A framework for knowledge sharing: Taxonomy and information architecture

2001 proved a tumultuous year for a huge number of companies. Some were able to weather the economic downturn, but others had a rough ride, which for many ended in disaster. While scandal on an unprecedented scale has already clouded the beginning of 2002, the year nevertheless offers hope for most firms.

In the world of knowledge management, exciting times are ahead. For the first time, Ark Group will be hosting major KM exhibitions in Europe, Asia and North America in the same year. KM Asia and KM Europe are already established as unrivalled international events, and Global KM eXchange will aim to replicate this success in the US come June.

For the magazine itself, there are a number of changes to look forward to. Not only is the website currently undergoing a major overhaul, we are also preparing to expand our editorial board to bring in even more of the world’s foremost KM experts. In fact, this process has already begun, and this month we welcome Paul Louis Iske, chief knowledge officer at ABN AMRO, to the fold.

Under the guidance of Iske and his peers, we aim to continue providing you with the same high quality case studies, features and news from around the world. Among the topics we will be covering in the next few months will be knowledge management in the public sector – an issue that is gaining rapidly in importance – and how to measure and evaluate return on investment. In the summer, we will also be exploring the evolution and globalisation of KM.

Remember, this magazine is written by KM professionals for you, the reader, but any feedback or suggestions you may have is gratefully received. Please feel free to contact me directly at slelic@ark-group.com, and I will be delighted to discuss any ideas you may have. I look forward to hearing from you!

Features

A prisoner of the past: Breaking the constraints of corporate history in the UK Free
Britain continues to lag behind its peers in terms of industrial performance, partly as a result of the reluctance of the country’s industrial and educational sectors to recognise and learn from the lessons of the past. Arnold Kransdorff relates the enormous cost of this failure and outlines a plan to galvanise experiential learning for the 21st century.

Country focus: Australia Free
Simon Lelic talks to Eric Tsui and assesses the impact of knowledge management in Australia.

Do you need a taxonomy strategy? A primer on information architecture and taxonomy development Free
The evolution of the web from novel technology to critical business application has spurred a surge in interest in the taxonomy and information architecture development, although a general confusion as to what each term actually means still exists. Samantha Bailey discusses the practical meaning of each concept and examines how they can be leveraged.

Goal-driven knowledge discovery: Linking corporate objectives to information infrastructure Free
A significant challenge faced by many managers is turning board-mandated strategic objectives into operational reality. Andrew Boyd presents a framework for achieving competitive advantage by focusing on goal-driven knowledge discovery. His method requires that functional areas set targets and initiatives based on corporate objectives, laying the groundwork for information retrieval and iterative evaluation.

Inside knowledge Free
This month’s editorial comment. By Simon Lelic.

Taxonomies in the corporate marketplace: The Factiva experience Free
While many large corporations are struggling with the problems associated with implementing an effective enterprise-wide taxonomy using commercially available software, Factiva has been categorising vast amounts of data for years. Simon Alterman outlines Factiva’s experience in introducing commercial categorisation software and discusses the lessons the company has learned as it faces the challenge of applying a complex taxonomy to a constantly growing repository of information.

The case for corporate taxonomy: Separating fiction from reality Free
The growth of internet technologies and the threat of information overload have contributed enormously to the adoption of the science of taxonomy in a corporate setting. Peter Kibby attempts to get past conventional, mechanistic views of taxonomies to find out what really makes them work in business.

Through the Gateway: A collaborative intranet tool for the BBC Free
The BBC’s intranet is used by employees both as a daily workspace and as a means of exchanging knowledge. Iain Duncan explains how the corporation sort to enhance the practical opportunities for collaboration through the use of effective design and incentive programmes. [Web only article]

Regulars

Book review: Opposites Attract Free
Ana Neves reviews Opposites Attract by Hans de Brujin & Claire de Nerée tot Babberich

The 60-second interview: Royal Bank of Canada Free
Louise Irwin, from the Knowledge Management events team, talks to Marsha Tanti, intranet content manager at the Royal Bank of Canada, about the company’s experience implementing a content management system.