Knowledge Management Assessment

Knowledge Management AssessmentA Practical Tool from David Skyrme Associates

Most organizations already have some level of knowledge management activity, even if it is not organized on a formal basis. This tool provides a set of diagnostic questions so that you can benchmark where your organization is along ten critical success dimensions for knowledge management. It is an effective tool to use at the beginning of a knowledge initiative and thus develop priorities. Used regularly it provides a check of overall progress. The tool also includes explanatory material, exemplars of world-class practice, practical guidance and sample results.

Contents

Introduction..........................................................................................2Origins..................................................................................................3KM Critical Success Factors................................................................3A Knowledge Initiative Framework.......................................................3Step-by-Step........................................................................................5The 50 question assessment...............................................................7Explanation........................................................................................11Practical Guidelines.........................................................................166Sample Results................................................................................177

Other Tools in this Series

Knowledge Management Benefits Tree:1) Basic Tree Template*2) Templates, benefits checklist, step-by-step guidance

Knowledge Usage Template*

Those tools denoted with * are available free. Others can be purchased online. Details and downloads of these and other Instant Knowledge items are available from the Knowledge Connections web-site:

http://www.skyrme.com/tools/index.htm

____________________________________________________

© Copyright. David Skyrme Associates. 2000. All Rights Reserved. The download purchase of this tool allows up to 25 copies. It must not be electronically mounted on a shared database or intranet. Contact the publisher ([email protected]) for details of site licenses and other uses.

- 1 -_________________________________________________________________________________Knowledge Management Assessment Tool V1/June-2000Instant Knowledge from the Knowledge Connections Web site http://www.skyrme.com

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Introduction Knowledge initiatives have helped many organizations achieve significant bottom line benefits. Examples include:

Faster resolution of customer problems - BP Amoco’s use of virtual teamworking and videoconferencing allow oil field operative to tap rapidly into vital expertise and has speeded up the solution to critical operation problems

Better management of assets - Dow Chemical by focusing on the active management of its patent portfolio has generated over $125 million in revenues from licensing and savings

Savings through better dissemination of best practices - Texas Instruments shares best practice between its semiconductor fabrication plants, and has already saved the equivalent of investing in a new plant (over $500 million)

Faster revenue growth - Skandia Assurance by developing new measures of intellectual capital and goaling their managers on increasing its value have grown revenues much faster than their industry average

More innovative customer solutions - Buckman Laboratories knowledge network, connects the front-line field force with expertise throughout the company, thus helping create innovative solutions to difficult customer problems.

As a result many organizations are starting knowledge initiatives aiming to gain significant business benefits. But where does a newly created KM team start and focus its efforts?

Getting Started with Knowledge Management

The examples of knowledge initiatives outlined above, started in different functions and were driven by different business factors. A common theme in all, however, was that good practice was identified and replicated throughout the organization.

A useful starting point is therefore to identify pockets of good practice, and also assess the degree to which various proven knowledge practices already exist within an organization. Based on a rigorous analysis of KM success factors the Knowledge Management Assessment brings these practices and factors together into ten groups of questions.

As with many diagnostic tools, the main benefits of using the tool are not the answers, but the dialogue that ensues in arriving at the answers. The tool is therefore very powerful when used in a workshop setting at which key stakeholders are present.


Origins

KM Critical Success Factors

The set of questions was developed following research initially conducted for the report into global best practice in knowledge management - Creating the Knowledge-based Business, David J. Skyrme and Debra M. Amidon, Business Intelligence (1997). This report found a number of recurring factors in the most successful knowledge initiatives:

Strong link to a business imperative - knowledge management visibly enhances business performance e.g. in customer service, time-to-market for new products, improved productivity.

A compelling vision and architecture - the knowledge initiative is portrayed in terms that are meaningful to all employees, usually with some effective visuals and messages to aid communication.

Knowledge leadership - good understanding of the role of knowledge and strong high level support for the knowledge initiative e.g. as exemplified by the appointment of a CKO (Chief Knowledge Officer).

A knowledge creating and sharing culture - where behaviours, organization rewards and sanctions, and time allocation encourages the free flow of knowledge, rather than people hoarding it as their own (the ‘knowledge is power’ syndrome).

Continuous learning - a key focus in the organization is individual and organizational learning. People are encouraged to experiment and learn, rather than get bogged down in ‘analysis paralysis’.

