As referred to earlier, Knowledge Management in order to have the maximum results for the firm must be in alignment with the most important strategic aims. The strategic aims of a firm are stated in the business plan or in case this is not feasible a SWOT analysis must be done in order these priorities to be defined. This is of outmost importance because in most cases the results of KM are not obvious in terms of cost or other quantitative characteristics and in order to ensure top management commitment, KM team must show the first results as fast as possible.

 

Step 2: Identify your knowledge gaps, the future knowledge requirements and the special knowledge characteristics of the firm: Auditing organisation’s Knowledge.

Well-defined and analszed strategic aims provide a good framework for analysing the current knowledge gaps and the future knowledge needs of the firm. Knowledge gaps might arise from missing people (special know-how or experts) or missing technology or a combination of the two. Knowledge gaps must be filled in with several policies such us internal training, staffing with new personnel, know-how acquisition, new knowledge generation, etc.

 

Possible knowledge gaps could be recognised by past reported problems and by talking with the firm operational managers and all the personnel. This process is also possible

 

to recognise knowledge redundancy in some departments as well.

 

A well-described tool in the literature for implementing a K.M audit is the Knowledge Management Audit tool. The audit tool (extensive questionnaire and methodology) aims to provide the user with a detailed methodology of how to identify all the areas (recognition procedure), which should be investigated more and should be improved in order that all the barriers and organisation-specific characteristics dealing with Knowledge Management should be pointed out and removed.

 

• Do we know the wealth of knowledge that exists in the company both existing and potential?
• Do we know how knowledge flows through the company?
• Do we have knowledge maps? If not why not? If yes are they used effectively?
• Who to you go to when there is a problem?
• How do we manage the threat of the loss of key people and their know-how?
• Do people get the knowledge they need when they need?
• How do people get the information and knowledge they need?
• With whom do people collaborate and share information & knowledge?
• What are the barriers to knowledge sharing?
• Do we reward people for sharing knowledge? If yes, are the rewards appropriate?
• Do we know what we should know but don’t in fact know?
• Do people feel empowered? Do people feel that their knowledge is valuated?
• ….and much more….

In today’s very competitive work environment many employees don’t feel safe in their work position and usually ‘’hide’’ knowledge, which, could use to improve their efficiency or are afraid to lose their personal knowledge advantage in case they share knowledge with others. This is probably the major barrier for every knowledge management activity. People must feel free to exchange their ideas, make mistakes or ask other employees if they don’t know something. People at work also shouldn’t  be afraid to have small conversations at work (water cooler discussions), read a book even while working to gain new business knowledge, etc. All these soft but very critical every day activities help a firm to build a KM culture.

Knowledge mapping is a process aiming to virtually associate knowledge description with the people who have or might have it. In most cases it is difficult to map the knowledge itself and it is easier and logical to create links between a brief knowledge description and knowledge owners.

 

However, knowledge in an organisation exists in many types and in different thematic areas (management, production, marketing, sales, technical, etc). Therefore, knowledge in order to be described and to be well understood from everyone must be transformed in a common and easy language (code) and the relative process is called knowledge codification. There are many types of codification and the most correct refers to the special firm’s knowledge characteristics. For example, a simple codification for knowledge could be as follows: Tacit, explicit, teachable, non-teachable, documented, undocumented simple, composite, operational, non-operational, theoretical, practical, etc. A knowledge map does not necessarily reflect a firm’s knowledge as presented in the organisational chart. Specific knowledge might exist in every employee due to his/her past experience, first degree, etc.

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