Introduction
According to Friedrick Hayek, the most efficient economic system is one based on the full use of existing knowledge. Based on knowledge, companies deliver innovative products and services to their clients that allow them to maintain leadership in the market. Companies are aware of this need and rely on Knowledge Management to achieve it.
Knowledge Management (KM) is a process that allows organizations to find, select, organize, disseminate and transfer the information and experience necessary to develop activities such as dynamic learning, problem solving, strategic planning and decision making.
It is worth mentioning the role of information as elements that, when processed, become knowledge, through adequate training, company employees are in this capacity, which allows them to solve problems in the best way.
The objective of this work is to propose a plan for Knowledge Management, for a hypothetical company that we will call Equipments Media SA.
Company Background
Equipments Media SA is a media company, which is facing the challenge of becoming an international operator in addition to the expansion of multimedia and multichannel. For this, the Senior Management approves a Knowledge Management project in order to promote the growth of the company and a working committee has been created and made up of different areas, however there are some situations that have been observed within the committee:
- For the HR leadership, the project is an opportunity to gain ground with Senior Management, so it hopes to lead the project since it sees it as part of the area.
- In some areas there is rejection of technology, in this case the Training unit.
- Other areas such as Technology, are saturated by projects and do not give due importance to this particular project.
- Lack of knowledge of the nature and importance of the project, as is the case of Marketing.
Additionally, employees are not highly motivated by adjustments to the payroll, another important factor that can contribute to a lack of motivation is that not all employees have sufficient and adequate technological tools.
1) Diagnosis of the state of Knowledge Management
Previous definition of the objectives of the questionnaire
General objective
Make an assessment to find out in what conditions the company is in both aspects of generation, use and retention of knowledge.
Specific objectives
Through the evaluation, make staff aware of their level of participation in the company's Knowledge Management, gaining credibility in the KM process and facilitating the possibility of alliances and commitments at all levels.
In personal contact with the heads of each department, facilitate the implementation of a Knowledge Management Model.
- Make the company's collaborators reflect on the competitive advantage that is gained through the systematization of systematized knowledge about its processes, services and products Raise awareness of the strategic value of intangible assetsbased on knowledge management Identify the levels of knowledge available in the company to lay the foundation for innovation. And then an action plan that allows staff to be trained to be purposeful teams and idea developers Identify what factors condition the learning of an organization and what results this learning produces Identify possible ways to develop the people who participate in the future of the company Participation in the investigation of 100% of the company's collaborators.
Personnel to interview
It is proposed to openly interview all department heads in all areas and conduct surveys of the rest of the staff, in both cases the proposal is to do it in person by physically completing the questionnaire.
Questionnaire proposal
The proposal for the questionnaire is presented below, structured in two parts, the first aimed at department heads and the second part is for all employees.
Open interviews with department heads
- What is the mission of the company? What do you understand by knowledge? What do you understand by innovation? Frequency with which you train in new techniques and processes? What do you understand by generative learning or generation of learning? What do you understand by attention Did you know that the company learns to the extent that the people and teams that comprise it are capable of learning? What do you think? Did you know that trained people (academia and experience) are a necessary but not sufficient condition to have an organization capable of generating and using knowledge? What do you think? Did you know that learning is a process that must be managed and requires resources? What do you think? A systemic vision is the ability to analyze the existing interrelationships within the system,understand problems in a non-linear way and see cause-effect relationships over time. Did you know this concept and what do you think about it?
Surveys for all employees
YES / NO questions
- Do you know the mission of the company? Do you consider that your work generates new knowledge? Do you consider that you need to be trained in your area? Do you consider that you need to be trained in the work of other areas? Do you agree that a company learns to the extent that the people who make it up learn?
