When knowledge in the organization is freely accessible to employees to do their jobs properly, high productivity and effectiveness can be assured. On the other hand in the absence of an effective system for sharing and disseminating knowledge, a lot of time can be wasted in inefficient activities and repetitive/ duplication of work. Ineffective knowledge management creates gaps in knowledge resulting in wasted time, lost productivity, repeated mistakes and employee dissatisfaction.
Knowledge management is the process by which an enterprise gathers, organizes, shares and analyzes its knowledge, in such a manner that it is easily accessible to employees. It also helps the business to retain knowledge for future use. The knowledge includes technical resources, frequently asked questions, training documents and people skills. It can be as simple as training employees or as complicated as R&D teams collaborating on a scientific breakthrough.
Basically, there are two types of knowledge that is generated in an organization namely (1) explicit and (2) tacit. The latter refers to the knowledge and insights that an employee gains through long years of experience, working hands on at the job, discussing with other team members, peers or supervisors. Activities such as attending training programs or engaging in mentoring your team can all add to tacit knowledge.
Explicit knowledge on the other hand is knowledge that is readily available as it is documented. Manuals, documents, procedures and how to videos etc are examples of explicit knowledge. It is clear from the above that it is easy to share explicit knowledge. However, passing on tacit knowledge can be a challenge. It can be slow, difficult to scale and imperfect. It involves extensive communication and frequent interactions. The tendency of departments to work in self contained silos adds to the problem. Modern solutions that allow employees to document and facilitate tacit knowledge are essential for effective knowledge management.
Traditional knowledge management used to focus on documented knowledge; but most knowledge ( that happens to be tacit) within organizations is undocumented. Modern knowledge management bridges this gap by connecting knowledge seekers to colleagues who have tacit knowledge and are willing to share it. As a first step towards making knowledge management more effective, organizations can plan a strategy for capturing knowledge. This includes Identifying all the sources of knowledge within the organization. Gaps can be identified by understanding your organization’s knowledge flow. The strategy should address aspects such as where new and existing knowledge will be stored, how it will be mapped and what security measures need to be in place. If possible, assign a single point/ trusted source of information to which any employee can approach for acurate information.
Another important factor for effective knowledge management is to have a system that integrates with the tools or software that the employees are already using. This relieves them from the pressure of learning additional platforms and helps in easily adopting to the the KM system and practices. It also helps in generating synchronized, up to date data. Here it is very important that real time data is always available to the employee so that they are able to quickly respond to changing conditions or goals of the company. Your team should have access to the most accurate information at all times. Further, they must also be able to trust your knowledge base.
The knowledge management system in the company should provide ample opportunity to ask and answer questions. As many, may not be comfortable to ask questions or seek support in a public forum, the system should ensure that they get opportunities to interact in smaller groups as also for posing questions or commenting anonymously. This will encourage active participation of employees.
In terms of Modern knowledge management, a knowledge management system powered by artificial intelligence is the most effective solution for most enterprise organizations. These systems can offer real-time, automated access to information. However, knowledge management systems, like any other technology, must be protected from cybersecurity concerns and intellectual property theft. Regulatory compliance also must be strictly adhered to. Here, one could go in for globally reputed platforms that are safe with certification such as ISO 27001:2013.
In conclusion, it is to be reiterated that knowledge management is not to be seen as a one time initiative. It is a continous process that is required to be robust at all times. Given the abrupt changes that can happen in marketing conditions, change in laws or other unforeseen developments, it is necessary to be ever ready for change with flexible responses. This becomes possible when the KM system in the organization is robust, up to date and easily accessible to employees and stakeholders.
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