Creating the knowledge-based business

Citation

(1999), "Creating the knowledge-based business", Work Study, Vol. 48 No. 2. https://doi.org/10.1108/ws.1999.07948bae.001

Creating the knowledge-based business

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Creating the knowledge-based business

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Keywords Knowledge-based systems, Knowledge workers, Methodology

Knowledge management is this year's "big thing" ­ you only have to look within the pages of Work Study (and below!) to see that. Organisations are realising that the knowledge and expertise of their workforce ­ and of the organisation ­ is one of their greatest assets. This knowledge must be managed effectively if it is to be fully exploited. This report ­ part of the Business Intelligence Knowledge Management Programme ­ makes the business case for knowledge management and identifies the key processes, techniques and tools for creating and harnessing knowledge through its identification, classification, sharing and exploitation. It uses lessons learnt from some of the pioneers such as BP Exploration, which has turned tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge where it becomes of real value. The report identifies good practice from organisations such as Dow Chemical Company and illustrates consultancy models from Arthur Andersen, Ernst & Young and McKinsey. It explains the roles of "knowledge professionals" and the emerging chief knowledge officer, the importance of organisational learning programmes and the critical management and IT skills and competencies that separate winners from losers in the knowledge management game. It addresses the culture required to create a truly knowledge-conscious organisation and looks at ways of creating a knowledge democracy and of overcoming resistance to the sharing of knowledge.

The case studies underpin many of the lessons. One, for example, shows how Anglian Water made the transition from a publicly-owned regional utility to a globally-oriented business by making knowledge, innovation and learning the critical drivers of its customer service. Knowledge management initiatives include: "The Journey", an action-centred learning process involving over 2,000 employees; "Aqua Universitas", Anglian Water's vision of a corporate university; and "The Encyclopaedia of Water", a structured database of information covering all aspects of water and the water industry. There are similar profiles of Monsanto, Price Waterhouse and Steelcase ­ the office equipment company.

See the Website at www.business-intelligence.co.uk for more information.