KNOWLEDGE AUDIT

1
KNOWLEDGE AUDIT

• Jay Liebowitz
• R.W. Deutsch Distinguished
• Professor of Information Systems, UMBC
  (LIEBOWIT_at_UMBC.EDU)

2
What Do You Hope to Learn?

• Further background on KM processes and the role
  of the CKO in the organization
• Knowledge management methodology
• Knowledge audit process
• Practical advice about knowledge audits

3
Knowledge Management Process

• Developing new knowledge
• Securing new and existing knowledge
• Distributing knowledge
• Combining available knowledge
• Important element -- Connectivity

4
What is a CKO? (Earl and Scott, Sloan Mgt.
Review, Winter 1999)

• Studied 20 CKOs in North America and Europe
• Usually appointed by the CEO (gut feeling)
• Primary task is to articulate a KM program
• CKOs spend a lot of time walking around the
  organization

• CKOs are conceptual designers
• Concentrate on tapping tacit knowledge
• Self-starter not single career-track people
• Highly motivated (driven)
• Most have small staffs (3-12 persons)
• High level sponsorship

5
A SMART Methodology for Knowledge Management
(Liebowitz et al., UMBC)

• SStrategize
• MModel
• AAct
• RRevise
• TTransfer

6
Operational/Implementation Steps for the
Knowledge Leveraging Model

• Conceptualize and Strategize
• Define Problem (why are we doing this what
  should be the end result?)
• Assess Cultural Readiness, Technology Needs
  Resources
• Conduct a Knowledge Audit (Knowledge Gap
  Analysis)
• Analyze and Develop an Overall KM Strategic Plan
  (Should Relate to the Centers Strategic Plan
  Define Leadership Role, KM Implementation
  Infrastructure, and Technology Needs)
• Knowledge Acquisition
• Identify and Apply Methods to Capture Expertise
  (e.g., structured/unstructured interviews, verbal
  walkthroughs, observation, simulation,
  questionnaires, etc.)

7
(No Transcript)
8
(No Transcript)
9
Knowledge Audit(ONLINX Research Inc.)

• A knowledge audit is a review of the firms
  knowledge assets and associated knowledge
  management systems
• A systematic and dispassionate review of the
  adequacy and integrity of important
  organizational assets and systems

10
Knowledge Audit (Dataware, Liebowitz)

• In order to solve the targeted problem, what
  knowledge do we have, what knowledge is missing,
  who needs this knowledge, and how will we use the
  knowledge?

11
Knowledge Audit (Seeley, Warner-Lambert)

• What information exists in my organization, and
  where is it located?
• What expertise resides in my organization--who
  knows what?
• What relevant expertise resides outside my
  organization, where does this expertise exist,
  and how do I gain access to it?
• What are the best sources of relevant internal
  and external information and knowledge?

12
Value of a Knowledge Audit(Peter Smith, ONLINX
Research Inc.)

• Demonstrates exactly where value is being created
  through human and structural capital
• Highlights where leverage can best be applied
  through improved knowledge sharing and
  organizational learning
• Helps prioritize projects for improving knowledge
  management practice
• Demonstrates firm capabilities to shareholders
  and other stakeholders
• Is a key component to strategic planning for any
  knowledge-based enterprise
• Is a key adjunct to due diligence and business
  planning in mergers, acquisitions, strategic
  alliances, venture capital, and new company
  formation

13
Why Audit?

• Looking for knowledge-based opportunities in the
  markets?
• Is your focus knowledge flows, stores, and sinks
  in the organization?
• Is the audit to check compliance with SOPs?
• Are you searching for ways to leverage internal
  processes using knowledge?
• Will you focus on knowledge objects or are you
  interested in cultural barriers?

14
Why Audit? (cont.)

• Is the audit strictly for gathering baseline data
  (descriptive) or is there a prescriptive element?
• Is the audit part of a larger BPR project?
• Does the mandate include all stakeholders,
  suppliers, customers, stockholders, etc.?
• Where does the learning take place that generates
  the knowledge?
• How fast is the learning?
• What are the key leverage points in the learning
  process?