What level of progress from 1 to 4 do you consider the company has in the following parameters:
- The company has mechanisms that encourage the creation of ideas Degree of implementation of standard recruitment procedures The company has established mechanisms for storing knowledge Processes for the transmission of knowledge Plans for the interpretation of knowledge What level of use of knowledge brought from outside the company Use and materialization of learning (training) given at the level of people and teams Frequency with which the established procedures and their compliance are evaluated. (Degree of evolution of the company) Degree of quality in the results of the company Use of the Internet and similar applications
Summary
The purpose of this questionnaire is to find out what conditions the company is in both in terms of generation, use and retention of knowledge, through interviews with the heads of each department with 10 open questions and the rest of the company's collaborators with 15 closed questions. It is important that all members of the company participate in this process so that it is easier to commit them to the implementation of a Knowledge Management Model, since all were taken into account. The objective of the diagnosis phase is also to make staff aware of their level of participation in the company's Knowledge Management and to create a favorable collective attitude towards it.
2) Implementation Scenario and Management Model of associated knowledge
Today, organizations must focus their efforts on achieving corporate objectives that allow institutions to develop their maximum potential in the market in which they operate. The foregoing implies the implementation of innovative strategies that integrate the different departments on which the company's operations are based, as well as its environment.
Equipments Media, SA will become a sustainable company through the formulation of strategies oriented to the development of Knowledge Management and an optimal profile of intellectual capital. To do this, you must execute technical development projects capable of responding to the accelerated evolution of the environment and with a view to achieving the positioning of your company.
The Knowledge Management project is oriented to the scenarios of innovation and creativity in conjunction with the scenario of the organization's strategy. Due to the company's need to have an innovation plan that allows it to achieve multimedia and multichannel expansion as well as ensure its successful transformation from going from a local operator to an international one.
The objectives of the project are then stated below:
- Successful transformation from a local operator to an international oneMultimedia and multichannel expansion
A l cance of the project
The scope of the QA project will have an effect on the following factors:
- Innovation of the processes in each area Creation and development of the technological platform aimed at multimedia and multichannel tools Preparation of workers in the use of new technologies Local and global work organization, with a focus on emerging technologies and markets New methods of production that are adapted to the changes implemented
In order to achieve the aforementioned, it is necessary that Knowledge Management projects affect the key areas of the organization, mainly those described below.
- Management of the company: One of the most important and in charge of directing and managing the resources for the execution of the project Human Resources: One of the main areas that contribute to the success of an organization and that therefore cannot be excluded from a knowledge management project, this is where the personnel responsible for building knowledge in the organization are selected and hired.Technology and design: This unit is in charge of implementing new processes that contribute to the reengineering of the organization and the definition of new processes and technologies that define the technological platform on which changes or improvements to the organization are implemented. Marketing: It is responsible for ensuring innovative projects and the development of corporate strategies. Production:It is necessary for knowledge management to reach this area, thus the creation of new products or services or the innovation of existing ones will arise, as well as the redefinition of new ways of doing things Communications and image: In charge of communicating the development of new development strategies, for that matter, knowledge management.
The launch of a new technology that requires a strategy must use creative techniques that stimulate innovation within the company. When you want to launch a new technology, you need to consider the organization's suppliers (B2B) and customers (B2C); That is, not only the integral internal parts of the organization should be considered, but also its economic environment.
Proposed team
The success of project development in many cases depends on the executing team, where the selection of suitable personnel for the implementation of new strategies and the implementation of innovative projects is decisive. In this context, the formation of a team in charge of the Knowledge Management project is required, which must be made up of the members detailed in the following table:
| Team members | Roles | Features |
| Marketing manager. Chief of Staff Chief of Technology and Systems Chief of Production Chief of Technology and Design | Project coordinator Personnel profile builder Technological platform developer Innovator of the organization's production processes.
Monitor the execution of projects. |
|
Action plan
Below are proposed actions to carry out the innovation and Knowledge Management plan. The main focus of the plan is the generation of knowledge by department and its exchange between the areas, however it includes some tasks to collect the perception of both the client and the suppliers regarding the company.
