denotes premium content | Aug 30 2008 Inside Knowledge Magazine /Knowledge Management Magazine Archive
Volume 7 Issue 6
Inside knowledge
When people use terms such as ‘seamless integration’ and ‘silos’, they tend to be within discussions on enterprise-wide, systems-integration initiatives. ‘Web services’, ‘content rationalisation’ and ‘service-oriented architecture’ often make an appearance here too. Our sister magazines, CM Focus and Intranet Strategist, examine these issues on a regular basis and offer excellent information-management and technology case studies here. However, in March’s Knowledge Management, we discover how similar issues of unconnected working practices also occur in a non-technical sense between internal functions, but instead of being a topic of heated debate, they are an almost accepted way of life.
Although internal functions, such as human resources, internal communications and knowledge management, have their own objectives and processes, they clearly share overlapping interests. However, few companies have identified the value of convergence here and even fewer have fully integrated these functions. As Michael Ridley, assistant director of the DTI’s Change and Knowledge Management Unit says, joined-up delivery of internal service is a holy grail that is difficult to achieve. Alongside the DTI, representatives from Abbey and Shell discuss the existing relationships between KM, internal communications and human resources within their organisations and share their thoughts on the possibility of convergence in the future.
Joined-up working practices are also an issue for many public-sector organisations at the moment, especially in countries, such as the US and UK, where governments are demanding open access to information. The deadline for complying with the UK’s Freedom of Information Act is less than a year away, and as studies illustrate, there is still a long way to go. Ark Group offers a guiding light to government bodies and agencies in its latest report, Freedom of Information: Compliance and Beyond. The report brings together case studies and expert thinking to frame the most pertinent challenges and helps organisations create a cohesive and long-term implementation plan. To order your copy, contact Adam Scrimshire at ascrimshire@ark-group.com.
Finally, as Knowledge Management is going to press we have confirmed the line-up of keynote speakers at this year’s KM Europe event. We’re delighted to announce that John Seely Brown, Dan Holtshouse and Richard Cross will be taking centre stage in Amsterdam between 8-11 November. With such distinguished knowledge management names already involved, we anticipate that 2004 will be the best year yet!
Sandra Higgison
Editor
Features
Embedding KM in marketing strategies
Knowledge management needs to break through organisational walls and address the ultimate focal point of every business, the customer. Arno Boersma examines why knowledge-management practices rarely appear in marketing strategies and outlines some simple formulae that can bring the disciplines together.
Evolving the World Bank into the knowledge bank
Despite the relatively quick wins that many knowledge-management initiatives can bring, becoming a truly knowledge-based organisation is a long and difficult process. Bruno Laporte and Don Cohen describe the bank's evolution from a traditional financial institution into a knowledge bank.
Plotting the path to portal success
Appleby Spurling & Kempe (AS&K) was one of the earliest law firms to adopt a more holistic approach to knowledge management rather than simply throwing money at technology and hoping for the best. Christopher Maiden project manager of Pathfinder, AS&K’s portal, offers some insights into the often neglected, softer side of portal development.
Why KM’s work is never done
When the knowledge-management team at Ernst & Young began its journey in 1996, it envisaged working itself out of a job within five to ten years once it had inculcated a knowledge-sharing culture within the firm. Eight years later, Tina Mason explains why this may never happen.
Regulars
Book review: Ghost Story by Carol Kinsey Goman
Mikko Arevuo reviews Ghost Story – A Modern Business Fable by Carol
Kinsey Goman
Country focus: Brazil
Sandra Higgison talks to Rodolpho Arruda, organisational knowledge manager at SSA Global, about the evolution of knowledge management in Brazil.
Five minutes with… Loyita Worley Richards Butler
Jacquie Bran, project manager with the Knowledge Management events team, spoke to Loyita Worley, head of library, information and knowledge management at Richards Butler. She has been actively involved in disseminating and developing KM within this law firm and has realised the benefits of improved communication and efficiency.
Your say: Linking internal functions with KM
The roles of knowledge management, internal communications and human resources are intrinsically linked, although many organisations fail to recognise the potential value these connections can make. Sandra Higgison speaks to Lindsay Gill, Peter Greenfield, Katie Macaulay and Michael Ridley about the relationships between these functions and how they should be managed.
The knowledge: Laurence Prusak
From his early work with Tom Davenport, and the publication of industry-acclaimed books and research, there is little doubt that Laurence Prusak’s role as a knowledge pioneer has already left an enduring mark. Here he speaks to Sandra Higgison about his current projects, discusses the value of KM to the HR function and reveals how show business is in his blood.
Put it to the board: Leif Edvinsson
Does intelligence or ignorance dominate your work? Do you create value through tangible assets or intellectual capital (IC)? How do you nourish your capital in waiting?
