This document discusses the past, present, and future of knowledge management (KM). It describes how KM has evolved from informal storytelling to more formal and structured approaches, and is now becoming more social and collaborative through tools like Enterprise 2.0. The future of KM is presented as integrating data, documents, and technologies to support a balance between centralized governance and decentralized sharing. Organizations will provide resources like vocabularies and taxonomies to support personalized, collaborative innovation, better decision making, and operational knowledge through a transparent KM platform.

1. The Future of KM?
Christian De Neef
Fast Track Consulting – Brussels
Dalian, China – August 28, 2012

2. Layers of KM…
… before we “invented” KM
Informal, storytelling, focus on passing K
from one generation to the next…
Social by nature

3. Layers of KM…
Formal KM
Many schools
Classification, codification, ...
Structured/disciplined
Industrial view (focus on processes
& technology)

4. Layers of KM…
Informal KM
Schools don’t matter
anymore
Collaboration, sharing, ...
Social view (focus on
people & networks)
The emergence of
“Enterprise 2.0”

5. Enterprise 2.0 (today’s KM?)
 “Enterprise 2.0 is the emergence of new
social relationships within companies, or
between companies and their competitors,
partners or customers, often facilitated by
social software” (inspired by Professor
Andrew McAfee’s book)
 Enterprise 2.0 is also blurring the traditional
boundaries and role models
 Private/Business life/relationships are blending
 Employees are empowered/Top-down governance
 Today’s client may be yesterday’s competitor and
tomorrow’s partner

6. Enterprise 2.0 (today’s KM?)
 What is changing…
e1.0 e2.0
 Hierarchy  Network
 Authority  Responsibility
 Top-down  Bottom-up (grassroots?)
 Closed  Open
 Controlled  Uncontrollable (empowered?)
 Stability  Flexibility
 Business/Professional  Social/Casual (conversation?)

7. Enterprise 2.0 (today’s KM?)
 What is changing, also…
e1.0 e2.0
Centralized… Decentralized…
- Central center of power - No center of power
- Governs all local units - No common governance
- Controls all communications - No inter-unit communication control
Gracefully borrowed from Dr. Frank Habermann, ©
Becota 2009, with special thanks to Karen Schmidt

8. Layers of KM…
Integrated KM
KM-enabling
technologies
Reduce the
cognitive load
Support from
Big Data to
Personal KM
KM will become
transparent

9. The Future of KM
 The (re)integration of data & document management

10. The Future of KM
 The (re)integration of data & document management
• DBMS are dealing better with
Knowledge objects
• Automated Recognition, Extraction, and
Classification technologies
• Integration of ECM & ERP
• Convergence of BI & Document
Analytics (IBM)

11. The Future of KM
 Organizations are evolving to support this…
Extended Enterprise
Open Data
Information Intelligence
Computer Neural Networks
“Interestingness”
With thanks to Dr. Iaakov Exman from
The Jerusalem College of Engineering
BYOD
Personal KM
Profiling
“Always on” - NWoW
Personalization

12. The Future of KM
 Organizations are evolving to support this…
Organizations must provide
• Vocabulary & Semantics (meaning)
• Taxonomy (classification/metadata)
• APIs & Standardized data access

13. The Future of KM
 Organizations are evolving to support this…
Organizations are not at the heart of the
Knowledge access/exchange anymore!
Personalization

14. The Future of KM
 Finding the right balance in terms of Governance…
 Influenced by Technology (Web 2.0, semantic web, etc.)
 Influenced by Society (Gen Y, end-user emancipation, etc.)
Centralized Decentralized
Formal Informal
Structured Unstructured
Standardized “BYOD”
“KMO” “NWoW”

15. The Future of KM
 Why is it worth the effort?
(listening to our clients/alignment with business objectives)
Support
Collaborative Innovation
Better Decision-making
Quality &
Productivity
KM

16. The Future of KM
 KM as a platform/infrastructure - “hide KM for success”
Collaborative Decision- Operational Learning &
Innovation making Knowledge Development
Capture Access Semantics Analytics Visualization
KM Platform/Infrastructure

17. The Future of KM
Ultimately…
Social again?

18. Christian De Neef
Owner, Fast Track Consulting
cdn@fasttrack.be
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