Well developed information and communications infrastructure- explicit knowledge (information) is readily accessible through the corporate network (e.g. an intranet); person-to-person communications is straightforward (e.g. email); the infrastructure is widely available, reliable and responsive.

Systematic knowledge processes - the processes of creating, gathering, organizing, storing, disseminating, using, exploiting and protecting knowledge are done in a systematic way. Typically the organization will have clear policies, practices and guidelines.

As a result of comparing these factors with the systematic practices deployed, a knowledge initiative framework was developed that forms the basis for the assessment questions.

A Knowledge Initiative Framework

The factors within this action-focussed framework are in three layers:

1. Enablers. These are essential pre-requisites for knowledge initiatives to become embedded within the organization in the medium to long term. While many initiatives can make some progress, lack of key enablers is a ‘show stopper’. The first two sets of questions cover the enablers. A good score in this layer indicates that knowledge is seen as strategic and its contribution to the business is clearly articulated; that the organization’s structure, culture and environment encourages knowledge development and sharing.

2. Levers. These factors act as amplifiers. A small project can make a big difference to the outcome. Levers include knowledge processes that facilitate knowledge flows, knowledge centres that provide faster access to explicit knowledge and better ways of handling tacit knowledge. The relevant questions are in groups 3-8.


3. Foundations. These provide the capacity and capability that embeds knowledge into the organization’s infrastructure. They represent the ultimate capability that can be developed. There are two complementary strands - a ‘hard’ information and communications infrastructure that supports knowledge collaboration, and a ‘soft’ human and organization infrastructure that develops knowledge enhancing roles, skills and behaviours. Questions sets 9 and 10 cover these two infrastructures.

A Knowledge Initiative Framework

Usage The assessment tool has been continually adapted and used by David Skyrme Associates in consulting assignments and workshops. Users report that it stimulates their thinking about key questions that a knowledge initiative should address.


LeadershipVision - Structure - Culture - Environment

ProcessesTacit

KnowledgeExplicit

Measures

‘Hard’ infrastructure - Intranet, groupware etc.‘Soft’ - Roles, skills, development, rewards

Enablers

Levers

Foundations

Hubs &Centres

MarketLeverage

Tools andTechniques

+

Step-by-Step

1. Decide which of the two templates you want to use - The Know-All 10, a quick ten question assessment, or the full 50 question assessment. The shorter one give a good quick indicator and can be used widely throughout the organization without taking too much time from any one individual. We recommend that the full 50 question version is used by those on the knowledge initiative team, and the key individuals and stakeholders with whom they have most contact.

2. Consider modifications to suit your own organization. For example, if you are selling knowledge-based services, we often find that the market leverage set of questions (set 7) can be expanded int6o two sets - services and promotion. To compensate, tacit and explicit knowledge (4 and 5) can be combined. Whatever you add or subtract, make sure that there is a rounded set of questions that embraces all the critical success factors i.e. it covers ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ infrastructure, content and processes, business outcomes and knowledge.

3. Also modify the language where this aids clarity and understanding. You may prefer a scale of 0-5 rather than the suggested 0-10.

4. Identify your target audience for the assessment. For an organization-wide programme, it is important to have as a minimum a diagonal slice across the organization i.e. a sample covering all major functions and activities, geographies, and levels of seniority. If the knowledge initiative is a major programme, it could go to all employees, perhaps as part of an annual employee survey.

5. Determine the forms and formats in which it will be used. It can be used in several ways. The questions can be asked in questionnaires, or simply used as a check-list as you interview key people. It can be provided in hard-copy or online. One of the most powerful ways of using it is in a workshop setting (see Guidelines)

6. Prepare your respondents. As with all such investigations, the ground must be well prepared in terms of explaining the rationale for the assessment, telling respondents what is expected of them, and how much time commitment is needed. Adding a supportive memo from senior management will also help to ‘sell’ the assessment and gain commitment. Also make clear any ground rules e.g. , whether respondents are giving answers for their department or the organization as a whole from their perspective; whether department or individual responses will be identified in the published analysis.

7. Carry out the assessment using your chosen method(s).

8. Analyze the results. If you have enough responses, it may be appropriate to show different analyses e.g. by department. You could use more sophisticated market research analysis software to show correlations. However, our own experience shows that simple analysis, coupled with ongoing dialogue and interpretation is more productive.

