lead the charge.

18. Lessons Learned
New Model: Control to Creativity, Cost to Quality
Enablers & Constraints Model 1 KMS Model 2 KMS
Business & Technology Strategy Pre-definition of Outcomes World of re-everything
Organizational Control Control for Consistency Self-Control for Creativity
Information Sharing Culture Based Upon Contracts Based Upon Trust
Knowledge Representation Static and Pre-specified Dynamic and ‘Constructed’
Organization Structure Insular and Top-Down Inclusive and Self-Organized
Managerial Command and Control For Achieving Compliance For Achieving Commitment
Economic Returns Decreasing Returns Increasing Returns

19. Lessons Learned
It’s About Wanting to Share
• I don‘t know if anybody will ever need my
knowledge.
• I don‘t know how somebody will use my
knowledge.
• I‘d rather take care of really important
things.

20. Lessons Learned
It’s About Wanting to Share
• Sharing knowledge is always voluntary, no one
can ever be forced.
• We share knowledge when we have the right
audience, that motivates us and creates the
right context.
• Social Software alone is not the solution to the
old problems of knowledge management.

21. Lessons Learned
It’s Not a Computer Issue, It’s a People Issue
As noted by Strassmann, elevating computerization
to the level of a magic bullet may lead to the
diminishing of what matters the most in any
enterprise: educated, committed, and imaginative
individuals working for organizations that place
greater emphasis on people than on technologies.
Malhotra, Yogesh. "Deciphering the Knowledge Management
Hype," The Journal for Quality & Participation, July/August 1998

22. Lessons Learned
It’s Not a Computer Issue, It’s a People Issue
Develop the
knowledge, then
determine the
platforms.

23. The Wiki Way
What’s a Wiki?
• Collaborate using modifiable web
pages
• Automatic web page linking and
creation
• Changes are INSTANTLY published
• Page change notifications via email
• Control user access and privileges
• File sharing
• Page index and full text search
• List and restore previous page versions

24. The Wiki Way
Business Benefits
• Make information easier to access
• Better, faster communication
• Information is saved in a central
repository
• Spend less time emailing & in meetings
• Keep information up-to-date
• Get more people involved
• Quickly see who contributed
information

25. The Wiki Way
Representative Business Applications
• Host an Intranet or Extranet
• Organize and manage projects
• Record meeting notes
• Track deadlines
• Gather requirements
• Solve problems remotely
• Co-author proposals
• Communicate initiatives
• Get team members involved

26. The Wiki Way
How Does It Work?
• Read and navigate through pages like a regular
web site.
• Modify any page by clicking the "Edit" link on
that page. Click "Save" and your changes are
INSTANTLY published for others to see.
• Link to another page by putting it's name
between asterisks (eg. *NewPage*). If the page
exists, it will be linked to. If the page does not
exist, it will be automatically created and linked
to.
• Use asterisks linking to link to pictures, other
web sites, uploaded files, wiki pages and email
addresses.

27. The Wiki Way
Product Features
• No complicated rules or languages to learn
• Context sensitive help for beginners
• Search all wikis or all pages in one wiki
• Create, edit, delete, lock, and unlock pages
• View page history and/or restore old versions of a
page
• Upload, download or list all files in a wiki
• Link to files, other web sites, e-mail addresses and
graphics
• Select between 4 levels of security
• Receive e-mail notifications when pages change
• Send e-mail invitations to other users
• My WikiWeb organizes owned wikis and wikis you
are a private member in
• Works with popular web browsers

28. The Wiki Way
So, What’s All This Cost?

29. The Wiki Way
It’s Not Chaos, but Almost…

30. Leading Large Scale KM Products
• Notes: http://www.lotus.com
• Intranet: http://www.astd.org/CMS/templates/index.html?template_id=1&articleid=10635
• Intraspect: http://www.intraspect.com
• Insight: http://www.insighttechnologies.com
• Verity: http://www.verity.com
• Caucus: http://www.screenporch.com
• Primus: http://www.primus.com
• Exchange: http://www.microsoft.com
• Inspiration: http://www.inspiration.com
• Autonomy: http://www.autonomy.com
• Abuzz: http://www.abuzz.com
• GrapeVine?: http://www.grapevine.com
• Multilingual terminologies: http://www.apower.com/
• KnowledgeX: http://www.knowledgex.com
• WebGrid II: http://gigi.cpsc.ucalgary.ca
• Documentum: http://www.documentum.com
• PC Docs: http://www.pcdocs.com
• Aliah: http://www.aliah.com
• Backweb: http://backweb.com
• Hyperknowledge: http://www.hyperknowledge.com
• WebMind: http://intelligenesis.net
• Mediasurface: http://www.mediasurface.com
• LiveLink: http://www.opentext.com
• Livelinked ASP: http://www.livelinked.com/

