{"id":198,"date":"2020-09-25T14:11:50","date_gmt":"2020-09-25T13:11:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.esharelife.org\/thinktanklife\/?p=198"},"modified":"2024-01-17T11:17:15","modified_gmt":"2024-01-17T11:17:15","slug":"knowledge-management-in-the-digital-era","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.esharelife.org\/thinktank\/news\/knowledge-management-in-the-digital-era\/","title":{"rendered":"Knowledge Management in the Digital Era"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

As previously stated<\/a>, organizations that strengthen know-how and promote expertise exchange by leveraging a well-founded digitization strategy can identify potent opportunities to facilitate top-quality product innovations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The vexing challenge is that industry players today face harder choices, and all of them have varying views on whether they should make additional investments in digital technology or remain hesitant until the global economic uncertainty subsides. Digital technology is a key element in advancing successful knowledge-intensive environments but, as experts point out, a decreasing willingness to invest in digital transformation<\/a> has been prevalent among manufacturers\u2014an issue that can be intensified by COVID-19\u2019s impact on the industry at large.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s an unavoidable risk and yet, in spite of that, manufacturers have to reverse course and start readying for making the switch to a digitally-led knowledge management strategy. The lack of proper communication channels and digital tools will eventually impact the knowledge sharing behavior of employees, especially now that field service organizations are forced to limit onsite support. Many technicians are deft at offering timely virtual investigations and fixing service issues remotely, but if they cannot tacitly share their knowledge with others in the organization, a penurious collective capability will spread across the firm\u2014which may also lead to a collective loss of organizational memory<\/a> if the technician ultimately leaves the company.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At a time when knowledge transfer must be embedded in every organization\u2019s vision and facilitated by digital communication, professionals should not only adopt<\/em> but also perpetually adapt<\/em> to an intelligible human-machine collaboration plan. Each firm has to routinely revise its guidance and knowledge management mechanism, and make additional digital investments when the time comes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Deloitte\u2019s Knowledge Management and the Digital Native Enterprise<\/em> report<\/a> supports this statement, as it claims that:<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cTechnology is changing the way people perform work, hence the operating models of organizations will need to be re-evaluated and adjusted within the predictable future. Furthermore, workers need to create and develop the ability to work alongside and collaborate with machines that are able to learn, make decisions, and perform a variety of cognitive functions.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

It\u2019s unlikely that digitization obliterates the need for human input; a large amount of mission-critical know-how resides in the heads of the individuals, experts say<\/a>. Rather, an extensive digitally-led initiative amplifies the manufacturer\u2019s expertise, and positively simulates knowledge capture and sharing\u2014an aid, in other words, to better manage the firm\u2019s knowledge assets and simultaneously facilitate competency management for achieving a superior competitive advantage.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Initiate Change Through Datification<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A knowledge-based organization is dependent on a set of highly important elements\u2014the input and output of knowledge, commonly known as data that reflects internal policies or intangible procedures, such as skills obtained through in-practice experience and internalization. This tacit knowledge is distinctly arduous to diffuse within the firm. It is, however, a key differentiator that aids smarter decision-making and brings significant value to an organization.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How can firms gain access to this strategic asset and more importantly, pass it on to others?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

One possibility is to take that individual process and, with the help of collaborative technology, turn it into specific, organized, and widely accessible data. Or, more precisely, make effective use of datification.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Research confirms<\/a> that datification is considered to \u201c[pave] the way to new forms of service orientation for both manufacturing and service sectors, with ramifications and consequences for their mere transformation into knowledge-intensive settings.\u201d<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

Datification itself is knowledge-led\u2014and knowledge is famously said to be socially constructed. As a result, the growing popularity of integrated knowledge networks (and even storytelling or mentoring sessions) is not a tad surprising. Structured team-based collaboration<\/a> adds value to the creation, dissemination, and application of knowledge<\/a> by ably connecting agents who otherwise would not intersect.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The flow of knowledge dissemination can be rapidly facilitated by data platforms. Using data systems as collaborative spaces is an adept way of sustainably transferring tacit knowledge and reshaping it into an explicit form that provides a contextualized understanding of a given environment\u2014and, in the process, create stronger professional ties to better coordinate on product\/service innovations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Discern the Value of Competency Management<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

While it\u2019s true that know-how is an impalpable asset, competencies hold the potential to make this organizational value tangible.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

A concrete example of such a situation is developing a culture of knowledge capture and transfer by identifying the individuals that possess the behaviors or skills<\/a> needed to achieve this goal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Clearly, not all professionals will opt for a knowledge-based organization, and those who fit perfectly into this culture need to be tightly aligned with the firm\u2019s strategic goals\u2014which is why it\u2019s essential for any organization to carefully:<\/p>\n\n\n\n