Summary
In this article, we will define what knowledge means and other terms related to it, and we will explain the need that currently exists in organizations to document and reproduce the learning and experiences obtained over time, what is the knowledge management.
We will take a look at the internal and external approach, its importance, some tools used, as well as the objectives it pursues and the benefits its application provides.
We will also study certain approaches that you can take and the basic characteristics that a knowledge manager must have.
Finally we will describe the methodology for its correct implementation in any organization.
Introduction
The knowledge, learning and experiences acquired over time in any organization take on a very special value, for this reason it is important to know where the knowledge comes from and then manage it, currently there are methodologies that guide us step by step.
Whenever new techniques emerge, it is important to analyze their objectives, benefits and areas of opportunity, which we will see below in the next article, and they will give us a broader panorama about what is known today as knowledge management.
Definitions
Management
“It refers to the action and consequence of administering or managing something. In this regard, it must be said that managing is carrying out procedures that make it possible to carry out a commercial operation or any desire ”(Definition.de, 2015).
Knowledge
“It is a set of information stored through experience or learning (a posteriori), or through introspection (a priori). In the broadest sense of the term, it is the possession of multiple interrelated data that, when taken by themselves, have a lower qualitative value ”. (Definition of, 2015).
Knowledge management
Also known as KM is the process by which we transfer knowledge and / or experiences of a person or group of people to others who belong to the same company. It is a new method of business management that can be summarized as: information + human resource management.
Generalities
Although knowledge management allows to capitalize the knowledge of a company to organize and distribute it, we can say that there is a tangible or explicit knowledge which includes databases, electronic or printed documents and on the other hand the tacit or intangible knowledge that It is the knowledge, experience and skills of all employees. The success of companies often depends on these factors, however it is rarely shared by people.
We must be careful with the development of ICTs since although they are a very useful tool today, in the same way they tend to cause excess information.
The purpose of any knowledge management project in organizations should be to identify, capitalize and evaluate the intellectual resources of the company.
This project consists of 5 stages that are shown below:
- Obtain knowledge Preserve knowledge Evaluate knowledge Create and share knowledge Update knowledge
Difference between information and knowledge
When we talk about knowledge, there are two other relational terms that we usually confuse, which are: data and information; and we will take this space to clarify the corresponding meanings. We will first define them according to the Royal Academy of the Spanish Language:
Concept
Knowledge: Understanding, intelligence, natural reason.
Data: Information arranged in an appropriate way for processing by a computer.
Information: Communication or acquisition of knowledge that allows to expand or specify what is possessed on a given subject.
Although on many occasions we usually use these three terms as synonyms, we can differentiate them as follows: data is located in the world, while knowledge can be located in people, machines, companies, books, etc. And this is where the information enters as a mediator between the two.
Data
The data by itself are irrelevant, they are a discrete set of values that do not express anything, however they are the primary elements of the information. They can be a collection of facts stored in some physical medium or in the mind, for example the age of a person, it is data without context that does not help us make a decision.
In organizations they can be from internal or external sources, objective or subjective, qualitative or quantitative, etc.
information
It is the processed data set, here they acquire purpose, context and relevance and in this way they are useful in decision making, they help reduce uncertainty. Information is data with value:
- Contextualized.- We know in what context and for what purpose we generate them Categorizing.- Measurement units are determined for their interpretation Calculating.- They are processed mathematically or statistically Correcting.- They no longer have errors or inconsistencies Condesing.- They are summarized concisely.
In such a way that the information allows the receiver to change the idea of what they perceive, modifying their behaviors and value judgments.
Knowledge
It originates in the minds of connoisseurs, it is a mixture of information and experiences, in companies it is not only found in databases, but also in organizational routines, processes and policies.
It is derived from the information and for that it is necessary:
- Compare it with other elements Predict consequences Look for connections Interaction with other knowledge holders.
Knowledge management theory
Knowledge management and cultural change
Being an intangible issue, when we intend to implement a change in organizations, many times a series of factors are generated that can act as drawbacks, below we present a comparative table between traditional organizations and knowledge-conscious organizations, taken from the Fundibeq page. (Fundibeq, 2015).
Knowledge management theory
Internal vs external knowledge management.
It is not permissible to focus only on internal knowledge management in organizations as agents such as consumers, competitors, suppliers, etc. They carry out their functions outside the organization, and if we are not aware of the activities they carry out, it will be more difficult to achieve our objectives. For example companies that live from sales.
Fortunately, with the proliferation of the internet, the appearance of social and commercial networks, it is possible that external knowledge is more within the reach of organizations, and in this way they can detect what is happening around them.