31. Leading Hosted Wiki Products
• PBwiki – create your personal wiki in less than 30 seconds with this easy online service.
• OttoWiki – build up your personal wiki to track projects or collaborate on documents online.
• WikiSpaces – create simple web pages that groups, friends, and families can edit together.
• WetPaint – build up public and private wikis and join one of the largest wiki communities.
• ServerSideWiki – create a web-hosted wiki specifically designed for extremely fast load times.
• StikiPad – a hosted wiki solution that gives you an easy way to organize your information and share it with others.
• Netcipia – create free private wikis and blogs and invite your coworkers, familiy and friends.
• Ziwiki – build up a free wiki site and collaborate with a large community of users.
• Near-Time – create and customize collaborative wikis for your business, customers and friends.
• LittleWiki – set up free public and private wiki pages that anyone can edit.
• TiddlySpot – get your wiki with no installation required and make it private or public.
• ProjectForum – create hosted wikis to share, discuss and review ideas collaboratively
• Socialtext – build up a wiki in a few seconds. Different plans available for enterprises and smaller groups.
• WikiBios – create a wiki page and edit your own biography. You will become part of a large social network.
• Wiki – create free wikispaces of up to 5 members each with 25MB storage.
• Wikidot – free and professional wiki publishing, collaboration and communication solutions.
• Zoho Wiki – create free hosted group wikis and edit them collaboratively.
• Wik.is – create public or private wikis and easily integrate them with your existing website.
• JotSpot – popular wiki creation service that is momentarily suspended after having been acquired by Google.
• Wikia – a community of users that create, share and discover topics they are passionate about through wikis.
• EditMe – wiki hosting service that helps non-technical users to quickly and easily build editable web sites.
• Versionate – create collaborative spaces where you can share information and review it with other people.

32. Leading Self-Hosted Wiki Products
• ProjectForum – software to create wikis to share, discuss and review ideas collaboratively
• Kwiki – wiki software with over 200 plugins that let you customize the look of your wiki.
• XWiki – open source wiki released under the LGPL license
• Twiki – enterprise collaboration platform and knowledge management system based on wikis.
• OpenWiki –lets you create workspaces that can be collaboratively edited by anyone or by selected
users.
• MediaWikiMediaWiki – free software wiki package originally written for Wikipedia. It’s available for
everyone to use.
• Confluence – enterprise wiki software that makes it easy for your team to collaborate and share
knowledge.

33. Recommendations
Implementation Measures for Facilitating Knowledge Management
• Instead of the traditional emphasis on controlling the people and their behaviors by setting up pre-defined
goals and procedures, they would need to view the organization as a human community capable of
providing diverse meanings to information outputs generated by the technological systems.
• De-emphasize the adherence to the company view of 'how things are done here' and 'best practices' so
that such ways and practices are continuously assessed from multiple perspectives for their alignment
with the dynamically changing external environment.
• Invest in multiple and diverse interpretations to enable constructive conflict mode of inquiry and, thus,
lessen oversimplification of issues or premature decision closure.
• Encourage greater proactive involvement of human imagination and creativity to facilitate greater internal
diversity to match the variety and complexity of the wicked environment.
• Give more explicit recognition to tacit knowledge and related human aspects, such as ideals, values, or
emotions, for developing a richer conceptualization of knowledge management
• Implement new, flexible technologies and systems that support and enable communities of practice,
informal and semi-informal networks of internal employees and external individuals based on shared
concerns and interests.
• Make the organizational information base accessible to organization members who are closer to the
action while simultaneously ensuring that they have the skills and authority to execute decisive responses
to changing conditions.

34. Recommendations
• Understand What You Can Accomplish Before
Starting

35. Recommendations
The Need to Act is Now

36. Recommendations
Don’t Wait for the Culture to be “Right” for KM
The right culture is a goal, not a pre-condition.

37. Research Resources
Useful Links for More In-depth Research
Introduction to Knowledge Management
Case Studies in Knowledge Management
KnowledgeLinks
In the News
Community
Lots of Links
Knowledge Management Sites
Related Sites
Products and Services
Conferences and Events
University Sites
International KM
Knowledge Markets
Periodicals
Professional Organizations
Search Engines and Portals
KM Bookstore