9. Use the results - to set priorities, gauge progress etc. See Sample Results for further guidance on how to use your analysis.


KNOW-ALL 10: THE QUICK KM ASSESSMENT

Rate your organization (or part of it) on a score 0 to 10, where 0 is doing nothing at all, and 10 is world-class. We suggest that several people from different groups do this, then come together to discuss and compare.

1. Leadership

Does your organization have a compelling knowledge vision and strategy, actively promoted by your Chief Executive, that clearly articulates how knowledge management contributes to achieving organizational objectives.

2. Culture/StructureIs knowledge sharing across departmental boundaries actively encouraged and rewarded? Do workplace settings and format of meetings encourage informal knowledge exchange?

3. ProcessesDoes your organization have systematic processes for gathering, organizing, exploiting and protecting key knowledge assets, including those from external sources?

4. Explicit KnowledgeIs there a rigorously maintained knowledge inventory, with a structured thesaurus or knowledge tree, and clear ownership of knowledge entities, that is readily accessible across the organization?

5. Tacit KnowledgeDo you know who your best experts are for different domains of key knowledge, and do you have in place mechanisms to codify their tacit knowledge into an explicit format?

6. Knowledge Hubs and CentresAre there librarians or information management staff that coordinate knowledge repositories and act as focal points for provision of information to support key decision making?

7. Market LeverageAre your knowledge and knowledge management capabilities packaged into products and services and promoted in your organization's external marketing?

8. MeasuresDoes your organization measure and manage its intellectual capital in a systematic way, and publish regular IC reports to its external stakeholders?

9. People/SkillsHave specific knowledge roles been identified and assigned, and are all senior managers and professionals trained in knowledge management techniques?

10. Technological InfrastructureCan all important information be quickly found by new users on your intranet (or similar network) within three mouse clicks?

Score

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………..

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………..

………..

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© Copyright 1999. David Skyrme Associates. All rights reserved.


KNOW-ALL 50: KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT ASSESSMENT

This assessment is provided to help you gauge how well your organization compares with world-class best practice. There are ten groups of questions, one for each important facet of a knowledge programme. Taking the view of each group of questions as a whole rate your organization (or part of it) on a score 0 to 10, where 0 is doing nothing at all, and 10 is world-class (an example of which is given at the end of each set of questions).

1. Leadership Is there a compelling knowledge vision that is actively followed? Is the role of knowledge clearly articulated in organizational mission, objectives and plans? Are there clear responsibilities for knowledge strategy and activities, such as through a Chief

Knowledge Officer? Are knowledge and information treated as vital resources and reviewed regularly at

management meetings? Do your CEO and senior executives promote knowledge management within their team and

to the outside world?

Exemplar: BP-Amoco, which has a world-class knowledge programme strongly supported throughout the business and built into core activities. The Chief Executive, John Browne, continually stresses the role of knowledge and learning in public forums and in interviews

2. Culture/Structure Are project teams deliberately chosen to include people with a wide level of experience,

different expertise and age ranges? Do personal performance reviews assess and reward individuals for their knowledge

contributions? Is time for learning, thinking and reflection considered a good investment of time in your

organization? Do workplace settings encourage interaction and free flow of information e.g. informal

meeting areas, open plan offices, project rooms? Are individual experts encouraged to contribute time and expertise to support other teams?

Exemplar: Steelcase has created environments that encourage active teamwork through office layouts. Its executive team work in an open area with extensive knowledge sharing

3. Processes Do you know what is vital knowledge - knowledge that underpins your core business

processes? Is this knowledge readily accessible and naturally integrated into the flow of work? Does the organization have systematic processes for monitoring external knowledge sources

and for gathering and classifying it? Are there clear policy guidelines on what is vital proprietary knowledge and needs to be

protected? Does your organization benchmark its knowledge management activities against other firms

and world class best practice?

Exemplar: CIGNA insurance explicitly mapped its core processes and what knowledge was needed to run them successfully. As a result knowledge sources are embedded into the process as well as links to process experts.

Score

……….

………..

………..


KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT ASSESSMENT (cont.)

4. Explicit Knowledge Is there a readily accessible information and knowledge inventory within your firm e.g. on an

intranet? Are the sources of information validated for quality? Are your databases, especially textual ones, regularly maintained? Are owners and experts regarding specific information databases clearly identified and held

responsible for the integrity of the information? Do you have a mechanism e.g. an idea bank, such that ideas not immediately used are not

lost for future use?

