A manager can introduce knowledge management through a project management approach with phases for analysis, planning, and implementation. Another approach focuses on stakeholder involvement with technical and power promoters driving the process. A manager may also choose an introductionary path that is either technology-oriented, champion-driven, competitively pressured, or a top-down management decision. An ideal-type model emphasizes organizational development and user participation over IT focus. Main obstacles to knowledge management include high costs, lack of measurable success, information overload, and loss of user acceptance.

1. How can a manager introduce
Knowledge Management?
Topic 5 – ORG33
AKAD Stuttgart 9/2009
Nico Schuster

2. Overview
• Knowledge Management?
• Implementation based on Project Management
– Concept by Fraunhofer
– Concept by Bullinger/Wörner/Prieto
• Introductionary path
• Ideal-type based model
• Obstacles
• Conclusion
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3. Knowledge Management?
• Knowledge Management (KM) comprises a range of
practices used in an organization to identify,
create, represent, distribute and enable adoption
of insights and experiences.
Such insights and experiences comprise
knowledge, either embodied in individuals or
embedded in organizational processes or practice.
• KM System refers to a (generally IT based) system
for managing knowledge in organizations for
supporting creation, capture, storage and
dissemination of information.
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4. Implementation based on Project Management
• Fraunhofer
• Assumption:
KM projects are unique and have individual elements
àImplementation as to follow principles of project management
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5. Implementation based on Project Management
• Fraunhofer
• Phases:
•Analysis phase
focus on organizational processes, information flow
performance indicators
à What is needed, how should our KM look like
•Planning phase
how should the concept look like?
What instruments of KM should be utilized?
à Find the right people, technology and organizational surrounding
drafts of “how” and “what” are refined in several stages
•Implementation phase
decisions on systems and solutions; pilot-like project kicked off
using “domino principle”
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6. Implementation based on Project Management
• Bullinger/Wörner/Prieto
• Assumption:
KM projects are unique and have individual elements
AND
focus on involvement of stakeholders
àImplementation has to follow principles of project management
àDrivers are Power Promoters and Technical Promoters
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7. Introductionary path
• Path I
Technology oriented
First IT preconditions are developed afterwards
they are adjusted to feed the needs of KM
e.g. Best Practices sharing, DBs etc.
• Path II
Driven by one Knowledge Manager who
encourages others to participate
• Path III
Driven by pressure to benchmark / competition
IT solutions are adjusted for KM
• Path IV
Management decision „Top Down“ approach
Incentive systems established
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8. Introductionary path
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9. Ideal-type based model
• Very similiar to „standard“ software projects
• Strong focus on organizational development
• Participation of KM users has high priority
• Not IT focus but focus on
„who knows what“ and
„where to find what“
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10. Ideal-type based model
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11. Obstacles
• Main reasons for problems are
• High costs
• No measurable success
• Too much information (overload)
• Loss of acceptance from user side
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12. Conclusion
• No „one fits all“ solution
• Project characteristic; but focus has to be on users
NOT Information technology
• Change Management
„The learning and knowledge that we have, is, at the most, but little compared
with that of which we are ignorant.“
Plato
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13. Thank you very much for
your attention!
Nico Schuster
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