Internal knowledge management allows us to know how we are, what needs we have, or how to manage our inventory, without, on the other hand, external management gives us an overview of the markets where we are developing, and that is where we generate money and find threats and threats. opportunities.
goals
Focused on knowledge in general:
Create a knowledge repository.
Improve access to knowledge.
Create an environment for the exchange of knowledge.
Manage knowledge like any asset.
Focused on organizations:
Increase productivity.
Increase competitiveness.
Increase the leadership capacity of companies in their respective markets.
Increase business opportunities.
Benefits
Mitigate the organization's knowledge deficit.
Prevent knowledge leaks.
Avoid duplication in knowledge creation.
Improve decision making.
Adaptability and flexibility.
Development of intangible assets.
Promotion of investment in human capital.
Increased commitment to the organization's project.
Increase business logic.
Knowledge is enriched.
It induces an ecology of knowledge.
Change the misconception that sharing knowledge is negative.
Tools
From the perspective of documentary information, we have tools such as:
- Image and documentation management programs Electronic publishing systems Search engines Information integration programs Interactive systems
The knowledge manager
Some organizations have chosen to create the figure of the knowledge manager, who is in charge of directing activities, implementing technologies and tools necessary for the task in question. There is no specific profession for this position, however it is recommended that you be a person with experience in information and documentation and that you be motivated by management and above all be adaptable to technology.
This activity is a development possibility for the coming years, since many companies are choosing to develop knowledge management as one more tool.
Approaches
Here are some approaches that knowledge management can take:
- Based on technology.- Advances in information and communication enable the construction and implementation of tools that facilitate knowledge management.Based on information sciences.- Starting from books, documents, publications, etc. To carry out any management project, however, we can go further by using electronic formats.Based on people.- They create knowledge and use it, so it is important to encourage people to carry out this pair of activities Based on economics.- It values the intellectual capital of the companies, since once we reach this point, the management will be simple.
Knowledge management implementation methodology
Analysis phase
Knowledge audit
- Identify potential needs Channels to capture those needs.
Knowledge map
- Identify and locate all the knowledge of the organization and represent it graphically.
Audit comparison and map
- Identify knowledge gaps Identify knowledge to unlearn Avoid duplication of knowledge Make strategic decisions about knowledge
Design phase
- Planning of the content management process Establishing the life cycle of cognitive knowledge:
Creation, treatment and maintenance
- Conceptual design of documentary resources. Set of critical conceptual decisions that guarantee the usefulness and viability of that documentary resource.
Data Dictionary
- Structuring the knowledge management community. Group of people who will be dedicated to the implementation and maintenance of the KM program.
Implementation phase
- Implementation of the pilot program and its subsequent migration Implementation of a small-scale version of the KM project.
The integral development of technological tools
- Coordinate implementation of all technological resources for the KM program Database management systems Data mining, text mining and warehouse data programs Workflow solutions Intranet Communication Integration and access to the rest of the tools Thematic index, knowledge map, decision making, wanted, metasearch.
conclusion
If management is the act of conducting diligences, we can conclude that in our management, proceedings are focused on transmitting knowledge, learning and experiences among the collaborators of any organization. Although it is a concept that is just gaining strength, it is important to recognize its importance, and the characteristics that differentiate a company that already manages knowledge from one that still does not.
Currently, knowledge management has two aspects, one internal and the other external, and although the first is the one that normally has priority, the external one allows us to be aware of the behavior with suppliers, clients or consumers.
There is no professional totally focused on knowledge management, so it may be an area of opportunity that can begin to develop.
Gratitude
First of all, to the National Technology of Mexico my Alma Mater, to Professor Fernando Aguirre Y Hernández who teaches the subject of Fundamentals of Administrative Engineering for sharing the necessary knowledge for the writing of an article and for encouraging us daily to be better professionals.
Bibliography
- Archanco, R. (September 25, 2011). Intelligence papers. Obtained from Intelligence papers: http://papelesdeinteligencia.com/que-es-gestion-del-conocimiento/Cobdc. (March 23, 2009). Cobdc. Obtained from Cobdc: http://www.cobdc.org/grups/gics/activitats/2009_gcic/20090417_Montoro.pdfDefinición.de. (March 12, 2015). Definition of. Obtained from Definition.de: http://definicion.de/digital/Fundibeq. (March 22, 2015). Fundibeq. Obtained from Fundibeq: http://www.fundibeq.org/opencms/export/sites/default/PWF/downloads/gallery/methodology/tools/gestion_del_conocimiento.pdfRamirez, C. (September 23, 2009). Scribd. Obtained from Scribd: www.scribd.com Real Academia Española. (October 16, 2014). Royal Spanish Academy. Obtained from the Royal Spanish Academy: www.rae.es