Exemplar: Price Waterhouse’s KnowledgeViewTM is a highly structured knowledge base organized to set standards and around a standard classification taxonomy. Entries are regularly validated and quality assessed.

5. Tacit Knowledge Do you know who are your best experts for different domains of knowledge? Are important meetings videoed or recorded for later reference and sharing of knowledge? Are key points of conversations documented in subsequent email memos or discussion

databases? Is knowledge captured at the customer interface (e.g. call centres, visits) fed back and used in

service improvement? Are experts encouraged to convert their tacit knowledge into explicit knowledge e.g. via

seminars (videoed), “how to” guides etc.?

Exemplar: Royal Mail regular organizes events that bring together internal and external people. These meetings are often video-recorded and used in later discussion.

6. Knowledge Hubs and Centres Is there a centre that act as a hub of knowledge flows i.e. it can point you to sources of

knowledge? Is there a well catalogued library that holds external publications? Is the purchase of externally generated information co-ordinated to avoid duplication and fill

essential knowledge gaps? Is there a core group responsible for creating and maintaining a map of vital knowledge? Is there a reservoir of information science and library skills that can act as a source of

knowledge management expertise?

Exemplar: Linklater and Paine (law firm) have a knowledge centre that both acts as a physical repository but also maintains key databases and provides external links. The centre manager works closely with senior partners to understand key business issues and therefore provide feeds of relevant external information.

Score

………….

………….

………….



7. Market Leverage Is information and knowledge readily available in a form that enhances your services to your

stakeholders? Have you considered reselling your core expertise in ways that will generate new revenue

streams? Are your services ‘smart’ i.e. customizable and adaptable e.g. by aggregating knowledge

from disparate sources? Are you known among your clients and peers as exemplars of good knowledge management

practice? Do your publicity and marketing messages convey the importance and depth of your know-

how?

Exemplar: The Automobile Association who originally collected data for motoring purposes has now built up a series of businesses based around the customer information that is collected.

8. Measures Are the bottom line benefits of knowledge management clearly articulated in terms that all

your managers understand? Does your organization measure and manage its intellectual capital in a systematic way? Do your performance measurement systems explicitly include intangible and knowledge-

based measures e.g. customers? Do you report regularly on your knowledge assets, such as in supplements to your annual

reports? Is your measurement system used as a focus for dialogue and learning?

Exemplar: Skandia Life has pioneered the measurement and reporting of its intellectual capital. The performance measures are an integral part of strategic planning and management objective setting.

9. People/Skills Have specific knowledge roles been identified and assigned e.g. knowledge editor,

knowledge analyst? Is knowledge management considered a core management skill in which every manager and

professional has some familiarity? Are there individuals in each main group who are responsible for demonstrating good

knowledge practice within their group and acting as a coach to others? Is your training approach learner-centred and an integral part of the day-to-day activities of

the organization? Are acquisition of knowledge management competencies and knowledge sharing behaviours

recognized and rewarded?

Exemplar: Anglian Water makes learning an integral part of team and organizational activities. It is closely linked to its knowledge management programme.

Score

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Technology Infrastructure Can all important information be quickly found by new users on your intranet e.g. within

three mouse clicks? Do you use intelligent agents/filters to sift and find and sort key external information that

might not normally be available? Can people readily share documents and multimedia objects (e.g. video clips) over the

internal network? Are there discussion forums or computer conferences that support learning networks or

communities of practice? Is videoconferencing used to connect dispersed locations into regular meetings?

Exemplar: MITRE corporation has experimented with a wide range of technology tools that enhance knowledge processing for individuals. It delivers relevant items of information directly into users’ desktop computers and notifies them of changes in core databases. By tracking what people are searching for, it connects those working on related topics.

Score

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Plot your scores on a radar chart:

© Copyright. David Skyrme Associates Limited. 1999.


0

2

4

6

8

10Leadership

Culture

Processes

Explicit

Tacit

K Centre

Exploitation

Measures

Skills

Technology

Explanation Answering and discussing these questions helps you identify areas where you can introduce or improve knowledge management practice. The following sections provide additional background information on each of the ten groups of factors.

