Case analysis

Corporate portal: A tool for knowledge

Management synchronization

Presented by :
Bikram Prajapati

Synopsis




The case focuses on a particular tool of KMS that is the corporate portal.
portals area data management tool that provides a single point of access to information.
A corporate tool is a gateway into the organization knowledge resources.
corporate portal is emerging tools that provide sustained competitive advantage to an
organization.
Described characteristics and features of corporate portals:
Benefits associated with its implementation, focusing on the potential role
Role of portal in managing knowledge processes ;
Challenges facing organizations in the implementation phase.





Facts of the case:

The valuable asset of any organization is knowledge they posses.
The organization always search for knowledge in right place at right time to make good
decision, and these knowledge will get through proper manage knowledge management
system.
This case generalized the finding the implementation of corporate tools in eight companies (
they are: Hewleet Packard, Ford motor, STMicroelectronics, GlaxoSmithKline, General
motors, BT, Procter and gamble, Eli Lilly.
Case generalized the knowledge management process as:
Knowledge generation
Knowledge codification
Knowledge storing
Knowledge application
Knowledge transfer and sharing

There are two types of corporate portal
Extranet portal: it provide a knowledge to solved particular problem.
Intranet portal: it focus on knowledge management and communication. It try to manage the
content of knowledge.
It helps to manage corporate intellectual capital.
The feature of corporate tool are:
Collaboration: it helps an organization to collaborate with other for purpose of
exchanging information. Lotus Notes and Microsoft Exchange are third party
collaboration.
Publishing: it supports for sharing knowledge in written form.
Taxonomy: it supports to manage similar type of knowledge in same group.
Search: It supports in searching of those document.
Integration: it supports integration of knowledge and makes easily available the desire
information.

Challenges stated in case
Developing corporate portals and building the critical mass of users required to make them
successful is not an easy task.
The adoption of technology and two way communication makes easy to manage knowledge.
Some of Challenges in knowledge management process:
Proper communication channel should be built which is time consuming and need more
resources.
Managing the protocol and bandwidth for exchanging information is difficult.
Data filtering is challenging.
It allows easier access to corporate information.
Challenge in proper Storage of the knowledge.
By placing all the knowledge in portal makes poor knowledge awareness to their
stakeholder.
Security on knowledge becomes challenging for most of the organization

Three factor that possess challenge for adoption of corporate
portal are
Managerial context:
The manger are concern with the cost effectiveness for implementing and maintain portals.
The cost of portals include, hardware costs, software license costs, software development
costs, design costs, system integration costs and maintenance.
Need to develop training and development program, which is costly
Need to upgrade the technology of organization
Need to arrange awareness program
Need to link with existing ERP , CRM system which is critical.
Leadership and reward system must link with strategy of corporate portal

Technical context:
There are huge amount of knowledge and information within the organization but identification
of desire knowledge is important for them. If the desire information is not available at require
time then developing a portal will not help organization.
While developing portal, organization must plan and need to design that will be compatible
with system
Organization must ensure that employee will use portal for knowledge searching.
Employee need to know where and how I can found the desire knowledge.
Social context:
The organization culture determine the sharing of knowledge. The way how information is being
sharing among employee and the medium they are using determine the quality of Knowledge.
The organization need to build up trusty environment so that they can share knowledge.
Communication should be done in clear way through proper medium.
Need to develop good organization culture which support group /team work.



Advantage of implementing corporate portal tool for
managing knowledge are:
The portal helps an organization to stay connected with employees, supply and their customer.
It helps to make better decision and improved communication.
It helps to set global integrations and standardization.
It helps for effective information search and helps to establish new communication channel.
It improves collaboration and foster team work in organization.
It helps to share information in large audience at once.
It motivate an employee and gives access to internal information.
Overall it helps every organization by providing the necessary knowledge that certainly helps an
organization to make right decision and it will reduce the cost for sharing knowledge


Solution to address problem
There should be a proper collaboration between the system and user. Instead of so many
difficulties the early describe eight companies are using corporate tool for managing knowledge.
Top management support: A CEO who recognizes the value of knowledge and who
actively supports the knowledge team, it motivates other employee and generate the sense of
management supporting to them.
Motivation and commitment for adoption of these technologies: the organization must
determine which technology is suitable for them. They must motivate employee through
internal or external motivation program.
Linking knowledge and business processes: organization need to identify the link between
knowledge and the bottom line business benefit; new measures of performance and
appropriate rewards. Need to establish standards for information collection, processing, and
presentation.

Information sharing culture: Creation of a culture that supports innovation, learning and
knowledge sharing helps to manage knowledge management system. Organization need to
support new idea and must share these idea in organization.
Learning from failures: Companies must review their successes and failures, assess them
systematically, and record the lessons in form that employees find accessible. Organization
need to follow up their action and need to take proper action.
A technical infrastructure need to build that supports knowledge work. Various information
system like MIS, DSS, ERP , Simulation need to integrate with knowledge management
system.


Conclusion and recommendation
Knowledge management is continuous process.
KM applies systematic approaches to find, understand and use knowledge to create value.
Corporate tool is knowledge sharing tools that helps an organization to share their available
knowledge to concern party.
A portal provides a platform to share knowledge.
Implementing corporate portal is not so easy. Its posses various challenge and costly
senior management should help demonstrate to users how to add value to the knowledge
work via the portal by, for instance connecting with experts efficiently; accessing externally
generated knowledge; searching the right content in less time; combining and
interpreting knowledge.


Recommendation
The corporate tool must be built on existing technology, system and resources so that it helps to
reduce some cost.
Training and proper information should be given to stakeholders about corporate portal.
the knowledge management project need to align with overall business objectives.
The organization must build KM team for effective management of KM portal
Organization need to perform knowledge audit and must identify which information is most
essential for organization growth
KM system must link with the people. . Team work is essential for successful implementation
of knowledge management.
The organization should build collaborative culture in organization, they need to welcome new
idea and need to ready for change. .
Proper security should be maintain in the KM system.
Interdisciplinary information should integrate.
Proper security system should develop. Level of authority and accesses need to define.