Knowledge Management — Challenges and the “Knowing”-Implementation Strategy

Abstract

The fast globalization process of today has a strong impact on enterprises. They are confronted with the need to manage permanent change. Especially they have to build up more partnerships on a world-wide scale forming virtual enterprises. This is one reason to invest in intemet-, intranet-and extranet-technology. From an organizational view point this needed change process from old economy to new economy has to consider on the one hand side an increasing explicitness. This means the organization of an enterprise is becoming more transparent because of the use of standard processes, standard software etc. On the other hand also non-explicit mechanisms of increased self organization have to be used and thus included into the organization harmonically. Examples are business units, self responsible teams and other fractal structuring forms.

Globalization leads to a dramatic increase in innovation speed. This is a big challenge for enterprises because faster innovation also requires a faster change process. Employees have to be supported always by the most modern information-and communication technology. This requires permanent investment, organizational change and employees that are willing and able for live-long learning

Knowledge management is seen as a strategic methodology to define and set up the needed change process. To describe the knowledge management strategy, that has been developed in close partnership of FAW and its spin off company KNOWING GmbH with Prof. Dr. Paul Stähly at IfU-HSG we first explain a relatively general view onto enterprises as complex organisms. This view identifies the different aspects of knowledge management by exploiting an analogy to the functions of biological organisms. An enterprise is seen as a “body” that has to act in a permanent processof change.The enterprise can act “intelligent” because of the knowledge, embodied into it. Such a “surviving body” is orientated towards adaption to the future and knowledge management. The organizational structure supports and motivates live-long learning in a network of human resources (communities of practice) and technological components. The information networks become the enterpriser’s “nervous systerms” and are extremely powerful because they build upon information- and communication technology with its high transmission speed.

Besides strantegy aspects of knowledge management a supporting information- and communication-technology architecture are discussed as well. In assition concrete activities for a stepwise implementation of a technological support for knowledge management in enterprises are explained.