Leadership Knowledge leadership means having a very clear vision of the knowledge contribution to the business, articulating and communicating it well. Many initiatives develop a simple but effective model that acts as the focal point. It may be an ‘architecture’, some visual or a clear statement of principles. A measure of how well knowledge is embraced by the whole organization is evident from the extent that it is referred to in important documents and meetings, such as strategic plans and management meetings.

Leadership is required at all levels. A supportive CEO helps, but the knowledge agenda is usually carried forward by one or more committed senior business champions. They promote the benefits of a knowledge focused approach, and are at the forefront of experimentation. They may emerge from anywhere in the organization, and gain support for their ideas and actions. The focal point for activities is usually a knowledge team, although this may be a network of individuals dispersed throughout the organization.

More open to debate is the need for a CKO (Chief Knowledge Officer), reporting directly to a top level strategy committee or the board of directors. Their role is to drive forward the knowledge agenda and oversee its implementation. Proponents of a CKO say that an appointment provides focus, harnesses resources and demonstrates commitment. However, many companies (e.g. Hewlett-Packard) have been very successful at knowledge management without one. Here the knowledge agenda was actively promoted by its chief executive Lew Platt, while its decentralized structure and innovative culture allow knowledge initiatives to flourish.


Culture/Structure

Culture stands out as the key factor that determines success or otherwise with knowledge management. “how can you get people to share knowledge” is a common complaint. A culture of sharing can be engendered by creating the right attitudes and behaviours. You can change the style of meetings to encourage dialogue not monologue. You can formally recognize and reward good knowledge practice. Such changes also have to be reinforced by behaviours of senior managers - for example, by creating an open plan office where the chief executive sits in the open area, and not a private office. The redesign of office space to encourage interaction is a key feature of many successful programmes.

A knowledge enriching culture is characterized by:

An organizational climate of openness Empowered individuals Active learning - from customers, from the results of individual’s own

actions Constant search for improvement and innovation Intense communications, open and widespread Organizational slack - time to experiment, reflect and learn Boundary crossing - individuals spend as much time interacting with

those outside their team as those within it Encouragement of experimentation, rather than blindly following rules Aligned goals and performance measures, across departments, teams and

individuals Willingness to share knowledge widely among colleagues, even those in

different groups.

By finding and supporting role models of such a culture, organizations can change their culture over time, although most people recognize that it can take several years to achieve such a change in a large organization.

Processes Knowledge is being continuously created in organizations. Explicit knowledge or information lends itself to systematic handling and widespread dissemination, using techniques of information resource management. On the other hand much organizational knowledge is tacit and in people head’s. Organizations therefore look at the range of processes and practices that help both tacit and explicit knowledge transfer (some of these are covered in the next two sections).

A good starting point is to have conducted an information audit or knowledge inventory. This involves identifying the core tasks and activities within an organization and assessing what information and knowledge is needed for them to be effective. The sources of this knowledge are identified and the way that it flows examined. An audit will usually find duplication of effort in some places, and others where no one is responsible for collecting vital knowledge.

Knowledge processes need to be examined for their effectiveness at all stages of the knowledge life cycle - from creation through to use and exploitation.


Explicit Knowledge

Explicit knowledge is best managed by applying the core principles of information resources management (IRM). A commonly used model is that developed by Nick Willard:

Identification - What information is there? How is it identified and coded?

Ownership- Who is responsible for different information entities and co-ordination?

Cost and Value - A basis for making judgements on purchase and use

Development - Increasing its value or stimulating demand

Exploitation - Proactive maximization of value for money.

All relevant items of information and knowledge have clear identification and ownership. The disciplines of information science and records management also contribute to its effective management. Equally important are clear policies so that managers and individual know their rights and responsibilities with regards to important explicit knowledge. Thus, it may be mandated that each document they are responsible for is regularly reviewed for relevance and accuracy.

Tacit Knowledge

Tacit knowledge, by its very nature, is difficult to access, since by definition it is in people’ heads. There are two general approaches to managing tacit knowledge: 1) converting some of it into a more explicit form, through elicitation and articulation and 2) creating mechanisms such that informal knowledge exchange can occur when needed. Hence one of the management tasks is that of motivating and managing knowledge workers, so that they are innovative and readily share their knowledge.

