Knowledge Management

It is a strategic imperative to leverage the information within a business to fuel innovation, responsiveness and efficiency. We provide consultative and implementation services around four major areas:

• Dynamic Workplaces
• Portals
• Content Management and
• Knowledge Management

Knowledge management (KM) is a straightforward idea, but moving beyond the concept to actually implementing KM across a business is difficult. Most enterprises are unfamiliar with managing intangible assets and are uncomfortable with such concepts as tacit knowledge and information assets.

Our work in this field has involved the identification, evaluation and implementation of groupware and collaborative solutions to help improve knowledge capture, access and use across the client's organisation. Some of our solutions have focused on core document / content management requirements, while others have addressed broader collaborative and knowledge utilisation objectives. ESBI Computing utilises the following KM products as part of an overall client solution:

• Instinctive Technology's "eRoom"
• Microsoft's "Sharepoint Portal Server"

As well as providing technical expertise, ESBI Computing can also assist in the development of a business case for KM adoption. KM Projects have received approval on the grounds of proven feasibility and a tangible cost/benefit analysis.

Our KM Project Approach

In order to provide strategic and tactical KM recommendations prior to project implementation, the following key steps are undertaken:

• Identification of key Business Goals for the project
• Examination of current practice
• Identification of Cultural Change issues
• Investigion of Candidate Solution options
• Risk Analysis
• Selection of target activities with higher likelihood of success

Implementing the Solution

Our project experience has demonstrated that there is no simple set of technologies or products that enterprises can turn to when looking for technology to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of knowledge work. In order to implement specific initiatives, ESBI Computing used four category headings to act as a realistic model for prioritising IT investment.

• Managing Explicit Knowledge
• Managing Tacit Knowledge
• Creating New Knowledge
• Transferring Knowledge

Managing Explicit Knowledge

This involves capturing knowledge in documents and making these documents available as needed. The focus is on leveraging and exploiting knowledge that is already available within the client organisation, but which has not been accessible to people who could take advantage of it. Indexing and Search Services, Document Management tools and knowledge discovery are key issues in this area.