Course Review: Ark Group, Benchmarking your Knowledge Management intranet. Chicago, November 1999

Feature

posted 1 Jan 2000 in Volume 3 Issue 5

Course Review: Ark Group, Benchmarking your Knowledge Management intranet.
Chicago, November 1999

In this review of the November '99 KM intranet tour, Patterson Shafer shares his experience of the unique site visits to EDS, IBM and Arthur Andersen.

Leading knowledge organisations have adopted a broad approach to Knowledge Management, viewing it as fully integrated with the organisation's value chain. KM extends beyond the four walls, to vendors, strategic partners, and to clients. Economic models are established to 'sell' intellectual capital in such a way as to 1) provide infinitely scalable revenue streams, 2) protect intellectual capital from theft or misuse, and 3) not cannibalise existing revenue models. Know that if your organisation doesn't take action, others will.

This article is based on last November's Chicago benchmarking programme, led by Ark Group's Knowledge Management magazine. Delegates from 20 companies evaluated Knowledge Management intranet initiatives of three leading companies, IBM, Arthur Andersen, and EDS, in light of their own objectives. During the initial workshop, the delegates articulated their own KM goals:

KM is about capturing, categorising, improving & leveraging intellectual capital

Intellectual capital includes a broad range of information pulled from work product, proposals, meetings, contact information, competitive intelligence, firm policies and guidelines, news, and legislation. The knowledge assets can take many forms:

1 People and directories

2 Processes and process templates

3 Events and schedules

4 Data and databases

5 Documents and presentations

KM must follow a strategy to align with the goals of the firm

KM must follow clearly defined processes to build value

The knowledge interface must be an enabler, not a barrier. Approaches include:

1 Integrate ubiquitous media such as the telephone or e-mail

2 Optimising software for usability

Beyond articulating a clear strategy and measurable objectives, there are several critical success factors that cannot be ignored as organisations pursue value-creating KM initiatives.

Using the critical success factors outlined above as a guide, the group went on site to the hosts to evaluate their KM intranets against common criteria.

Goals & Alignment: To what extent does the KM program have clearly articulated goals?

Strategy: To what extent is KM strategy implemented at the highest organisational level? To what extent does the KM program extend to vendors, partners and clients?

Prioritisation & ROI: To what extent has the organisation established criteria for prioritisation content or functionality? To what extent does the organisation perform ROI analysis prior to making decisions?

Performance Measurement: How, and to what extent is the performance of the KM program measured?

Processes & Policies: To what extent does the organisation's KM program have clearly articulated policies for use?

Culture & Incentives: To what extent is KM integrated into organisational culture? To what extent is participation in KM rewarded with compensation or recognition?

Enabling Technologies: Is contribution and access facilitated by ubiquitous technologies, such as profiling or personalisation?

Communications: To what extent is the KM program supported by a communications effort?

Success: To what extent does the KM program currently bring value to the organisation?

IBM

IBM was an early adopter of intranet applications for knowledge sharing. Their ownership of Lotus has put them squarely in the Lotus Notes camp as a core technology. Their strategy, which has evolved in sync with their focus on e-business, looks to go beyond the walls of their organisation to vendors and customers.

KM extends across the value chain. Applications demonstrated to the benchmarking delegates included:

e-commerce

Customer Relationship Management

Communications

Supply Chain Management

Procurement

Competitive and Market Intelligence

Resource management

Forecasting

Research and development

Collaboration and project team management

IBM's view of KM extends beyond sharing information. It's targeted to meet user needs, reflecting the organisation's processes and enablers. Its communities are an extension of the organisation's design. Its Knowledge Networks are defined as groups of expert practitioners.

IBM's intranet is named W.3. Its mission is to be the primary communications vehicle within the firm. W.3 is designed to be a cultural change agent, allowing IBM to work as an e-business. In fact, for many IBM professionals, W.3 is IBM, whether accessed in the office, at home, on the road, or at a customer site. Among the key philosophies driving IBM's KM initiative are:

Strategy driven

Appropriately staffed

Assets are measured and valued

Technologies integrated

Culture supports KM, trust

Embedding knowledge in enterprise

Customer requirements

Asset reuse

Arthur Andersen

Arthur Andersen's approach to Knowledge Management can best be described as holistic, affording value added aggregation and application of knowledge across the value chain. Their application, KnowledgeSpace, affords clear e-business opportunities.

KnowledgeSpace features a common approach to Intranet, Extranet and Internet sites. The public site is targeted for potential clients and recruits. The Extranet is a community-based client site, with e-business transactional capability as well as client support applications. And the Intranet is a protected resource for Arthur Andersen professionals. The continuum efficiently leverages content, structure, design and architecture.

A key focus is establishment and nurturing of communities. Communities are needs-based groupings around core themes or issues. Sample communities include:

External Functions

External Industries

Internal Industries

Internal Functions

Assurance

Finance

Other internal drivers:

EMEIA

Latin America, US

The guiding design philosophy is that KnowledgeSpace should be 'the one place to go' to get information. Standardisation provides a common way to search, browse and navigate, yet still allow capability for a personalised experience reflecting content preferences. Arthur Andersen was willing to share some key lessons learned:

Technology is the easy part

Focus on user needs

Communities are driven by necessity to do job

Following a process is critical

Great effort is required to change behaviours

Technology is the easy part

Focus on user needs

Communities are driven by necessity to do job

Following a process is critical

Great effort is required to change behaviours

In general, they expressed that being a first-mover has clear benefits. However, these benefits are accompanied by expected challenges, including having little experience to benefit from, and a more difficult job selling potential benefits to the organisation.

EDS

After its spin-off from GM in 1996, the company has re-emerged as a strong performer under the leadership of CEO Dick Brown. EDS's current generation Knowledge Management intranet, infoCentre, is a key venue for communicating Mr. Brown's vision, and corporate direction as well as providing an environment to help EDS share information and collaborate.

EDS has established multiple criteria for developing its KM intranet.

The primary drivers are:

Accessibility of key information to help people do their jobs.

Usability

Reliability and security

Promoting research

Incorporating consistent navigation at first and second levels

Enabling flexibility

Employing consistent technologies, content and infrastructure

Managing the intranet as a global, leveraged resource

Reinforcing the EDS brand

EDS provided delegates with views of several infoCentre sites, as well as opportunities to see specific functional capabilities such as:

Competitive intelligence (e.g. discussion groups, market analyst assessments, competitor profiles)

Sales and marketing applications (e.g. Services portfolio, case studies, sales tools, white papers).

People support (e.g. training and education, skills profile, career planning, benefits plan information)

Team and workgroup collaboration tools (e.g. instant messaging, meeting centre, document repository).

EDS shared their "lessons learned" with the benchmarking delegates:

Leadership commitment is key.

Any KM effort must be aligned with strategy and have clearly defined goals.

Develop processes and practices first, then apply relevant technology.

Culture and change management are a substantial part of the effort.

Think big, start small. Build on early success.

Use prototyping to validate needs

Patterson Shafer is a Senior Consultant within Prescients,and also a regular facilitator on Benchmarking your KM Intranet courses. He can be contacted at: pshafer@prescients.com

If you would like to receive information on hosting a KM site visit or attending any of the forthcoming courses, please contact Jo O'Rourke. Over the next few months, we will be running KM benchmarking courses in London, Amsterdam, Boston, Washington and New York.

Tel: +44 (0)20 8785 2700
Fax: +44 (0)20 8785 9373