Since it is time consuming to turn tacit knowledge into an explicit form, this is generally reserved for those items of knowledge held by a few experts but which is widely needed. A more common approach is to provide ‘pointers to people’ in the form of an expertise database. An expertise database often blends some degree of formal structure, such as competencies in defined categories, alongside informal entries kept up to date by the individual. Users can then search the database by category of knowledge, very much like a telephone ‘Yellow Pages’ directory. Novartis has taken the concept a stage further in its ‘Blue Pages’ which has details of external experts and consultants with whom it has worked.

In addition, there is a growing practice of adding more informal knowledge to explicit knowledge sources. Examples include: Addition of multimedia material e.g. sound clips, extracts of meetings and

presentations Providing associated discussion databases and knowledge communities -

places where people can dialogue about the content Contextual information - giving descriptions of how explicit knowledge

has been used in practice; quality ratings and user assessments Pointers to People - providing contact details of originators, and direct

links to authors and other experts e.g. via email hypertext links.


Knowledge Hubs and Centres

Many organizations create knowledge centers as hubs of knowledge. A centre aggregates knowledge that would otherwise by dispersed and lack critical mass. They act as a focal point for collection, structuring and disseminating knowledge. Often evolving from a department or corporate library, their responsibilities are much wider. A typical knowledge centre:

knows where to find knowledge, both inside and outside the organization catalogues and indexes all types of knowledge asset to aid efficient

retrieval maintains and sustains the knowledge repository integrates hard-copy and online information define standards and structures navigation for a corporate intranet provides a one stop shop for multiple knowledge needs runs a client advisory service - offering expertise on sources, their

availability, relevance, quality and overall usefulness to the business helps individuals connect with each other e.g. to create communities offers skills and advice in knowledge management practices

Centres are a mix of physical and virtual, central and dispersed. The physical environment provides a location to read hard-copy material and can also act as a knowledge sharing area e.g. through an informal knowledge café. A centralized approach offers economies of scale, pooling of expertise, and helps minimize duplication. On the other hand, a network of local knowledge hubs can provide convenient points of access for users not located near a central point.

Market Leverage

Although many knowledge initiatives are focused on achieving organizational benefits (e.g. reducing duplication, improving processes) significant additional benefits can be achieved by seeking ways of exploiting knowledge externally. This can be in the form of improved products and services or knowledge-based products and services in their own right. Key ways include: Customization - using customer knowledge to create client-specific

products and services Publications - turning internal document and processes into ‘for sale’

publications On-line information services - taking internal databases and making them

available to subscribers via the World Wide Web Training and consulting services - enhancing the product offering with

associated services using the applications expertise of employees

In fact, some organization are taking the knowledge developed in their own knowledge initiatives and marketing it externally. For example, Ford licenses its best practices methodology to other companies.

Another aspect of market leverage is the use of knowledge messages in internal and external communications. This demonstrates the organization’s seriousness about its knowledge agenda to existing and potential customers. Marketing led campaigns also draw attention internally, and provide a spur for the organization to live up to its external image.


Measures This is usually the most difficult aspect of a knowledge initiative to get to grips with. While most organizations carry out detailed financial measurement and reporting, few do the same for their intellectual and knowledge assets that are much more valuable. By its very nature, knowledge is intangible, and does not follow the simple rules of financial accounting. Nevertheless, “what you measure you can manage”, and therefore organizations have to get to grips with classifying their knowledge and other forms of intellectual capital.

The last few years has therefore seen the development of several new measurement systems directly focused on intellectual capital including, such as The Skandia Navigator and the Intangible Assets Monitor developed by Karl Erik Sveiby.

The starting point of each of these systems is the identification of the different components that constitute intellectual capital, such as human capital, structural capital and customer capital.

People/Skills These questions assess the organization’s soft infrastructure. The human resources function has a key role to play in addressing this, for example through reward policies, where a growing number of organization are introducing knowledge creation and sharing as part of an individual’s annual appraisal. They should also be involved in mapping the organization’s capabilities and facilitating the development of expertise directories (see Tacit Knowledge above).

The discipline of knowledge management is also resulting in a number of new knowledge intensive roles - individuals and team responsible for managing and carrying out some core knowledge processes, such as synthesizing, classifying and editing. These roles need to be explicitly recognized and positions formalized.

TechnologyInfrastructure

Information and communications technologies can significantly enhance knowledge activities. Paramount is the overall information and communications network, that provides connectivity of people to information and other people. Collaboration software, such as that of document management systems, groupware, the intranet and now knowledge management suites are the most commonly found components of such an infrastructure. The MIS department plays a key role here.

