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Feature

posted 1 Jul 1999 in Volume 2 Issue 10

Quaerite Vera: Seek the Truth

A company which keeps records of ship wrecks and cargoes dating from 1860 knows the power of knowledge. The Salvage Association also understands the need for easily accessible information; its surveyors travel the world, and often have to access information while visiting inhospitable places such as war zones or regions torn apart by hurricanes. It is often difficult for long-established companies to move with the times, but this organisation continues to take advantage of new technologies to help its employees track the specific knowledge they need. Here, Peter French gives his views of the knowledge management arena and how The Salvage Association continue to uphold their motto, "Quaerite Vera" - Seek the Truth.

I am neither a theorist nor expert on the subject of knowledge management. As we redefine our organisation to meet the demands of a changing world, knowledge management is becoming more important and, in some instances, critical. Knowledge is the lifeblood of the modern organisation, which, if deployed and shared as part of the business process, can provide great benefit.

The Organisation

The Salvage Association is the largest marine casualty surveying organisation in the world, operating through 26 offices across the globe with its Head Office in the City of London. It is probably also the oldest, having been founded over 140 years ago by a committee of marine underwriters and underwriting companies. Our offices in Leadenhall Street house the main technology for the worldwide operations, which includes databases, networks, Internet and intranet applications.

The aim of the Association is to protect commercial interests either at pre-risk or, more often, following an incident or casualty. The Association relies on its staff of highly experienced surveyors to reach stricken vessels or cargoes and advise underwriters and other interested parties of the potential for loss or the potential to reduce such loss. This has been the primary function of the organisation throughout its 140 years.

The Requirements

The increasing use of technology, and its potential advantages, both in terms of computers and communications has not been overlooked by the organisation. Indeed, the use of computer systems and e-mail is routine in all areas of operation from the administration to the survey site. In fact, effective communications are as critical to the everyday operation of the Association as they were 140 years ago when reports were sent to the underwriters by long sea voyages. Due to the immediacy of information transfer and communications now achievable from moderate investment, other opportunities have emerged which were not apparent in our initial strategies and requirements. Investigating knowledge management identified several other areas where our global business process could be rationalised and our products and services improved.

As we are required to respond more and more quickly in today's fast paced environment, we become more dependent on each other to fulfil our part of the overall function. In essence, we start to operate as a single interactive unit to deliver the product rather than independents only responsible for just our particular function. It is important, therefore, to assess the way the whole organisation functions as this dependency emerges. As a global organisation we are constrained by both time and distance. We may not have the opportunity to say: "I need to investigate this vessel's files in London tomorrow" when an immediate, informed and correct decision can save the insurers millions of pounds. We need to ensure that, irrespective of time and distance, all our staff and surveyors world wide have a common understanding and are equipped to deliver the same high quality of service expected of the Association. This is our fundamental strategy for knowledge management.

The concepts

I should explain my personal understanding and view of data, information and knowledge. Data is the single attribute, a single component, which, in isolation, defines a characteristic. Data can be analysed, normalised and processed to construct information. Knowledge is information refined and presented in such a way as to inform the recipient not just of the content but also how to interpret it - the meaning of this information within the context of the organisation and its aims. The distribution and supply of this knowledge around an organisation enables it to function as a single, coherent, operation. It enables staff to become more independent in their role, more inter-dependant as part of the team and encourages participation and enthusiasm.

The enabling process - communication breakdown

The massive wide-scale distribution of PCs in any organisation focuses the user on his or her own environment. In the days of corporate mainframe systems we were extremely dependent on each other, with processes broken down and distributed between departments. PCs suddenly allowed users freedom as it provided their own processing power and the ability to determine their own information strategies. Reports, analysis and information databases were created as individual aids to research and function. This can defeat the organisation's aim to exist as a single enterprise as different departments, using the same information, can easily arrive at a different answer based on their perception of the organisational requirements. If anything, we have become more introverted as users of technology. The key to solving this behavioural characteristic is through openness, enabling each participant in the enterprise to be aware of his or her part in the functional processes. Knowledge management and wide scale knowledge distribution is a primary factor in achieving this aim. Making users aware of their value by the wholesale dissemination of information from all parts of the function chain - to see the fruits of their labour and their contribution to the enterprise, its products and its services. Additionally, this will create an environment where knowledge is shared, and encouraged, amongst members of the enterprise enabling a consistency of service.

The strategy

At the Salvage Association, the global nature of its operations and the different time zones within which it operates will, in many instances, inhibit the normal process of knowledge transfer through discussion and dialogue. However, the introduction of knowledge management and dissemination through the use of global knowledge servers provides, at least, some of the solutions to this problem. This is one strategy we are investigating at present i.e. to define a global system hosted on the Internet, which will provide a common repository of information whether it is simply a list of costs to be collected from clients, or finished reports that can be read and understood.

"We already have databases of information that can be accessed anywhere across the globe, so why created a Knowledge Server?"

The answer to this lies back in my previous text regarding the context of information and its presentation to the reader. To my simple mind its like saying "I want to read Twelfth Night so I'll get a dictionary and reassemble and rearrange the words until I've created it!" This seems a frivolous and extreme example but explains my concerns regarding the deployment of database technology to provide knowledge. In compiling a report a writer portrays a context, even an emotion that highlights certain aspects of the content. Breaking the salient points of the text into simple descriptive characteristics cannot convey the same underlying message. However, it is true that these can be used, for example, to refine searches by highlighting important factors in the report. The original author must do this. A report can contains pictures, drawings and schedules that embellish a report, which produces further benefit and understanding to the reader. Above all, it is vital that information is presented "in context" as part of a chronology or set that relates to the underlying role of the enterprise.

Our pilot project and studies have established a desire to globalise, to function as a single entity and to share the knowledge that we discover, evolve or create. It highlights the wealth of knowledge we have that is either segmented throughout different locations or materially impossible to disseminate. To bring this together through a common repository that can be accessed, searched, analysed and presented globally is a fundamental step towards a greater awareness of the organisation s benefit, the role within the industry it serves and the contribution of the participants.

Our primary requirements for a knowledge server included:

internet hosted service therefore low cost

standards based to integrate with existing desktop applications

remote from the enterprise complementing our business continuity plans

full audit trails

comprehensive security features

flexible authorities and storage structures