CHALLENGES, BENEFITS AND ISSUES OF KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT SYSTEMS

Organisations are developing information systems designed specifically to facilitate the sharing and integration of knowledge. Such systems are called knowledge management systems.

This study is to do a little research

· How field data exists

· The implementation and development of such systems

· It also provides the analysis of current practices, outcomes and the nature of knowledge management systems.

The concept of coding and transmitting knowledge is not new. This type of training , employee development programmes, organisational policies, reports and manuals have served KMS for years.

For example,

The McDonalds restaurant operating manual capture almost every aspect of the restaurant. Management includes cooking, nutrition, hygiene, marketing, food production and accounting. This process of coding and disseminating knowledge again repeats improving the effectiveness of its operations.

Knowledge is subjective information related to facts, procedures, concepts, interpretations, ideas, observations and judgements. Major challenge of knowledge management is less its creation and more its capture and integration.

A program was conducted on Management of Information Technology at Northeast university in july 1997. It included 109 participants from 12 different countries. The participants were Chief information officers, Information system managers and general area executives.

10 US and 4 non Us respondents report having an existing KMS in their organisations. Three Us and 4 non US respondents reported developing the KMs in their organisations.

Issues of knowledge Management:

Information:

Building vast amount of data into usable form

Avoiding overloading users with unnecessary data

Eliminating wrong or old data

Ensuring customer confidentiality

Keeping the information current

Management:

Change management implications

Getting individuals to volunteer knowledge

Getting business units to share knowledge

Demonstrating business value

Bringing together many people from various units

Determining responsibility for managing the knowledge

Technology:

Determining infrastructure requirements

Keeping up with new technologies

Security of data on internet

Benifits of existing knowledge management systems:

Process outcomes:

Communication:

Enhanced communication
Faster communication
Morevisible opinion of staff
Increased staff participants

Efficiency:

Reducing problem solving time
Shortening proposal times
Faster results

Faster delivery to market

Organisational outcomes:

Financial:

Increased sales
Decreased cost
Higher profitability

Marketing:

Better service
Customer focus
Targeted marketing
Proactive marketing

'' This is a draft.. references will be added in due course.. ''