The actions that are proposed are:
- Knowledge identificationKnowledge creationKnowledge storageKnowledge sharingMotivationCommunication
| KNOWLEDGE IDENTIFICATION | |||
| Action | Responsable | Period | Project Indicators |
| Objective: Identify what you want to achieve and what is the knowledge that is required for this. | |||
| Creation of knowledge maps, in order to find the knowledge example: key processes | Communication and image (as an information integrator with the rest of the areas) | 3 months | Map of available knowledge |
| Identification and implementation of the role of knowledge agent | Human Resources | 2 months | Identified knowledge agents |
| Proposal to use BSC | Communication and image (as an information integrator with the rest of the areas) | 1 month | Proposed BSC |
| KNOWLEDGE CREATION | |||
| Action | Responsable | Period | Project Indicators |
| Objective: Preparation of employees on new products | |||
| Workshop scheduling on new products | Marketing | Every new product | Workshop scheduled, number of attendees |
| Face-to-face or remote training in the use of new products for new employees | Human Resources | Permanent | Course attendees, Percentage of employees who have achieved the minimum grade for the course |
| Action | Responsable | Period | Project Indicators |
| Objective: To have the means to obtain solutions to problems | |||
| Creation of Forums to discuss problems about company products | Marketing, Technology | Permanent | Percentage of employees using forums |
| Create a functional helpdesk | Marketing | Permanent | Percentage of employees calling the help desk and type of query |
| Action | Responsable | Period | Project Indicators |
| Objective: To generate a source of information and content from previous experiences in previous projects | |||
| Create an information bank per project for the different areas | Technologies | 3 months | Information bank available |
| Prepare and publish content and lessons learned per project | Each area | 2 months | Published information |
| Generate quick “how to” guides for the most relevant cases | Each area | 2 months | Published guides |
| Promote the use of the information bank | Communication and image | Permanent | Number of employees using the project information bank |
| KNOWLEDGE STORAGE | |||
| Action | Responsable | Period | Project Indicators |
| Create an intranet | Technology | 2 months | Site created and available |
| Prepare and present computer equipment plan for staff | Technology | 2 months | Plan presenting and approved by management |
| Propose platforms for the use of online surveys, website, etc. | Technology | 1 month | Platform implemented |
| SHARE THE KNOWLEDGE | |||
| Action | Responsable | Period | Project Indicators |
| Objective: Transfer knowledge to all employees | |||
| Workshop scheduling on new products | Marketing | Every new product | Workshop scheduled, number of attendees |
| Action | Responsable | Period | Project Indicators |
| Objective: To have a tool that allows the different areas to manage their documents (virtual library) | |||
| Prepare proposal for Virtual Library Implementation: acquisition and use of document manager software | Technology | 3 months | Plan to Implement a virtual library |
| Action | Responsable | Period | Project Indicators |
| Objective: Minimize the impact of an outflow of resources from the company | |||
| Present a capture program for knowledge that is leaving due to an employee's retirement (can be by job type) | Human Resources | 4 months | Number of knowledge assurance programs by type of position |
| Action | Responsable | Period | Project Indicators |
| Objective: Motivate the transfer of knowledge between areas | |||
| Schedule knowledge transfer events, where each area describes what its processes are | Human Resources and areas to share knowledge | Every 3 months | Number of scheduled events, number of attendees |
| MOTIVATION | |||
| Action | Responsable | Period | Project Indicators |
| Objective: Promote the Knowledge Management project and keep employees informed of the status of the project | |||
| KM project launch day scheduling, highlighting why KM is important to the organization (mission, vision, project strategy) | Project commission | 1 month | Scheduled event, No. of attendees |
| Creation of an electronic bulletin for the dissemination of advantages and status of the project | Communication and image | Once a month | Bulletin distributed, No. of employees who read the bulletin |
| Proposal for recognition of the personnel participating in the project | Human Resources | 1 month | Proposal made |
| Proposal to recognize the employees who most use the QA support tools | Human Resources | 3 months | Proposal made |
| Action | Responsable | Period | Project Indicators |
| Objective: Provide employees with sufficient training for the use of technological tools (computer, intranet, videoconferences, etc.) | |||
