Combining team driven KM with technology

Background
McLaughlin (2007) reflects on Nonaka’s model and has identified that resource limitations in some organizations will require the need to be particular about the types of projects that Knowledge management (KM) is directed to. He also states that the mode of transfer would be either:

• Codified: technology driven to mange explicit knowledge
• Personalised: team driven to manage tacit via a team dynamic

After reading this I wondered if there was actually a hidden third option that was missing: personalised systems that are driven by technology. This may already be covered in other literature but it did not come across explicitly in the texts that I read.

An organization with limited resources could encourage small communities of practice (COP) that discuss specific issues: essentially tacit to tacit to encourage team working and exchange and creation of new knowledge. However many small organisations now include a virtual element: people working from home or with satellite branches in other countries. If these organizations used video conferencing combined with an audio transcription software package then the tacit knowledge could be more readily codified and the tacit knowledge could then be available to be replayed by any COP or member of the organization. There is an interesting and short video on this which you can view below.



Examples in practice
In the case of Albion Fabrics (AF) there is a pressing issue. Various teams within the organisation each have a responsibility for a particular client and the garments that are supplied to them. Many of the teams may actually use similar factories to construct the garments and there have been increasing problems with the quality and delivery times of the garments from those factories. A COP could be formed with representatives of the teams with a general mandate to improve customer service focusing on relationship with the factories and reducing potentially costly errors. These meetings could be videoed and the audio transcribed allowing people to discuss ideas freely without worrying about note taking during the even. The COP could even be extended, when appropriate, to include representatives of factories via video conferencing so that problems could be discussed and transcriptions shared between the members. Nonaka(2007) discusses the success of Japanese firms in the field of knowledge management and suggests that a powerful tool in transferring tacit to explicit knowledge lies in the store of “figurative language and symbolism”. This idea can later be incorporated by using a cognotivistic approach of mind mapping to help visualise ideas, concepts and points within the COP although additional training would be required. This is a common practice in education and Barth(2006) refers to software mind map versions being used in meetings by KM practitioners and there are packages now that can create mind maps direct from speech such as MindManager 8. Tony Buzan has done extensive research into mind mapping as an educational tool with further information below.


Conclusion
Although this method would initially require trust from the COP to enable them to feel relaxed in the presence of a video camera, or use of video conferencing, there is a great potential. Combining the face to face meeting with video conferencing would require a minimum cost outlay and could quickly harvest knowledge within a COP. With additional training of key staff in mind mapping techniques, there is plenty of scope to enable codification of ideas and support a range of what McLaughlin (2007) describes as “different knowledge profiles” required by an organization.


BARTH, S., 2006. Mapping the mind's eye. KM World, 15(6), pp. 14-14.

NONAKA, I., 2007. The Knowledge-Creating Company. Harvard business review, 85(7), pp. 162-171.

MCLAUGHLIN, S., 2007. Managing knowledge for success. Engineering Management, 17(5), pp. 42-45.