15
Top 5 Reasons for Implementing a KM Solution
(Delphi Group)

• Organizing corporate K (63)
• New ways to share tacit K (39)
• Support for research and K generation (31)
• New ways to share explicit K (29)
• Smart tools to aid DM (26)

16
Knowledge Reuse

• Provides for the capture and reapplication of
  knowledge artifacts (episodes in memory, stories,
  relationships, experiences, rules of thumb, and
  other forms of knowledge acquired by individuals
  or groups)
• Relies as much on the use of negative
  experiences, flawed reasoning, or wrong answers
  as on correct results
• Failure and Lessons Learned in Information
  Technology Management An International Journal
  (Jay Liebowitz, Editor-in-Chief Publisher
  Cognizant Communications Corp., NY
  cogcomm_at_aol.com)

17
Information Audits (TFPL)

• Identify the information needs of the
  organization, the business units, and individuals
• Identify the information created and assess its
  value
• Identify the expertise and knowledge assets
• Identify the information gaps
• Review the current use of external and internal
  information sources

18
Information Audits (TFPL) (cont.)

• Map information flows and bottlenecks within
  those flows
• Develop a knowledge map of the organization
  indicating appropriate connections and collections

These tasks will enable the design of content
maps for intranets, knowledge management
strategies, and information strategies
19
Knowledge Management at Monsanto Co.

• Developed a Knowledge Management Architecture
  (KMA) -- Director of Knowledge Management
• Includes a learning map that identifies questions
  answered and resulting decisions made
• Information map that specifies the kind of
  information that users need
• Knowledge map that explains what users do with
  specific information (conversion of information
  to insight or knowledge)

20
Audit (TFPL)

• Independent team
• Mix of interviews, questionnaires, discussion
  groups, and focus groups
• Number of people in central positions are
  interviewed
• Detailed questionnaire to all staff
• Do post-audits periodically

21
Perform a knowledge audit first! If youre a
manufacturer, you inventory your physical assets
before you change your manufacturing plans and
processes. Should we do less with knowledge
resources? Consider such factors as

• What information do people need to do their jobs?
• What is the function of the information?
• Who holds that knowledge now? Who needs it? When?
• How can that information be made substantially
  more effective?
• What connection should you make between documents
  and work flow?
• Do you really want document management tied to
  work flow, processes, and business process
  reengineering?
• What precisely, is the nature of knowledge
  resources?

22
Teltechs Audit Process

• Begins at the top, identifying the clients key
  decision making areas and tasks, and drills down
  to evaluate the types, level, and location of
  info and K required to support those decisions
• Gap analysis identifies information/K weak areas

23
Teltechs (cont.)

• Teltechs knowledge audit takes 3-4 weeks at one
  location with 200-600 employees
• Assesses knowledge-related behavior (e.g., how
  receptive is a clients culture to accessing
  information electronically?)

24
Knowledge Audits Related Projects (Liebowitz et
al., UMBC)

• BRI/PAC core competency process at the Social
  Security Administration (2 surveys, follow-up
  interviews)
• Knowledge management strategy for the FCC
• Knowledge mapping for ASID
• Web-based expert system for HCFA
• Agent-based system for the Navy
• Other work at our Lab for KM

25
Knowledge Organization

• Invest in education and training of the firms
  human capital
• Develop knowledge repositories for preserving,
  sharing, and distributing K
• Provide incentives to encourage employees and
  management to contribute to the organizations
  knowledge repositories and use this knowledge
• Consider evaluating annually each member of the
  firm on the quality and quantity of knowledge
  contributed to the firms knowledge bases as well
  as the organizational knowledge used by that firm
  member

26
Knowledge Organization (cont.)

• Develop methodologies for managing and
  structuring the knowledge in the knowledge
  repositories
• Provide an infrastructure of individuals whose
  main job is to manage the creation, development,
  and maintenance of knowledge repositories
• Place the Chief Knowledge Officer (CKO) in either
  a staff position directly under the CEO or in a
  line position equivalent to a VP
• Adapt to the changing competitive environment by
  forming project teams based on the employee
  knowledge profiles

27
CGIAR KM Survey Results

• Most Centers dont measure the value of the IC
• People are the most important knowledge carriers
• Most of the Centers strategic goals dont
  include KM explicitly
• KM objective facilitate the re-use
  consolidation of K
• Sharing of K intranets, documentation--Center
  level
• Unit-level intranets, cross-functional teams,
  training

• Creation of K lessons learned analysis
• Storing K manuals and handbooks
• Some understanding and support for KM
• Mixed reaction on motivating and rewarding for KM
• No formal Webmaster function in most Centers
• Email videoconferencing intranet to support KM
• No tracking of new K generation