| Present and execute a training plan in the use of technology as support at work | Human Resources and Technology | 3 months | Plan presenting, number of course attendees |
| COMMUNICATION (these are also part of the Communication plan shown at the end) | |||
| Action | Responsable | Period | Project Indicators |
| Electronic bulletin that consolidates the most important news of each area | Communication and image | 2 months | Bulletin distributed, No. of employees who read the bulletin |
| Creation of knowledge rooms where all the tools for knowledge meetings can be provided | Communication and image | 3 months | Rooms available |
| Enable suggestion boxes (physical and virtual) | Communication and image | 1 month | Mailboxes available |
| Publication of company indicators (printed, electronic, on the intranet) | Communication and image | Every 2 months | Published indicators |
| Generate online customer satisfaction surveys | Marketing, Communication and Image | Every 6 months | Polls answered |
| Generate online opinion surveys for suppliers | Marketing, Communication and Image | Every 6 months | Polls answered |
Proposed Intellectual Capital Indicators
The use of the BSC is proposed for the analysis of both financial results and the progress in the construction of intangible assets. The BSC allows to see the company from four perspectives: Financial, Customer, Internal Processes and Learning.
Particularly for the last 3, the use of the following indicators is proposed for the purpose of measuring intellectual capital:
| Perspective | Indicators |
| Customer Perspective | Increase in satisfaction with the company's products and services
|
| Perspective of internal processes |
|
| Learning Perspective |
|
Benefits and Critical Factors
Benefits
- Employees trained about new products and the company in general, better prepared for new challenges (transformation from being a local to international operator) Create new competitive advantages Promote corporate culture through concrete actions That employees are adequately informed about the new strategy and how the processes should be aligned That knowledge is concentrated in a source that can be shared Reduce the impact of the withdrawal of key personnel in the company There is an external perception of the company provided by customers, suppliers and other third parties Have open channels for inquiries or concerns in order to collaborate with employees, customers and suppliers in solving problems
Critical factors
- Little credibility on the part of the Operations department Saturation on the part of the technology area, they do not have the time for the project Some team members do not understand what Knowledge management is and the benefits it brings to the company Technology, not all employees have resources technology and most likely do not have adequate training Rejection of technology by the Training unit Employee attitude generated by job adjustments
3) Communication plan
Communication is a vital part in every area because it makes it easier for us to understand what we want to do and how we want to do it, it helps us to act more quickly and efficiently, so it is essential that we know how to carry out actions that promote strategic projects, which generate changes in the organizational culture. The GC relies on communication to spread knowledge and provide the means to increase it.
The Communication Plan must be attractive, that it draws the attention of the people who will be exposed to this internal advertising of the company so that there is greater flexibility and ease of adaptation to the changes that are necessary, in addition to allowing people to send your opinions and suggestions.
4) Conclusions
The Knowledge Management project represents an excellent opportunity for companies to increase their competitive advantage through the systematization of systematized knowledge about their processes, services and products, which each day becomes the most important asset.
The knowledge of the key people of the company, the satisfaction of the employees, the know-how of the company, the satisfaction of the clients, etc., are assets that explain a large part of the valuation that the market gives to an organization and which, however, are not included in the book value thereof. However, there are some authors who consider that the difference between the total assets of the company and the market value (Stock Market) is a way of quantifying the intangibles of the company.
Knowledge can be defined as the ability to solve a certain set of problems, in addition to giving way to innovation because it proposes the bases to build new solutions or new proposals that will make the company maintain or improve its competitive advantage, all this is achieved by means of having more and better trained personnel, personnel with the possibility of proposing and developing ideas.
However, it is necessary that companies that decide to develop a project of this type, promote Knowledge Management and transmit the benefits to all staff, and of course this must have the support of Senior Management.