Also, there are a growing number of specialized products, such as concept mapping, text mining or intelligent agents. Frequently it is ‘power users’ who introduce these into the organization and the ICT infrastructure must support their efforts and diffuse the lessons learned. An essential ingredient is therefore a collaborative knowledge partnership between the IS function and user departments. Jointly they should investigate the potential of emerging knowledge technologies, and integrate them into the overall IT architecture. Unfortunately, many MIS organizations fail to adopt a user-centric approach in their architecture and planning.


Practical Guidelines

The followed tips are based on practical experience of applying the tool, particularly in workshop settings.

Give participants a basic understanding of the key elements of knowledge management first. In a workshop setting this is usually a short presentation that covers the concepts of explicit and tacit knowledge, described knowledge processes, outlines a knowledge centre and gives some case examples. This background allows participants more easily to relate to the ideas that are conveyed in the assessment.

Provide clear guidelines and examples of the scoring system. For example a 0-5 scale might be:0 - not at all; 1 - considering; 2 - recently introduced; 3 - progressing well; 4 - visible throughout the organization; 5 - making a strong business impact.

Use differences in individual scoring to encourage dialogue. The workshop leader should ask each person in the group to rate the organization on a scale of 0 to 10 for each cluster of questions (leadership, tacit knowledge etc.) without conferring. After each set of questions is scored, participants discuss the rationale behind their scoring and explore their differences. The ensuing dialogue will reveal insights into what the organization is doing well, and in which areas it needs to improve.

Inject realism. Many groups score themselves quite low on several factors. Part of the facilitator’s role is to explore more fully behind the numbers and extract examples of good practice.

Supplement with other data collection. Usually, the group in a workshop setting are not sufficiently aware of what is really going on in terms of KM practice within their organization. The assessment, especially when rolled out (perhaps in its quick form) as a questionnaire throughout the organization can add more depth and quantitative assessment. Added richness comes from adding open-ended questions e.g. asking for examples of good practice, or running department workshops.

Repeat regularly. A useful frequency to repeat this exercise is once a year, as part of the annual planning for a knowledge initiative. Parts of it may be repeated following a major stage of a specific project. Using as many identical questions as possible, since this set gives a visible measurement of progress.

Use as a tool for dialogue and communications. Perhaps the most import6ant aspect of using this tool is not the actual results but the process dialogue that surrounds them. As Dwight D Eisenhauer is reported to have said: “Plans are nothing. Planning is everything”.


Sample Results

The followed results are taken from a real example, based on interviews and workshop. (Note - that this was a customized set of questions, so the headings are slightly different).

This is quite a common pattern in that the rating for measurement is low. This is a complex area and one that few organizations have really mastered. The low scores for 9 and 10 (reflecting market leverage) show that the external focus needs to be developed. Here, leadership was high, although in many cases it is low - even when the CEO has been present at the workshop! Remember leadership is more than just having a supportive CEO. It is about embedding the knowledge message into core management processes and documents, such as the annual plan.

Developing a Plan

The analysis can be used as the basis to develop priorities for the knowledge initiative. Participants can now be asked what rating they should strive to achieve within a defined period, say one or two years. Avoid the temptation to score 10 for all. For each vector (dimension) there is a cost associated with increasing the score, which may vary from vector to vector and also on how high the score is (part of the knowledge teams; role is to assess the costs and opportunities for moving along each vector).

You only have limited resources, so you need to focus efforts. Business objectives may help focus priorities while other initiatives okay provide opportunities for cost sharing.


Key Dimensions

0

2

4

6

81. Leadership

2. Measures

3. Processes

4. Explicit

5. Tacit

6. Culture/structure

7. Role/skills

8. Technology

9. Services

10. Image

Feedback We welcome your feedback on this tool and its use. Please email your comments and suggestions to:

[email protected]

The tool will be updated from time-to-time. Purchasers will automatically receive updates for one year following their purchase provided that an email address was specified at time of order. If you change your email address or do not want to receive updates, please advise [email protected]

The Know-All Knowledge Assessment Tool is published by:

David Skyrme Associates LimitedCherry GateHighclere

NEWBURYRG20 9PR

England

Tel: +44 1635 25 35 45Email: [email protected]

WWW: http://www.skyrme.com





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